I’m a writer, multidisciplinary artist, once a journalist by trade, now an entrepreneurial mother of three, but I’m probably best summed up as a storyteller.  Born to Armenian parents who journeyed to the States by way of Haifa, Beirut and Aleppo, I'm a product of the language, art, literature, music, and food that followed them from distant parts of the world to our suburban Bay Area household. I’ve been raised a creative, always a notebook or sketchbook in hand, and feel pretty fortunate to still be in pursuit of the great storyteller’s life. 

 

After earning a B.A. in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Berkeley, I worked as a staff writer and editor at a regional magazine publisher where I helped manage and develop content for its four publications. I wore a ton of hats, writing full-length features, human interest stories and profiles while covering the arts & culture, style, travel, food and “local happenings” beats. I then pivoted to working as a publicist at a San Francisco-based PR agency, copywriting and working on targeted public relations and integrated marketing campaigns. But the need for deeper storytelling pulled me back to UC Berkeley to earn a Master’s in Journalism, where I specialized in narrative nonfiction and multimedia reporting.

 

In the years that followed, I became a mom, reconnected with my fine art practice, started writing a book and launched Pom + Peacock, an illustration and paper goods brand featuring my original work and rooted in Armenian (and more broadly SWANA) heritage. My immersive Armenian upbringing informs so much of who I am and what I create. Since 2003 I've been a soloist and more recently the Artistic Director of ARAX Dance, a contemporary Armenian dance company that combines traditional Armenian choreographies with ballet and lyrical dance— a formative experience that revealed the power of storytelling through music and movement (you can learn more here).

 

I currently work as a freelance writer and visual artist, pursuing projects in narrative nonfiction, fiction, poetry and children's storytelling, along with the expansion of my creative studio. When I'm not doing any of that, I enjoy pretending to be a tourist in San Francisco, geeking out on all things ballet, thumbing through old cookbooks and most notably, spending time with my three littles, who are my greatest creative motivators.