“You Can Have It All”

North Kansas City, MO

Colorful mural on a large wall depicting a scenic landscape with a city skyline, river, trees, sunflowers, bees, butterflies, and a girl with a dog, under a clear blue sky.
A gray brick building with two large garage doors, one rolled up and the other closed, and a small black door. A red van with "Summit Heating & Cooling" parked in front. A utility pole with wires and a pallet leaning against the wall. Clear blue sky.

Before

Commissioned By: North Kansas City Arts Council

Square Footage: 2,800

Completed: June 2024

You Can Have It All: My First Community Mural in North Kansas City

Last spring, I had the absolute honor—and let’s be real, the wild adventure—of painting my very first city-commissioned community mural for North Kansas City. The city council actually picked my design (still not over it), and by April 2024, I was standing on Iron Street with a blank 2,600-square-foot wall staring me down like, “You sure about this?” Spoiler alert: I was. Mostly.

The mural, called “You Can Have It All,” tells a story straight from my heart. It shows a little girl swinging from a tree, overlooking the Kansas City skyline—and that little girl? That’s me. I grew up in a small town, and while I adored the slower pace and neighborly charm, I always dreamed of the big city. In North Kansas City, you don’t have to choose. You can live your small-town dreams with downtown KC just a stone’s throw away (or a short drive if you’re not into throwing stones). My corgi Eleanor makes a guest appearance, gazing up at me like the loyal queen she is, and I even carved a heart with “NKC” into the tree trunk—because nothing says “public art” like imaginary tree vandalism.

My best friend and trusty painting assistant Laura King joined me for this colorful chaos. She brought snacks, the world's best playlists, and kept spirits high—especially during the 19 straight days of rain that tried their best to turn this mural into a watercolor. We used a doodle grid to map out the design, which basically means the wall looked like a giant game of connect-the-dots before it turned into art. And yes, we painted every inch of that wall, including all the random pipes and mystery fixtures popping out of it like a game of “what does this even do?”

People stopped by constantly to chat, cheer us on, or ask the classic question: “How long is this going to take?” (Answer: longer than expected, thanks, weather.) But honestly, the community was a dream—welcoming, curious, and just the right amount of nosy.

So here it is: my love letter to North Kansas City, to childhood dreams, and to finally being able to say “Yes, I did paint that building.” And yes—I’d do it all again in a heartbeat… maybe just with a little less rain next time.

A large colorful mural painted on the side of a building depicts a stylized landscape with trees, flowers, a girl on a swing, cityscape, and mountains in the background. People are gathered in front of the mural, watching or listening to a presentation during daytime with a clear blue sky.
A color fan chart with multiple shades organized from red to purple, blue, green, yellow, and black is laid out on a yellow and white checkered fuzzy blanket.
Woman sitting in front of a colorful mural with green leaves, a blue sky, and a pink flower on a brick wall. She is smiling, has blonde hair, and is wearing a black T-shirt with a floral design, paint stains, and white sneakers with green laces. She is holding a paintbrush.
A happy corgi dog sitting on a concrete sidewalk in front of a colorful mural painted on a brick wall, with the mural depicting a girl swinging and a large dog head. The dog is on a teal leash and appears to be smiling.
A woman with blonde hair in a messy bun, wearing sunglasses, a black shirt with a colorful skull graphic, black pants, pink gloves, and white sneakers with pastel accents, standing outdoors near a graffiti-covered wall on a sunny day.
Two women smile at the camera, one giving a thumbs-up, in a mobile food or snack stand with various supplies and equipment in the background.
A person with light brown hair, glasses, and tattoos is painting a mural on a brick wall. They are wearing a black hoodie, pink gloves, and have a backpack. The mural includes pink and blue sections. The person is holding a paintbrush and working on the blue area of the mural.
Neon yellow graffiti on a white brick wall spelling out 'love' with some scribbles and a small plant growing at the base of the wall.
Person painting a mural on a brick wall with green and light blue colors, wearing purple gloves and holding a paintbrush and a cup of paint.
Person lying on the ground after falling from a motorcycle, with tattoos on arms, wearing pink gloves, and a black tank top, near a blue motorcycle, on a concrete sidewalk beside a green wall.
A woman wearing pink gloves is painting a metal pipe with purple and green paint in an outdoor setting.
A woman with blonde hair, sunglasses, and a nose ring is painting a wall. She is smiling, sticking out her tongue, and wearing pink gloves. She is holding a paintbrush and a black container of paint.
Colorful mural of a cityscape with tall buildings and a butterfly, flowers, and greenery in the foreground, painted on a brick wall.
People standing in front of a colorful mural featuring sunflowers, bees, a zebra, and lush green foliage painted on a brick building.
A colorful mural of sunflowers painted on a brick wall with a pink background and green leaves at the bottom.
A colorful mural on a long building wall depicting a city skyline, a woman on a swing, flowers, a butterfly, and a dog, with a blue sky overhead.
A colorful mural on a brick wall depicts a cartoon girl with long purple hair, wearing a pink top and yellow skirt, swinging from a tree branch. A girl with blonde hair is standing next to a tiger, pointing at the mural, with bright sky and clouds ab