Between painting, writing, stage acting and music, Erin desires to create art that matters. 

Erin’s origin story begins with music. Her parents, both Salvationists, met in the tuba section during a band event at a local festival and fell in love. Her parents’ courtship continued via international mail when her mom took a mission trip to Ghana. “Music has been a constant thread throughout my family’s story,” Erin shared. Months after her mom’s mission trip ended, her parents were married and soon welcomed Erin and her siblings. 

Erin has always striven to make the arts a part of her life. She teaches music and art at divisional and territorial camps, but she also contributes her artistic skills in scene shops for various theater projects by designing and painting sets. “I now have a new understanding of Jesus’ pre-ministry life. I’ll come home from a scene shop covered in dirt, sweat, sawdust, and paint,” she said. “Sometimes I even still have pencils or paintbrushes stuck in my hair. But the greatest takeaway is that in this ‘carpentry-era,’ God is still working on me.” 

As she balances her faith with school and her many creative pursuits and extracurriculars, she trusts God to guide her next steps in faith. “It’s less about balance but searching for Jesus in the unexpected places.” 

A line from “Hadestown,” one of her favorite musicals, resonates with her: “He could make you see how the world can be, in spite of the way that it is.” She embraces this as part of her purpose: “to dream about what the world could be, despite the way that it is.” For her, art is personal. “Art has this power to transcend language, culture and time, becoming something personal to every person who interacts with it.” 

Erin hopes to create art as much as possible. She longs to make art accessible and create a space for young people to express themselves creatively.

Her advice to young Christians who may be struggling with their faith is, “You’re not alone.” She encourages them to express this inner turmoil. “My advice is to journal and write your struggle. Don’t give up. Go on the journey and know that you are certainly not alone.”