As 2025 unfolds, I reflect on a transformative decision from twelve weeks ago.

The Artist’s Way is the journey to fully accepting my path where engineering meets creativity. On a crisp October morning in 2024, I picked up Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and committed to its twelve-week creative recovery program. By the first week of the new year, I had completed the program and reflected on my journey. This experience reignited my passion for performing arts and poetry, which has always complemented my professional pursuits.  My career in Project and Program Management gained new meaning through this creative lens. It connected my aerospace and industrial engineering studies to leading cross-functional teams across diverse industries.

Documenting My Journey Through Art and Innovation

My journey through art and innovation has been transformative and deeply personal.  While working with Picturing Art, I express myself through colors, expressions, and vulnerable moments before the camera. These photo sessions helped tell my story of bridging structured engineering with organic artistic processes. Inspired by The Artist’s Way, I embarked on weekly artist dates to museums, art spaces, and sensory experiences.

As a result, these explorations helped me examine the fascinating intersections of technology and creativity in new ways. Furthermore, the photographs documented my dual identity as both an engineer and an artist, blending structure with imagination.

In 2024, I also expanded my thought leadership through Project Bites, where I shared insights on agile leadership and innovation. Additionally, I had the opportunity to speak at AgileCon2024 on “Strategic Yet Agile: Leading with Innovation,” emphasizing adaptability and creativity. Through these experiences, I discovered that innovation flourishes when creativity is intentionally balanced with structure. As a result, I was able to inspire others to embrace this balance in their own professional and personal journeys.

The Morning Pages

As I continued to read The Artist’s Way, I reflected on my experiences with Picturing Art, visual storytelling, and faith tests. This process allowed me to dive deeper into my journey as an overachiever, exploring moments when I felt disconnected from creativity. Writing morning pages, as part of The Artist’s Way, became a way to unearth thoughts in an unfiltered way, free of perfectionism. Through this reflective practice, I reconnected with creativity, blending my passion for poetry with insights from my structured professional life.

Moreover, my artist dates and reflections deepened my understanding of faith, innovation, and how personal experiences shaped my creative journey. These moments were about rediscovery, uncovering hidden connections, and untapped creative energy. Ultimately, I realized this journey is all about blending creativity, reflection, and growth into something truly meaningful and transformative.

Local Insights, Global Impact

As I near the end of The Artist’s Way, I’ve realized that practices like morning pages and artist dates are essential for staying connected to my creativity. These habits help me balance creativity with technical expertise, reinforcing their importance in personal and professional growth. Similarly, my professional journey demonstrates how local insights can inspire global solutions. Breaking complex projects into manageable steps fosters innovation, much like the strategies I use in workshops where participants develop individualized roadmaps. Whether guiding executive decision-making, leading cross-functional teams, or engaging with project members, I’ve seen how creativity and technology together can transform processes and deliver impactful results.

Looking Forward

As 2025 unfolds, I embrace my identity as an engineer, artist, consultant, and lifelong learner. Whether training global teams, implementing cutting-edge AI solutions, or exploring new artistic ventures, I strive to create environments where technical excellence and artistic expression complement each other. My journey demonstrates that the most innovative outcomes arise from this dynamic interplay. Guided by the lessons of The Artist’s Way, I look forward to a year of growth and discovery, where every project and creative pursuit contributes to a unified vision for a brighter future.

This philosophy—where passion meets precision—continues to shape both my career and creative endeavors. My goal is to foster a world where innovation arises naturally from integrating technical rigor with artistic exploration. As it has throughout my journey, this union will guide me toward new horizons in 2025 and beyond.