A World in Motion, A Life on Hold.

Ever felt like life was moving forward without you? That was me nine years ago, coming home exhausted from another shift as a waitress, wondering if that was truly the life I was meant to live.

I was expelled in 10th grade, not for bad behavior, but for poor grades. Undiagnosed ADD and anxiety made learning feel impossible. No one asked why I was struggling, and I eventually dropped out.

While my friends graduated and built careers in tech, I felt stuck, left behind. Being a waitress isn’t shameful if it brings you joy, but for me, it was soul-crushing. I came home each day defeated, knowing I had buried potential wasting away, but no idea where to begin.

Strings of Hope

One night, nine years ago, I made a decision: Think. Try to find something you’re good at and love. School had left a bad taste in my mouth when it came to building a career. But one thing was clear—I’m a guitarist, completely obsessed with musical instruments. That was my starting point. And that night, I decided to stop letting fear take the lead.

I stared at my guitar and thought, What if I could create something for guitars? I didn’t have an answer, but I went to bed with that thought still spinning in my mind.

Then one day, I saw Jimmy Page using a violin bow on his guitar—and it clicked. What if I could do this on an acoustic guitar? In that moment, it felt like my path had revealed itself. I grabbed an old violin bow and tried it. It sounded beautiful, but something wasn’t right—I kept hitting the guitar, and it felt limited.
That’s when I thought: I’m going to invent a bow made specifically for acoustic guitars.

Inspirational moment.

Bringing the Vision to Life

I had many ideas, but the one that truly captivated me and was practical enough to pursue was a micro double-sided bow. I didn’t know how to make a bow, so I contacted a local bow maker and shared my idea. Two weeks later, I held the first prototype in my hands. I played it, and I couldn’t believe it—it sounded incredible. I had created something that had never existed before. It was my baby.

But as I soon realized, inventing this bow wasn’t the hardest part.

The very first Pickaso Guitar Bow Model

The First “Yes” That Changed Everything

I wasn’t making much money at the time, and I had no way to fund the idea. I went to investors, but they said it was too niche. One of them told me, “No one will buy this. Let it go.”
I walked out of those meetings crushed but burning with determination.
I’d find another way.

Out of options, I went to the bank. They rejected me at first because of my low credit score and income. But I insisted on meeting the branch manager.

I said, “Let me show you the product. If you’re not impressed, don’t give me the loan.”
I pulled out my guitar, played a few chords, and said, “Every guitar in the world sounds like this, right?”
Then I took the Pickaso out of my pocket and played Bach.
His eyes lit up. He smiled wide.
“And that,” I said, “is a sound no guitar has ever made, until now, thanks to this bow.”
He laughed. “Jonathan, this is incredible. I want one for my nephew!”

He couldn’t approve the full loan, but he gave me just enough to get started.
It was the first real 'yes'—and it meant everything for me.

The Sound of Belief

I wanted to create the best product possible.
But with the limited budget I had, I had to learn everything myself to make it happen—branding, website design, photography, logistics, manufacturing processes, advertising, finance, and business management.
I was hands-on with every detail. I invested the money where it mattered most: the product and the sound. For the engineering side, I brought in the best—product designers, engineers, luthiers, and bow makers.

Looking back, that’s exactly why the Pickaso is so well made. I was determined to get every part just right, and I poured my heart and soul into the process. 
With each passing day, I felt the potential I had buried for years finally begin to break through. Turns out, I’m actually pretty good at making things happen. I had so many great ideas buried by fear—but not anymore.

It took me three years of hard work, rejections, countless doubts, and sleepless nights, but I finally finished the first prototype and launched ads for the preorder campaign of the Pickaso Guitar Bow.

On September 7th, 2019, I hit the ‘publish’ button to receive preorders. Seconds later—ding! My first order came in. Then another. And another. I couldn’t believe it. I was especially surprised because it wasn’t a crowdfunding platform—just preorders directly on my website. My dream was coming to life. People actually believed in me. It was a spiritual moment—one I will never forget.

Sending out the first batch of pre-ordered Pickaso bows, after a sleepless night!

From Bedroom to Business

In the beginning, it was just me. I ran every aspect of the business—handling customer service, crafting each bow by hand, and packing and shipping them from my tiny room in a shared flat. It wasn’t easy—I barely had enough space for all the cartons and materials. Some nights, I worked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, surrounded by piles of boxes.

But through it all, I learned so much—about resilience, about myself, and about turning ideas into reality. I learned how to adapt, how to embrace my ADD and anxiety, and how to keep moving forward even when things felt overwhelming.

When Passion Finds Its Purpose

Today, I have a company, a team, and a product played by incredible musicians around the world. The Pickaso Guitar Bow is sold globally, and I’ve even had the honor of seeing it on the shelves at Guitar Center. 

Tens of thousands of creative, talented customers inspire me every day—and I’m constantly working on new ideas, some connected to Pickaso, that I’ll be sharing soon.

But what matters most to me is what the Pickaso Guitar Bow stands for: creativity, hope, and the power of believing in yourself.
Every time I hear its sound on a guitar, it feels poetic—a reminder that if a guitar can reveal hidden beauty within, so can we.

I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire even one person to chase a dream they once left behind.

Thank you for reading. 🧡

With much love and appreciation, 
Jonathan Shenhav
Inventor and CEO,
Pickaso Innovations LLC