LIFE DEMANDS BOTH ENDS™ began with her watercolor painting DREAM, Life Demands Both Ends—a work in her Memory Serves series. The series reimagines familiar, nostalgic objects painted with realistic watercolor detail, layered over a repetitive, hand-rendered message. It merges her decades of conceptual graphic design expertise with her expressive artistic process.

The Pencil—emerged as both symbol and source: a humble yet powerful tool that has quietly shaped Alisa’s life and career. Hung in her studio, the piece resonated deeply with visitors. Then, one night at 2 a.m., Alisa awoke from a literal “DREAM” and sketched on her bathroom mirror the vision of a towering 8-foot pencil sculpture, point down, inscribing the words: “Dear Self, So what will you do today?”

Called to bring it to life, Alisa collaborated with her furniture-maker friend to start the design and build. Two months later, the sculpture debuted at Houston’s Winter Street Studios in Sawyer Yards during a campus-wide exhibit. Visitors were moved—and they began asking for a smaller version. That simple question, paired with a long-held desire to write a heartfelt, inspirational book, sparked the creation of this artful gift.

See the Book, Art, Sculptures and more … check out the site!