Big Life Changes, Dreams and a Huge Creative Leap! 🎨✨

🌍 Major Life Changes

The past year has been a whirlwind of big, exciting, terrifying changes—the kind that push you to grow whether you feel ready or not. I wanted to take a moment to reflect, share where I’ve been, and let you in on where I’m headed next.

Children’s book illustrator Ariana sharing updates on her creative journey and next steps — Here's the Fetch Logo

🎨 Leaving My Job at Fetch Rewards

For the past three years, I worked as a designer at Fetch Rewards, where I had the opportunity to create, grow, and even step into a Senior Designer role at the beginning of the year. It was an incredible experience—one that shaped me so much as a creative, a strategist, and a storyteller.

Truthfully, I loved my job. I was working on projects that challenged me, surrounded by a team that inspired me, and contributing to a brand that I truly believed in. But as much as I enjoyed it, there was always this quiet pull in the back of my mind—a feeling that there was something else I needed to do.

I had spent months working toward my visa to stay in Europe, and when the moment came to make it official, I realized I was at a crossroad:

Stay in the comfort of what I knew, in a job I liked, with financial stability and security.
Or take the terrifying leap toward the creative life I had always imagined for myself, even if I had no guarantee it would work out.

It wasn’t an easy decision. In fact, it was one of the hardest choices I’ve ever made. Walking away from something good to chase something unknown felt wildly irresponsible at times—I had a stable career, amazing colleagues, and a clear professional path ahead of me. But in my heart, I knew that if I didn’t take this risk now, I might never do it.

I had been sketching children’s books in my spare time, imagining stories, and dreaming of something bigger—something that was completely my own. And so, after months of debating, after weeks of second-guessing, I finally made the choice.

I chose the dream.

Was it scary? Absolutely! Is it still scary? Every single day.

But I knew I had to bet on myself. I knew I had to take this chance, even if it meant walking away from security and stepping straight into uncertainty. Because at the end of the day, the biggest risk wasn’t failing—it was never trying at all.

And now, here I am. Building a new chapter, creating every day, and proving to myself that sometimes, choosing passion over fear is the right choice.

🎤 A New Creative Adventure: Singing Lessons!

As if illustrating non-stop wasn’t enough, I also recently started taking singing lessons! 🎶 It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and honestly? It’s been both exciting and terrifying. Learning a new skill as an adult can feel vulnerable, but I’m reminding myself that growth happens outside of our comfort zones.

I’m not expecting to become the next pop star (😂), but there’s something so freeing about challenging myself in a new creative way.

🦋 Performing in TWO Aerial Silks Shows

Before moving, I pushed myself in a totally new way—performing aerial silks in two shows at my school, Jaya. It was one of the most terrifying and rewarding things I’ve ever done, and if you want to see me flying around in the air, check them out below.

Here's my first performance doing a student showcase that was movie themed. I chose to do the Barbie movie and use the song "What was I made for" by Billie Eilish

Here is the second performace I did for the Halloween show featuring the two songs "Don't Blame Me" and "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift

🌊 Taking a Step Back to Move Forward

After leaving my job, I went back home to Hawaii for a month—not just to be with friends and family, but to really sit with myself and ask:

"What do I actually want next?"

At first, I thought I needed to jump straight into another job—that was the “logical” next step, right? But every time I scrolled through job listings, my gut said, this isn’t it.

Then, something kept nagging at me. A project I had started years ago, tucked away and forgotten. A children’s book.

This is a book I outlined and sketched back in 2020, but I never fully illustrated or wrote the final copy. For years, I told myself, I’ll get to it later. But no matter how much I tried to focus on something else, my heart kept pulling me back to it.

And then it hit me:

"If I keep waiting for ‘the right time,’ I might never do it at all."

So instead of pushing it aside for someday, I made the decision. Someday is now.

The Truth Behind the Dream: The Struggles & Anxiety No One Talks About😞🎨

I won’t lie—bringing this book to life has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. 🎨📖

When I first started, I was filled with excitement, dreaming about the finished product, the joy of seeing it in readers’ hands. But as I got deeper into the process, the self-doubt, perfectionism, and anxiety started creeping in.

