About Me
Welcome to my Passion to Portugal project
"Never turn your passion into a paycheck."
Bullshit. Watch me.
Hi, I’m Savvy Renea — the creator behind this space where art fuels adventure and strategy funds freedom.
I believe creativity isn’t just something you hang on a wall — it’s a vehicle. For me, art is the driver. It’s the spark that creates opportunity, and hopefully opens the door to explore the world.
This blog lives at the intersection of travel and finance — with art as the engine that makes it all possible. I share how I turn creative ideas into revenue, how I manage money with intention, and how I use both to design a life filled with movement, experiences, and meaningful places. I’ll also be sharing notes from my school of hard knocks where I am a perpetual student.
I’m passionate about:
– Traveling intentionally (not just impulsively)
– Making smart financial decisions that support freedom
– Designing a life that feels expansive, not restricted
– Wrangling ADHD using project management, goal setting, and whatever life hacks I pick up along the way.
You’ll find real numbers, real lessons, travel inspiration, financial strategy, and the behind-the-scenes of using art to fund adventure. I am not afraid of failing which I am certain will happen at some point in the journey. This will not be picture perfect.
Because to me, financial independence isn’t about sitting still — it’s about having the freedom to go. If you’re someone who wants to create, earn, and explore — you’re in the right place.
Where I'm starting from financially and as an artist
Financially
My creative business is not yet profitable, that might be an issue. lol I currently self-support my hobby addiction. We’ll call it that for now. I am self-employed as a scientist doing mostly data analytics, cartography, and technical writing. I make a livable wage in my main job but with teen expenses and upcoming college an abroad family trip is out of the question. (But not if this project works!)
I started my creative business in 2023. It took me over two years to break even on the supplies and equipment I’d purchased from 2023-2025. (I may have an art supply shopping problem, working on that.) I broke even in 2025 and ended the year slightly in the black. I am starting this project in early 2026 with -$270. I’ve already had to restock some supplies and pay vendor fees for upcoming markets.
I am giving myself two years to establish my creative business in hopes of funding my travel business. In the two years since I’ve been selling my work I’ve already learned quite a bit. Some is business, some is creative skill improvement.
Artistically
I’ve been creating for many years now, but have recently transitioned to a point where creating is a an essential part of my mental health. I am a busy body who loves to work, I just have to rein in my want to jump from project to project.
I have some professional training. I have an associates in Liberal Arts concentrating in Studio Arts from a small community college and my bachelor’s minor was in Fine Arts. Unfortunately was never able to take any painting classes, but I was able to take most of the fundamental classes such as 2D design and 3D design. The classes that help you see composition and foster being able to give and receive criticism. Those skills are crucial.
Currently my main creative income comes from selling handmade and 3D printed jewelry at local markets. Market selling has been a headfirst dive into running a product based business and I’ve already grown as a person just from starting this journey. My goal is to transition to selling my paintings instead of jewelry as my main art income source. My painting skills are not at the level I want them to be so I work extremely slow and often get stuck on area’s such as rock piles or textured items. Part of this project is to hold me accountable and force me to tackle creative endeavors that I don’t know how to accomplish. That is how we grow right?
It's more than a trip...
The Azores Islands trip is not the whole game here. This project is an experiment in accountability and forced skill improvement. You won’t hear me say “I’m not a quitter.” That’s a lie, I can’t really control my mouth. My point is, quitting sometimes is really the best option and I am not too proud to sometimes say “I quit” when I realize a particular project just isn’t for me. That being said, I have a terrible habit of starting new projects before finishing what I started. Not because the project isn’t for me, but because I get bored or I run into a challenge that I am not sure how to tackle.
I know I’m not alone in this bumpy and misguided struggle bus. I have a sneaking suspicion the bus is full! I know I’m not the only one who see’s something challenging and runs away because I really have no clue where to start. Life can be overwhelming, projects can be overwhelming, folding the laundry can be overwhelming. You know what I am talking about. This whole project is a lesson in accountability, it’s a challenge. It’s to force me to continue on with a painting that I’ve been pecking at for 10 months because I don’t know how to paint gravel.
The way I see it, the worst thing that can happen is the project fails, I don’t go on the trip, but I learn how to create a blog website in the process. That’s still a win! As long as I’m still learning it’s a win!