We were fortunate to catch up with some brilliant artists, creatives and entrepreneurs from throughout the Houston area and they share the wisdom with us below.

Nolan J. Downs | Animator & Director

Generally, as an independent animator in the US, I start a project with the assumption that my budget is $0. I made what I consider my fist short film in 2016. It wasn’t until 202o I considered spending anything other than time on a film. In undergrad it felt normal to trade favors and ask for a little help here and there. One time I traded animating a music video for the sound design of a film. Now, though, I’m older. I know the value of a working artist’s time. I know that if I need a hand with my films I should be willing to pay up. Luckily, I work alone most of the time – the advantage of being an animator, I guess. So, if works been good, I set aside a chunk of cash, knowing that I’ll need a sound designer or mixer or musician at some point for my next film. If work hasn’t been good, then I’ll need to get clever with resources, favors, and my time. Aspects of a project may suffer because of it, though. And that sucks. Read more>>

Kedma Ough | Small Business Consultant and Inventor Coach

I think that is a very hard question to answer and dependent on each persons journey. I have a saying in business “You have the right to quit each day as long as you commit to showing up the next day”. There are times you want to quit and only faith keeps you going. As someone that has lost everything in her life twice, I have every reason to have quit. At the age of 18, I escaped a violent environment and was in hiding for 5 years. I promise you that there were weeks during those times that I wanted to quit. There are many circumstances that would break anyone’s spirit so you either have to believe in your abilities without reservation or you have to believe in a higher power. One of those has to ring true for you to decide if you are going to keep going or to give up. If it is less about a life and death scenario and more focused on a business decision it would prudent to focus on a logical analysis of the situation before you give up or keep going. Sometimes it is better to cut our losses and move on from a relationship or business deal because the sacrifice of staying is too great. Read more>>

Eva-Maria Tamez | Writer-Director-Actress

I have been immensely lucky to have parents who support me emotionally, and have the means to assist me financially If I ever need that sort of support. That is key, and the older I get, the more and more thankful I am for that blessing. I have always had secure community of close friends who want nothing more than to see me win and vise versa. Being backed by true supporters has kept my spirit for my dreams alive, through any calamity. I joke that Film has always been my first and my true love. There isn’t a world where it is not my career. Read more>>

Saabir Talib | Entertainment Manager, Producer, Promoter, Consultant.

It was being able to ‘Humbly’ get the right team together, not micro-manage and allow them to be themselves and do what we agreed to do! I didn’t have to be the smartest guy in the room. Read more>>

Sabrina Azadi Founder of Newport Coast Moms | Founder of a luxury lifestyle platform

When we started the idea to launch Newport Coast Moms it came from the genuine need to connect and inspire women of substance and style in our unique coastal community. Read more>>

Emily Aborn | Content Copywriter, Podcaster, and Speaker

The smallest things inspire me: a walk in the woods, a great podcast episode, getting lost in a book, spending time playing Cribbage with my husband, sitting with a friend drinking tea, music, art, curiosity, and learning! Even taking a new route to the grocery store… Read more>>

Andrea Jimenez | Naturalist & Herbalist

I am inspired by balance. I look to nature to understand balance and that to me is the key to health which is imperative when navigating the future of our world and our species. Read more>>

Joyce Fitzpatrick | Producer, Writer and Director

Legacy for me is important because I did not have any children. My legacy to the world will be my works i.e. my films, my documentaries, my television works, hopefully my books, whether they be fictional or biographical. Having children is wonderful, but with my creative contributions, I can communicate exactly what I want to say and if people want to learn more about me they can definitely see it in my work. I am an eccentric and love all genres, but my favorite ones are those that are out-of-the normal realm, I like fantasy and science-fiction, but I also like action and romance. I hope that when I’m gone, those who seek out my work will appreciate the areas of interest that I chose and will enjoy what my works communicate to them and will pass along my works to others. Read more>>

Jen McMahan | Event Planner

Life is about relationships, and I would hope that I did the best I could at building strong relationships. That in my professional life, I was able to create memories and moments that those people will always remember because I had a part in it. I hope that when people speak my name after I’m gone, they feel a warmth in their hearts. Read more>>

Maria Nova | Director | Founder of Unholy Agency

For me, a creative environment that sparks openness through vulnerability, human connection and acceptance of difference is an environment that moves the society forward. I believe in expansion, overlap, conversation and curiosity, when it comes to building new relationships and preserving existing ones. This applies to professional life and personal. Read more>>

Julie Jackson | Woodworker, Furniture Maker, and Designer

Conservation matters most to me. I feel the work I create is art confined by conservation. I only use lumber from fallen trees or reclaimed wood. This limitation yields unique and beautiful results. A tree growing in a natural environment has variance in growth ring spacing due to wet or dry years, discoloration due to fungi, unique grain patterns due to a protruding branch reaching for the sun, as well as a multitude of conditions in the environment surrounding the tree. This is in contrast to the wood from tree farms where their goal is uniformity and consistency, growing standardized lumber in a controlled environment, steaming the lumber to dull the color variation, and selecting for the straightest grain with no imperfections. With a degree in the Environmental Sciences and a lifetime of waste consciousness, I carefully consider all the resources and energy required to make the art I produce. I believe this value enhances my work, while lessoning impact on the environment. Read more>>