Rediscovering CreativePea

Hello Friends,

My name is Patty, but you can call me CreativePea—how original, right? The name was born one evening when an old friend and I were brainstorming. I bought my domain name on March 26, 2010. Over the past 14 years, this website has served different purposes on my creative journey.

The Early Days

Initially, it was going to be a portfolio for my photography business. In 2010, I made my first big purchase for a hobby—a Canon T2i DSLR Camera. I was overjoyed and proud to show off my new photography, though I now cringe at those early attempts. Buying a fancy camera doesn’t make you a professional photographer, and I had to learn that the hard way. If we don’t cringe at our past, we probably haven’t put ourselves out there enough to grow.

Originally, the "Pea" was supposed to represent a peacock. Somehow, it evolved into the pea you eat—lol. Though I never pursued a career as a professional photographer, it remained a beloved hobby and a way to capture family memories.

Finding My Path

Back then, I was a full-time certified pharmacy technician, undecided about my future in pharmacy, nursing, or teaching. I loved my coworkers but felt my creative potential fading. Photography filled that void for a while, but I wasn’t ready to commit to it full-time. An old partner encouraged me to explore web design, a passion I’d had since playing with HTML and CSS at 14. I decided to enroll in art school at 25, and it was a rush to start over.

Art school reignited my creativity, introducing me to fundamentals of design, photography, editing, video, and sound. My camera became a crucial tool in these classes, reinforcing my love for creativity. The name CreativePea stuck with me through this journey, becoming my online identity.

New Beginnings

I met my husband at a startup in Wynwood, Florida, where I started as an entry-level front-end web developer. Four kids and several freelance opportunities later, CreativePea became part of my identity, even if I wasn’t producing much creatively.

Being a mother is my biggest blessing. I love staying home with my kids and having the flexibility to work when I choose. Over the last few years, I’ve been exploring my creative side through basic artwork—pencil and paper, just like when I was a child. I used to dream of selling my art for 25 cents, and now I can explore that dream again, just for the joy of it.

[1] Me and My husband taking a group picture for an upcoming soccer game tournament with our old coworkers (blurred their faces to respect their privacy).

[2] Posing for with the fantasy sports app LETSRUMBL that we built under Synkt Games, our old employer.

The Future of CreativePea

CreativePea has gone back to basics—a space to share my artwork and my kids’ creations, blending the beauty of family and all forms of art, from photography to stick-figure doodles. This is my space to create and share, and I hope it inspires you to rediscover your own creative passions.

Old Photographs from when I first got my camera.