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Art in any form,

Saffrel.jpg

is the form of my life.

My earliest memories are of creating and color.  Over the years, I've expanded my toolkit from crayons to digital drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Procreate as well as motion design software such as 3D Maya, 2D FLASH (later Adobe Animate), and Procreate Dreams.

I am a whole-brain package.

Logical and Creative, I am just as comfortable picking up a pen as I am a stylus to sketch out an idea.  By training my creative neural pathways to see possibilities rather than obstacles, I perceive the entire world as input.

Life eventually found me in a job of routine grind and manual labor to pay the bills while being homeless.  I finally uttered the words: "I'd rather be poor doing what I love, than homeless doing what I hate." I took a leap of faith and started a new journey of determination, opening my own art business: Grateful Heartist. I live by a motto from Tony Robbins:

"If you can't, you must. If you must, you can." 

And I did. 

Learning everything I could; Business Operations, Marketing and Branding, Social Media Management, and enhanced Creativity and artistic expression.  This is as real as it gets when balancing work-life priorities.  There is no boss to keep you on schedule, you are the sole person responsible for projects making their deadlines.  I love it.

I now showcase my curated works at galleries and art shows around Washington and Idaho.

Create logos and websites for fellow artists, stickers for local businesses, infographics for education, and animated promotions for art shows across Washington State. 

Currently delving deeper into animation and exploring the potential of AR and VR.

Moving forward, I am merging my knowledge and training as a graphic designer with my creative vision and storytelling skills to help forge connections through creativity.  In a world that is rapidly advancing into the digital realm, creating visuals that resonate with people and connect with them on an emotional level is paramount. As AI becomes integrated into our lives, we must develop our emotional intelligence (EI) to progress; emotion is what makes us human.  Art speaks the language of emotion, and I wield the pen.

Forging Connection through Creativity

Have a Grateful Day,

    Saffrel Michelle Kochon

P.S. because you have read this far, I'll share a few more cool things I've experienced in life:

  • I'm a Wildcrafter and Forager in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

  • I've performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City

  • I was invited to the Amazon by an Uwishin of the Shuar, to learn about their culture and ceremonies.

  • Traveled across the continental United States

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