Over the last ten years, my evolution has really been reflected through Mimochai. Here are ten lessons I’ve learned along the way.

1. In a life of adventure, one needs an explorer's mindset.

I used to think I needed a perfect plan before making a move. But I started Mimochai with no experience, no business background—just curiosity, passion, and a willingness to learn and adapt. I find this applies universally to anything one might want to do. There is no perfect plan, but there is a good mindset. My first book, Let's Go Explore, still encapsulates this. And I want to return to this exploration with our next project, Natural Explorer.

2. It's natural to change.

When I first started Mimochai, I was very resistant to change. Coming from my training as a lawyer, I associated changing with being unreliable. So I was in a rush to get to a place in my artwork where I wouldn't have to change anymore. But of course, that was unrealistic. As my skills grew and my tastes changed, my style evolved as well. For a long time I would overanalyze whether this was good or bad. Now, I just know that it's part of my nature to change (just as it is with all nature), and I feel so much more at ease with that.

3. Good things take time.

On a similar note, there were many years where I felt frustrated that my skill level didn’t match my vision. Looking back, I smile at my sweet naive self. Of course I was not as good as I wanted to be—I hadn't put in the time yet! The only way to get better is to keep doing the work—one drawing, one project at a time. And you know what? I now like my early work because it reflects where I was at the time.

4. Creativity is important for a lot more than art.

Figuring things out for yourself requires a lot of creativity. Adapting to change and overcoming challenges requires a lot of creativity. Being able to see something that doesn't yet exist requires a lot of imagination. Now I understand why Albert Einstein always encouraged instilling creativity and reading fantasies to children. I'm grateful I grew up on make believe stories.

5. Everything you can imagine is real.

This is a quote by Pablo Picasso, and its meaning has deepened for me over time. At first I thought he was just talking about art and imagination. But now I understand it as more than that—it's about life itself. This is just something I've come to see over the past ten years. Everything I have imagined has become real in some way or another. Another good reason to get creative.

6. Learn to listen to yourself.

You'd think by the time I left the law world and found my way to my true calling, I would have learned this lesson thoroughly. But I have to learn it again and again, because it is engrained is us so deeply not to listen to ourselves. Mimochai has been a wonderful way to learn to listen to myself and work towards what I believe in (I should caveat that the "yourself" we need to listen to is the kind and loving original version of ourselves, not the false anxious inner critic we may have developed on our way to adulthood.)

7. True validation doesn’t come from the outside.

Early on, one of my biggest milestones was collaborating with Disney on custom artwork and doing an artist signing at their WonderGround Gallery. It was an exciting moment that I appreciate. In a way, it validated my transition from lawyer to artist. But the greatest reward was realizing I didn’t need external validation anymore. I had "made it" in one sense but in another sense was just getting started: I freed myself to pursue my own independent path without having to look over my shoulder wondering if I should have taken the other route.

8. The slow, sustainable journey is beautiful.

There’s a pressure to blow up overnight or have constant big successes. But I find the best, most sustainable things grow slowly. Mimochai has lasted ten years because I focused on growing organically and authentically. That's what works and feels balanced for me. And along the way, I've already worked with my dream clients and reached my initial goals. So from here, I don't need to strive. I just need to be genuine.

9. After self-fulfillment comes service.

A lot of the past ten years was about finding my voice and honing my skills. Because art and creativity are about self-expression, it can inevitably be very self-focused and literally self-centered. However, I have found that once that aspect is satisfied, much more meaning is derived from being of service. Now, I am focused on how to channel my self-expression in a way that is of service.

10. I need more grace than I thought.

This is a quote by the Sufi poet Rumi, which I love. I used to want to be the one to have all the answers. But I am learning to become more comfortable not knowing. In that space, I've become more open. I become a more natural version of myself. Perhaps most of all, I'm proud of myself for learning how to enjoy the journey along the way. A lot of it is about giving myself grace.