Sam E. Levine

Once a child presented with the challenge of finding little things, like Waldo in an endless crowd of characters, I developed an affinity for seeking splendor and secrets in seemingly unobvious places. Now, I find pleasure in looking below the surface level – of a work task or a quick conversation with a friend – to discover more.

A prime example: first impressions. People are quick to judge me as a sweet, curly-haired, New York advertising woman. But after the ice is broken, the “me” that will catch others off-guard is a rap-loving, inquisitive, sarcastic and business-savvy chick who creates fine art during her scarce moments away from spreadsheets and multimillion-dollar media budgets.

While unashamed to drop a few lyrics, I know that my strongest talent is the creation of visual art. Painting and drawing not only allow me to open up via an intuitive form of self-expression, but they also enable me to escape my mind as a source of therapy. I also enjoy seeing how others express themselves via artistic ways. My most recent piece of art -- found in the background here -- is a smorgasbord of things I love, which includes watching sports, traveling, experiencing different cultures, doing water sports, and, obviously, creating art.

I'm always looking forward to what may happen next -- I wonder what surprises tomorrow has in store.