During middle school, at the height of the COVID pandemic, I started a small watercolor business inspired by beach culture. What began as a creative outlet quickly became a hands-on lesson in design, branding, and connecting with an audience. I learned how to translate personal artwork into products people wanted in turn balancing creative expression with visual appeal, pricing, packaging, and customer feedback. It was my first experience making commercial work, and it sparked an ongoing interest in art and entrepreneurship.