Melissa has been surrounded by artists since birth. Several people in her family were/are talent-ed artists, including her late father, who was a phenomenal oil painter and could draw anything. Melissa took an interest in drawing and painting at a very early age and found her creativity to be an innate quality that she embraced for several years. She studied Fine Arts at a university in a small city in North Texas, until she moved to San Diego, CA. She shelved her artistic side for several years until recently. In March of 2022, Melissa picked up a paintbrush and reawakened her artist within. She has been consistently painting in her free time and has no plans on stop-ping. Melissa is a survivor of several traumatic events throughout her life, which had severely affected her self-esteem and self-worth. After a lot of inner work and self-reflection, Melissa’s art represents her newfound freedom and courage to express herself without the permission or approval of others. Sharing her artwork with the world shows her vulnerable side. Through her art, Melissa hopes to inspire others to love themselves and to never feel guilty for pursuing what makes them happy and fulfilled.