I’ve always felt the signal to stay true to myself —
even when it would’ve been easier to blend in.

So, for years, I lingered in a “semi-normal” space — choosing contract over permanent roles, learning, creating… existing.
It was my means of self preservation as a creative, and it worked decently well for me for quite some time.
I was good at what I did, but when I accepted a corporate role, I confirmed that the spaces I inhabited could never fully hold me.
It was obvious that what was tolerable for everyone else wasn’t, and would never be for me.
My independence, my curiosity, my spark — they were all being tucked away, one compromise at a time.

I was working with a Fortune 500 company, and everyone at every level was genuinely kind and supportive.
I made great friends. I felt appreciated, celebrated, and cared for — I was even being propelled up the ladder.

But amidst all of it, I kept feeling like I would have to dim my own light and box up my independence to “grow” in the space.

I tried to be adaptable. Open. “Professional”. But my spark never left.

I found little ways to leave breadcrumbs of myself everywhere ✦ — in tiny design details, subtle choices,
little bursts of creativity no one else would notice.
Those moments reminded me that I wasn’t fully present, not fully myself.

One day I had to face the fact that I was spending my time in a place that was just not for me.
All of the little compromises I’d been making — suppressing ideas, hiding sparks, bending to fit — felt…boxy.
I could no longer ignore what I had always known. I should never have been there, and it was time to go.
I didn’t quit out of anger or frustration; I quit out of clarity.
I’d been forcing myself to be at peace amidst the noise…blocking out my signal all along, and finally, I could no longer do it.

My team was kind.
The environment was supportive.
There was nothing outwardly wrong.
And still, I knew that I couldn’t stay.
It was someone else’s beautiful dream.

On my last day with them, they threw me a leaving party. The theme was magic ✦.
One by one, my friends shared how much light and creativity I had brought into their lives — through our interactions, through the work that I created,
through the little sparks of magic I tucked into everything I designed. They were all so sweet.
Some mentioned being sad that I was leaving, and said something that I already knew deep down: no one could replace the light I bring,
no one could create magic like I do.

After leaving, I was met with something I hadn’t allowed myself in a long time: complete freedom.
I had expected to feel uneasy, or to miss being busy, but instead, it felt instantly familiar — the feeling that I’d been longing for all along.
No rushing. No deadlines. Everything on my own terms.
It was exactly what I needed, because magic is indeed unboxable.

—————————— ✦

Then, I embraced pure silence, and began to reconnect with myself.
Not who I’d been slowly becoming,
but every piece of my being…including the “non-corporate friendly” pieces.
The signal that was being drowned out by the external noise became clear once again; I just needed to focus and let go.
Once I did, I remembered Starness ✦.

I began working on the Starness logo one night, and just like that, it came to me — fully formed, intuitively, in a way that felt completely natural ✦.
In less than fifteen minutes, it existed.

Every line, every shape, every little detail carried meaning I hadn’t consciously planned.
It wasn’t just a logo; it was a visual reminder of everything I had been rediscovering — my light, my spark, my signal.
In that instant, I understood: this symbol wasn’t about me creating something new.
It was about remembering who I had always been and that my version of happiness can only exist through self reflection.

That night, I could no longer ignore what I had always known: my spark isn’t just mine to hold.
It’s a signal — something meant to be carried, returned to, experienced.
Starness exists as a catalyst — reminders you can keep close.
A signal you don’t follow — but one that turns your gaze inward, toward your own magic ✦.

The Starness Symbol

———— ✦
At the center of the Starness symbol is the largest green star.

It represents the individual at their most radiant — fully expressed, alive, and connected. Its brightness comes not from simply existing, but from remaining rooted in its inner signal.

———— ✦
Just behind it rests the purple star.

Purple was chosen intentionally. It represents the quiet, the darkness, the grounding inner self — the place where intuition lives, where truth is felt rather than forced. This inner star is the source of the signal. Staying connected to it keeps the outer light strong and clear.

✦
As the stars move outward, they get smaller.

They reflect what happens when the inner signal dims — when external noise, expectations, and distractions pull the light off course. The further the stars move from the center, the dimmer and smaller they become, mirroring the gradual loss of connection to self..

✦
Eventually, the stars become so small that the individual no longer recognizes their own light.

And that is where the cycle turns.

✦
The outer arc curves back inward, forming a quiet return.

This space — the darkness, the stillness, the cocoon — is not an ending. It is a remembering. The signal is simply gathered again..

✦
From that return, the light regrows.

The individual re-emerges — radiant, aligned, whole — as the central green star once more. Starness is a reminder: Your light isn’t something to chase. It’s something remembered when you stay connected to yourself.From that return, the light regrows. The individual re-emerges — radiant, aligned, whole — as the central green star once more.