Milestones
1974
The Beginning.
Born in Flint, Michigan to two creative parents; a carpenter and a homemaker. Dad loves music and working with his hands. Mom always leaves a trail behind her of creative doodles, the most unexpected homemade halloween costumes, and rhyming Christmas poetry.1980
The Curious Child.
Always led by my own curiosity and introspection, and the exploration of universal emotions and behaviors, I naturally sought out ways to express myself and investigate the world around me. I indulged in books, made mud pies with my hands, and lived on roller skates.
1986
The Creative Foundation. An Early Arts Education.
An early arts education fostered my creative nature. By age five I was already hooked on ballet. Starting at age 12, my participation in classes at the Flint Cultural Center, mainly Flint Youth Theatre and Flint Institute of Music, built my foundation for a future life of creativity.
1992
A Higher Education. BFA, Musical Theatre Performance
An early arts education taught me discipline, resilience, agility, and the meaning of hard work. A higher arts education not only further developed my talent and arts training, it opened my mind to new attitudes, cultures, and creative practices. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Musical Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University in 1997.
1997
The Professional Performing Artist.
Out of college I landed my first professional musical theatre gig at a summer stock theatre called Cherry County Playhouse (Michigan). We performed Wizard of Oz, Chess, Sound of Music, and Funny Girl. Working with theatre and television professionals from Broadway, I decided to move to NYC that September, when I would begin “pounding the pavement”.
1997
New York City. A New Home.
I moved to NYC on a 15-hour greyhound trip with two large duffle bags and $1,800 that I had saved over the summer. I sublet a futon in an apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, and landed a job as a ticket sales girl at Carnegie Hall. Auditions led to more professional musical theatre gigs in regional theatres, a european tour, and my own cabaret act at Don’t Tell Mama.
1999
The Launch. Holly Blondin Designs. Handmade Greeting Cards.
While auditioning and waitressing, I designed and launched my own line of handmade collage greeting cards under the name Holly Blondin Designs. The line was presented at The National Stationery Show at Javits Center. Cards were sold nationally and at Kate’s Paperie NYC. Later, several designs were licensed to Great Arrow Graphics.
2002
The Shift to Design.
I studied graphic design briefly at Parsons School of Design. I quickly realized being a graphic designer was not my thing. While working on my greeting card line, I designed customized stationery at Kate’s Paperie and was introduced to the wondrous world of paper, printing, and letterpress.
2006
An Expat in the Making. A Cultural Expansion.
After a summer in Barcelona (2005) I was determined to return to Spain permanently. I earned a Spanish as a second language D.E.L.E diploma while working at Instituto Cervantes New York (2006-2009). There, I was immersed in Spanish culture working alongside native Spaniards. Professionally, I utilized my graphic design and printing skills to develop bilingual marketing materials and web design for Cervantes.
2009
Changing Directions. Creativity & Business.
MBA, Marketing & Entrepreneurship.
After years working in professional creative industries, I both experienced and observed the pitfalls that most creatives have while building careers in the arts. I yearned for solutions, and my curiosity led me to a business education. I earned an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College, NYC. While developing my business acumen, I combined my creative and business mindsets and worked full-time as a marketing & branding professional.2013
Hola Barcelona! New Home, New Chapter.
Shortly after earning my MBA, I said “goodbye” to NYC and started a new chapter of my life, and followed another lifelong dream; to move to Europe. Married to professional artist Didier Lourenço, I made the sunny city of Barcelona my new home. I stayed in entrepreneurial circles and continued my work as a marketing director with CEO Collaborative Forum. There, I worked with CEOs from some of Europe’s top SMEs, and took delight in soaking up knowledge on international business.
2014
The Professor.
Parsons School of Design.
Once again I combined my creative and business mindsets for a deeper purpose in helping people – through higher education. I was approached to join the part-time faculty at Parsons School of Design at the New School (NYC) in the Fall of 2014. I was thrilled to work with, and guide, such clever minds. From Barcelona I taught students online from all over the world in the Strategic Design and Management Program (MS).
2015
Arts Meet Bizness.
Arts Meet Bizness was a concept I developed during business school. Originally aimed at helping professional artists boost their careers, AMB eventually evolved into a space for people of all backgrounds to engage in creative methods for innovation; to build bridges between creative and business mindsets.
