Born from Stardust book, Lit in Neon: My Two Creative Journeys

Since the pandemic, I’ve carried two burning sparks inside me: one rooted in storytelling and the magic of childhood imagination, the other in bold queer art that refuses to sit quietly in the corner. These two visions eventually grew into two very different but deeply connected projects: Born from Stardust book and NeonQueer. Both are part of me—two sides of the same creative dream.

The Dream of my Born from Stardust book

Born from Stardust began as a whisper, an idea that wouldn’t let go. I wanted to write something that children (and adults) could hold in their hands and feel seen, celebrated, and connected to the vast, diverse beauty of nature. A book that says: “You belong exactly as you are.”

It hasn’t been easy. The process of writing has been full of highs—moments of inspiration when the words flowed like poetry—and lows, where I felt overwhelmed, unsure, even frightened of whether I could pull it off. Would the message resonate? Could I do justice to such a delicate and powerful idea?

There were nights I stared at the screen doubting myself, and mornings I woke up with new hope, reworking a poem or shaping the structure. The book evolved into more than I ever imagined: a hybrid of poetry, science, and art. It’s not just a story—it’s a field guide to the beauty of difference, a colouring book, and a gentle manifesto for children and grown-ups alike.

It’s not launched yet, and that’s both exciting and terrifying. I carry the fear of putting something so personal into the world, but also the fire that tells me this book is meant to live beyond my computer screen.

The NeonQueer Vision

While Born from Stardust looks at the world through wonder and inclusivity, NeonQueer bursts out of me in unapologetic, fluorescent colour. This brand is my love letter to queer culture: bold, cheeky, erotic, camp, and utterly unashamed.

With NeonQueer, I’ve faced different but equally intense challenges. Building a brand from scratch while trying to juggle design, marketing, production, and logistics has been overwhelming at times. There were days when I felt paralyzed by the sheer number of tasks—finding manufacturers, learning Shopify, creating mockups, writing product descriptions, managing freelancers.

And underneath it all, fear. Fear that people wouldn’t get it. Fear that my vision would be “too much.” Fear that I’d sink time, energy, and money into something that might not fly.

But then came the highs—the rush of seeing my designs come to life, tracing my queer pop-art illustrations into neon-ready artwork, holding the vision of people all over the world lighting up their homes with my creations. NeonQueer is more than a brand; it’s a statement. It’s me saying: our culture, our bodies, our humour, our love—it all deserves to shine.

Two Sides of the Same Dream

At first, these two projects felt like separate universes: a children’s book about inclusivity and a neon queer lifestyle brand. But the truth is, they’re both born from the same stardust.

Both are about visibility. About saying yes to the parts of ourselves and others that the world often overlooks. About transforming fear into creation, doubt into design, and struggle into something luminous.

Both journeys have stretched me—my creativity, my patience, my belief in myself. I’ve had to face setbacks with publishers, delays with manufacturers, doubts about my skills, and the constant pressure of time and money. I’ve had to sit with my fears of failure and rejection, and yet keep moving forward.

But I’ve also discovered something else: resilience. A deep sense of purpose that keeps pulling me back, reminding me why I started.

What’s Next

Neither Born from Stardust nor NeonQueer has fully launched yet—but both are alive, growing, and becoming. And maybe that’s the real story: that creation isn’t a straight line from idea to success. It’s messy, scary, beautiful, and worth every step.

I don’t know exactly where these two projects will take me, but I do know this: they are mine. They are my heart, my imagination, my queerness, my voice. They are my way of leaving something in the world that didn’t exist before.

We are all born from stardust. And we all deserve to shine in neon.