Every page, every brushstroke, every decision felt huge. Was my art good enough? Would anyone even care about this story? Would I ever actually finish? I’ve had moments where I stared at my screen for hours, completely stuck, feeling like I wasn’t moving forward at all. Some days, the fear of failing hit so hard I wanted to walk away from it entirely.

And then there’s the pressure I put on myself. The financial stress of not working right now, the guilt of spending time and money on something that has no guaranteed outcome—it all adds up. Some nights, I’ve lost sleep wondering if I’m making the right choices, if I should be doing something more “practical,” if this dream is even worth it.

But deep down, despite all the stress and uncertainty, I know this book is something I have to finish. It’s a part of me. And even though the journey hasn’t been easy, I remind myself that the best things in life never are. Growth is uncomfortable, creativity is messy, and dreams don’t come wrapped in a perfect little bow. But that’s what makes them worth chasing.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your own dreams, if the fear of failure has held you back—I see you. You’re not alone in it. And if I’ve learned anything from this process, it’s that pushing through the discomfort is what makes the final result so much sweeter. 💖

🎨 The Big Creative Leap: 4 Months, 33 Pages

After coming back to Lisbon,

I gave myself a big goal:

📖 Illustrate all 33 pages of my children’s book in 4 months.

✏️ 2-3 pages per week + finalizing the copy. And let me tell you… it’s been a rollercoaster.

Right now, I’m in Week 2, on Page 5, and I am feeling every emotion possible.

Some days, I feel unstoppable—like the ideas are flowing, the colors are clicking, and I can see the world I’ve imagined for so long finally coming to life. Those are the moments that make me feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

But then there are the other days. The ones where I stare at my screen for hours, second-guessing every line, every color choice, every small detail. The ones where the doubts creep in, whispering:

"Is this even good?""Will anyone care?""Am I wasting my time?"

And the truth? Fear will always be there. It doesn’t magically disappear just because you’re doing something you love. It lingers in the background, waiting for a moment of exhaustion or doubt to make you question everything.

But here’s what I’m learning: The goal isn’t to erase the fear—it’s to keep going despite it.

Every time I push past the doubt and finish another page, I realize that I’m stronger than the fear. That the joy of creating outweighs the hesitation. That every stroke, every detail, every finished page is a step toward something bigger.

Now, my daily life is nonstop illustrating, and honestly? I love it. Even with the highs and lows, the excitement and the uncertainty—I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Because for the first time in a long time, I’m fully betting on myself.

And that? That’s something worth holding onto.

Here are some sneak peak images of my creative process so far.

💭 Now, I Want to Hear From You!

I didn’t just create this blog to share my own journey—I also want it to inspire you to take a chance on yourself, to embrace the things that light you up, even if they feel scary or uncertain.

So tell me—

✨ What have you been up to lately?✨ Is there something you’ve been dreaming of creating or doing?✨ What’s holding you back?

I know firsthand how easy it is to put off your dreams—to tell yourself you’ll start “later,” when you feel more ready, when the timing is better, when you have more confidence. But what if later is right now?

If there’s something that’s been sitting in your heart, something you’ve been wanting to do but haven’t yet started—consider this your sign. Maybe you don’t have to wait for permission. Maybe you don’t have to have it all figured out. Maybe you just need to take the first small step and see where it leads.

This blog is more than just a place for me to document my journey—it’s a space for all of us who are navigating creativity, self-growth, and the process of building something meaningful.

So if you’re here, I want you to know:📖 I’ll be sharing the highs and the struggles. The creative wins, the doubts, the breakthroughs.🎨 I’ll be giving you behind-the-scenes peeks at my illustration process, book progress, and all the lessons I’m learning along the way.💡 I’ll be sharing insights that might help you too—whether it’s about creativity, taking risks, or just finding the courage to go after what you love.

And most importantly, I want this to be a conversation. So let me what you’ve been working on, what’s been on your mind, what’s inspiring you right now. I’d love to hear from you. 💌

Thank you again for being here—it truly means the world to me. I can’t wait to share this journey with you!

Never stop following your dreams ✨✨✨✨✨