2016
The Creative Expansion.
Creativity + Innovation Programs for New Contexts.
2018
The Creative Experience Project at Fabra i Coats
– Arts Factory Barcelona.
2020
Creativity in the Time of Uncertainty.
When the world shut down, creativity opened up new doors. I took the time in lockdown to create a new world—designing this website, outlining my ideas for a book, and sharing Creative Dailies on Instagram. My husband, the painter, and I, working closely side by side, expanded our creative life even more. Working with my hands I turned emotion into creative motion — using the Brooklyn Sketchbook and Memoir Projects to fuel my own creative practice. Creativity became my anchor—and my offering.
2021
Creativity Online.
I had been teaching online at Parsons since 2014, so when the world committed to meeting online I leaned into what I knew—how to connect, facilitate, and teach across a screen with purpose. I guided Iona College faculty through pedagogy innovation, led USAID’s OTI teams in exercising creativity in the workplace, and designed cross-disciplinary innovation sessions for scientists at Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST). Meanwhile, masked and distanced, I ran in-person Design Thinking bootcamps at Culinary Institute of Barcelona (CIB). It was a strange, charged time—but creativity kept us moving forward
2022
Adapting to a New World.
The global pandemic continued to shape our lives in unexpected ways. Online fatigue and broken systems left businesses, institutions, and people confused. Like most, I did my best to adapt. Once again, I allowed creativity to lead. I signed with BIS Publishers and completed writing my first book. I expanded my creative world by connecting with scholars focused on the power of creativity at Creativity Week, a global conference in Geneva hosted by Dr. Vlad Glaveanu, Webster University’s Center for Creativity and Innovation Geneva.
2023
The Creative Future.
Creative Expansion 2.0.
The creative journey continues. I look toward a creative future that includes the collaboration of all of us as creative contributors. I keep the creative process open to the wonders that the uncertainty can deliver. I invite you to join me because we do not create alone. It takes collaboration and connection to live an authentic creative life.
2023
The Year Everything Changed
2023 was a year of creation and transformation. I published my first book, Creative Struggle Is Real, launched a new entrepreneurship program for individuals with disabilities, and moved to the Fashion Management program at Parsons School of Design. More significantly, it was also the year I lost my husband and creative partner to cancer—a heartbreak that reshaped my path and deepened my belief in the power of creativity to heal and connect.
— Book launch
My creative process was molded into a beautiful offering for people who need a creative boost. My first book was published by BIS Publishers in Amsterdam, launching in Europe in April 2023 and globally that summer. In June I was invited to speak at the TNW conference.
— Different Abilities Elevating Entrepreneurship
In collaboration with the partnership of Iona University’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and The Viscardi Center I developed and facilitated a summer intensive called IdeaSpark—engaging individuals with disabilities in developing an entrepreneurial mindset. Working with this community expanded my view on the resilience of innovators.
— Didier Lourenço (1968-2023)
My husband Didier passed away unexpectedly from cancer in the summer of 2023. Losing him shattered my world and halted all creativity. Didier is not only the love of my life, he is also my “Creative Genius”. He taught me everything about making without limits. Sharing a life with him has always been one of curiosity, observation, and being present.
2024
A World of Grief
Losing Didier was soul crushing and also a profound turning point. The separation from my love and life partner left me confused, heartbroken, and exhausted. As my beloved creative collaborator, his absence reshaped my practice in unexpected ways. Writing, previously a companion, became my lifeline—helping me navigate grief, find meaning, and slowly, begin to create again. I spent the year finding healthy ways to stay connected to him through his artwork and reflecting on our shared legacy.
2025
Turning toward meaning
This year was a vibrant mix of teaching, learning, and honoring what matters most. I taught across new contexts: Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) Barcelona’s PhD induction program, and Iona University’s Art of Curating course. The IdeaSpark Program celebrated three years. I also returned to the classroom myself, completing courses in Art Law and Curating from Sotheby’s Institute of Art—part of a personal journey to honor the legacy of my late husband, painter Didier Lourenço. Big year. Big feelings. Beautiful intersections of creativity, purpose, and growth weaving personal meaning into professional evolution.
