The Gift of Growing Up Without Much

When I was growing up, money wasn’t something we had a lot of. Resources were limited, and I often watched people around me with more—more stuff, more access, more opportunities—and wondered what life would be like if I had the same.

But as I’ve grown, I’ve realized something profound: not having much wasn’t a disadvantage. In fact, it was one of the greatest gifts of my life.

So much of who I am—and how I see the world—comes from my mom.

She worked as a nurse in assisted living, and I watched her pour her heart into caring for others. Her days were filled with hard work, long hours, and moments that many people might overlook. But she always found the beauty in it. She saw the humanity, the small joys, and the chance to make someone’s day a little brighter.

My mom taught me that the most important parts of life aren’t in what you have but in how you choose to see the world. She found positivity and beauty in places that others might miss, and she gave so much of herself to the people around her.

She’s my personal superhero. She’s lived a full and loving life not because of what she gained, but because of how much she gave. That’s a lesson I carry with me every day—and one I’m still learning.

Even though we didn’t have a lot of money, I can honestly say I never really felt it. My mom had this amazing ability to take what little we had and make it feel like the best.

My birthday parties weren’t extravagant, but they were filled with creativity and laughter. My clothes weren’t from Abercrombie like everyone else’s, but I developed a unique sense of style that taught me how to mix and match thrift store finds in ways that made me stand out. Looking back, I think not shopping at Abercrombie was a blessing—I wasn’t tied to trends, and it shaped how I currently view fashion as something expressive and deeply personal.

That resourcefulness carried into college. When I was at UND, I didn’t exactly have a safety net. So, like any broke college kid, I got creative. I signed up for PRACS to test random medications because they were paying, and honestly? I just prayed for the best. I figured, What’s the worst that could happen? A little dizziness? Temporary blindness? Thankfully, I survived—and it gave me some money to work with.

That’s the thing about growing up without much: you learn how to hustle. You figure out how to turn any opportunity—no matter how random—into something that keeps you moving forward.

I’ve struggled with my relationship with money for as long as I can remember. Growing up without much shaped how I saw it: sometimes as a source of stress, sometimes as something unattainable, and often as something I didn’t fully understand.

But as I’ve grown, I’ve realized that all I really ever wanted was to get to a place where I could use my resources to make a bigger impact. To be able to pour into the people and causes that matter to me. To have the freedom to create and connect in ways that bring others joy.

One of my greatest joys is being able to treat my mom. After everything she sacrificed to give me and my family a better life, there’s nothing I love more than giving her VIP experiences—special trips, front-row seats, or just moments where she can feel as extraordinary as she is. It’s a small way to say thank you for all that she’s given, and it brings me so much joy to be able to do that for her.

When you grow up without much, you learn to make do. You learn to stretch, improvise, and adapt. You figure out how to turn what you have into something meaningful.

That kind of creativity doesn’t just shape what you make—it shapes who you are. It teaches you to see possibility in the smallest, simplest things.

Don’t get me wrong: growing up with limited resources wasn’t easy. There were moments of frustration, doubt, and longing. But as I look back now, I feel so much gratitude for those struggles.

They taught me to dream bigger than my circumstances. They taught me to see value where others might not. And they taught me that the most important things in life can’t be bought—they’re created.

I want to be clear about something: I’ve never thought I had it all figured out. I’ve stumbled, doubted, and questioned myself more times than I can count.

But what I’ve learned is that the journey of figuring it out—of growing, learning, and being curious—is one of the most special parts of life. You don’t have to know it all to start. You just have to be willing to try.

There’s this idea that creativity needs endless options to flourish. I’ve found the opposite to be true. Creativity thrives in constraints. It’s in the moments when you don’t have everything that you figure out how to make something extraordinary.

The most meaningful ideas and projects often come from people who’ve learned to build something out of nothing. It’s not about having more—it’s about doing more with less.

As I continue on this journey of creativity, community, and connection, I think about my mom often. I think about the way she gave so much of herself to others. The way she chose to see the bright side, no matter how hard things got.

I don’t always get it right, but I try to carry her lessons with me: to give more than I take, to find beauty in the overlooked, and to keep creating even when the path isn’t clear.

Today, I look at my life and feel an overwhelming sense of abundance. Not because I have everything, but because I’ve learned to see the beauty in what I have—and in what I can create.

If you’ve ever felt like your lack of resources is holding you back, I want you to know this: Your creativity doesn’t depend on what you don’t have. It depends on what you’re willing to make with what you do.