About

Hi, I'm Theresa!

I've always enjoyed creating things.

As a kid, I got in trouble for drawing on the walls. My parents knew to keep me busy with paper and pencil. This paid off when we moved from the Philippines to the United States because it helped me talk to new kids and make friends by drawing Pokémon for classmates. Creating something just naturally made sense to me, but for a long time I didn't think of myself as "an artist."

I spent years following paths that seemed practical and responsible. As a child of immigrants, stability felt important. I had already moved away from the STEM field—which, for those familiar with Filipino family stereotypes, was already enough of a plot twist. Art was always there, but I rarely gave it the time and attention I gave everything else. Whenever I compared myself to people who had formal training or years of experience, I convinced myself it was too late, or that I wasn't qualified enough to take it seriously.

After years of personal growth, healing, and learning how to build a life that felt like my own, I realized creating was one of the ways I came back to myself. 

Making art helps me slow down, pay attention, feel my feelings, and reconnect with what matters. Whether I'm painting, drawing, building paper-based work, or sending art through the mail, the process reminds me to be present.

Today, MTM Art Studio is where all of that comes together. It's a place for experimentation, curiosity, color, connection, and joy. Some projects become paintings. Some become snail mail. Some become collaborations, or something entirely unexpected.

My hope is that the work creates a small moment of pause. A reminder to notice something beautiful, feel something honestly, or reconnect with a part of yourself that may have been waiting for attention.

Thanks for being here.