In college, I was really lost and struggled with figuring out what to do with my life. I wanted to do "big things," but had no idea what that looked like or how to make it happen.

I tried out multiple internships, but never felt like I "fit" with any of them. I couldn’t see myself working in an office setting where my talents and strengths weren’t being fully utilized.

During my senior year, I started to get really depressed, unmotivated and frustrated. I was mad at myself, too, because I had always done well in school. Why couldn’t I figure this out?

Meanwhile, my peers were getting cushy jobs right out of school and the pressure from family and society to "get a good job" was getting heavier and heavier. I felt like such a failure..

Still, I knew that if I took the "safe" route by getting a job I disliked, I'd end up hating my life. Deep down, I knew I couldn't settle.

After graduation, I took a chance and started following my heart to whatever opportunities felt right to me. I decided to let my life unfold, taking a leap of faithinto the unknown.

It wasn’t easy. And I didn’t make much money for a while. But as uncertain and scrappy as the journey was, I loved it.

For the first time in my life, I was listening to my inner voice, getting out of my comfort zone, learning how to be an artist, and carving my path as a creative in this world.

It’s been 7 years since I made that leap, and since then I’ve been led through an amazing and fulfilling creative journey that I could have never planned for myself: from releasing an album to acting and producing short films, to speaking at TEDxYouth and Stanford University, launching the Artist of Life Workbook and building a community of over 1.35 million subscribers on YouTube. I traveled to 28 countries, read over 75 books on personal development, spirituality and creativity, interviewed over 150 guests on my podcast, and shared my insights and lessons with millions of people online. One by one, I witnessed my dreams become my reality. It’s an incredible feeling.