“You Can Have It All”

You Can Have It All: My First Community Mural in North Kansas City

Last spring, I had the absolute honor—and let’s be real, the wild adventure—of painting my very first city-commissioned community mural for North Kansas City. The city council actually picked my design (still not over it), and by April 2024, I was standing on Iron Street with a blank 2,600-square-foot wall staring me down like, “You sure about this?” Spoiler alert: I was. Mostly.

The mural, called “You Can Have It All,” tells a story straight from my heart. It shows a little girl swinging from a tree, overlooking the Kansas City skyline—and that little girl? That’s me. I grew up in a small town, and while I adored the slower pace and neighborly charm, I always dreamed of the big city. In North Kansas City, you don’t have to choose. You can live your small-town dreams with downtown KC just a stone’s throw away (or a short drive if you’re not into throwing stones). My corgi Eleanor makes a guest appearance, gazing up at me like the loyal queen she is, and I even carved a heart with “NKC” into the tree trunk—because nothing says “public art” like imaginary tree vandalism.

My best friend and trusty painting assistant Laura King joined me for this colorful chaos. She brought snacks, the world's best playlists, and kept spirits high—especially during the 19 straight days of rain that tried their best to turn this mural into a watercolor. We used a doodle grid to map out the design, which basically means the wall looked like a giant game of connect-the-dots before it turned into art. And yes, we painted every inch of that wall, including all the random pipes and mystery fixtures popping out of it like a game of “what does this even do?”

People stopped by constantly to chat, cheer us on, or ask the classic question: “How long is this going to take?” (Answer: longer than expected, thanks, weather.) But honestly, the community was a dream—welcoming, curious, and just the right amount of nosy.

So here it is: my love letter to North Kansas City, to childhood dreams, and to finally being able to say “Yes, I did paint that building.” And yes—I’d do it all again in a heartbeat… maybe just with a little less rain next time.