Earlier this year I ended a long-term relationship. A week after my ex moved out, my house was broken into. That event shook my sense of safety, and to pull myself out of the anxiety it created, I dove into books about mindset and the science of how we grow. I read, I took notes, and little by little I felt better. That process led me to channel the transformation into something creative and intentional. I call this chapter of my life “the breakup, the break-in, the breakthrough” (yes, I love alliteration).
Raising Moxy is what came from it.
Moxy is the blend of creativity, curiosity, grit, and intention that fuels ideas forward. The spelling Moxy feels both familiar and personal, a nod to the original word moxie but with its own warmth, charm, and character. Moxy feels like a name, a way of describing the version of myself I grow into through practice, effort, and curiosity. She’s the part of me that lights up when I’m engaged, brave, playful, and learning something new.
The “y” at the end of Moxy echoes the heart of this project. Its branching shape suggests a path opening into possibility and serves as a reminder that creativity is built on choices, on intention, and on the “why” that fuels momentum. That letter carries the spirit of Raising Moxy, a search for purpose, curiosity, and the energy that keeps ideas alive.
Raising Moxy is my visual exploration of nurturing that spark. It’s an ongoing practice of showing up, staying curious, and strengthening the creative vitality that turns effort into growth and possibility into action.
My interest in how our brain works is what fueled this project. I don’t have formal training in psychology—just a curiosity that sharpens as I learn more about the subject. The books that have informed the concepts behind this work are:
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth
• Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life, by Jim Murphy
• Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything, by James R. Doty, MD
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck
Each of these books has its own flavor, yet as I read them I began noticing shared principles emerging again and again. As a visual communicator, I felt compelled to gather those ideas, distill them into clear, bite-sized insights, and express them graphically, not in a literal or representational way, but through personal conceptual interpretations designed to spark interest and invite deeper exploration.
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth
• Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life, by Jim Murphy
• Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything, by James R. Doty, MD
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck
Each of these books has its own flavor, yet as I read them I began noticing shared principles emerging again and again. As a visual communicator, I felt compelled to gather those ideas, distill them into clear, bite-sized insights, and express them graphically, not in a literal or representational way, but through personal conceptual interpretations designed to spark interest and invite deeper exploration.
My goal is to fill each section with a 3D illustration and a lettering piece. I'm a working Creative Director and this is my side project, so the rhythm may not be too consistent, but this is the practice that Raises my Moxy! More to come.