A World in Motion, A Life on Hold

Have you ever felt like you were stuck, watching the world move forward while you stayed in the same place? That was me nine years ago, lying in bed after another exhausting day as a waitress at the local coffee shop, wondering if this was all life had for me.

In 10th grade, I was expelled—not for bad behavior, but for poor grades. Undiagnosed ADD, anxiety, and depression made learning feel impossible, though at the time, I didn’t understand why I was struggling. No one cared enough to ask or offer help, so I never finished high school. Meanwhile, my friends graduated, secured dream jobs at big tech companies, and built their lives. I felt stuck—like a failure—working as a waitress and questioning what I was doing with my life. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a waitress if it brings you joy, but for me, it was draining and disheartening. I would come home from work feeling defeated and unfulfilled. I wanted to reach my potential but didn’t know where to begin.

Strings of Hope

One night, lying on my bed, tired and smelling like cigarettes after a long shift, I made a choice: Think. Just try to find something you’re good at.

I didn’t know what, and I didn’t have any skills. I hadn’t learned much in school. I could barely solve simple equations. But I decided that I wasn’t going to let this be my life. I told myself, I will find a way. I must. There are no other options left for me. The only thing I knew was how to play the guitar. Nothing else.

I sat there, staring at it, and thought, What if I could create something for guitars? I didn’t know what it would be, but I decided I was going to invent something.

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? That moment felt like my whole path was written. I grabbed a violin bow and tried it. It sounded beautiful—but it wasn’t perfect. I kept hitting the guitar, and it felt limited. That’s when I thought, I’m going to invent a bow 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 my 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, creating the bow wasn’t the hardest part.

The very first Pickaso Guitar Bow Model

Doors Slammed Shut

I didn’t have any money, so I had to find funding. I went to a few angel investors, but they told me it was too niche.

I approached a crowdfunding company to help me launch a campaign, but they said the same. Another company told me it was just a gimmick. They said, “It will never catch on. You’ll lose your money.”

I walked out of those meetings crushed, but with a fire in my chest. You don’t get to decide if I succeed or not. I’ll do it myself.

A Leap of Faith at the Bank

Desperate for funding, I went to the bank and asked for a loan. At first, they refused because of my low credit score and minimal salary. But I begged and insisted on speaking to the branch manager. Finally, they agreed to hear me out.

I said to him, “I’m going to show you the product I’ve been working on. If you don’t think about buying it after hearing my pitch, don’t give me the loan.”

I pulled out my guitar and played, “This is how a guitar sounds.” Then, I pulled the bow out of my pocket and said, “And this is how your guitar sounds with the Pickaso Guitar Bow.”

If I could have captured the smile on his face when he heard it, it would’ve been priceless. He immediately said, “Jonathan, I want one for my nephew—he’s going to love it! Look, I can’t give you the full amount you’re asking for, but I’ll give you some of it to get started.”

He gave me the minimum, but I knew that nothing could stand in my way anymore. Ironically, he was the first person to truly believe in me. I didn’t want to screw this up. I committed to learning everything I could do myself—logo design, building a website, product package design, filming and photography, advertising—anything except for the bare essentials that I couldn’t handle on my own.

The Sound of Belief

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. I was overwhelmed with joy and cried. 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. Little by little, I discovered my real strengths—those that had been buried under the dust of fear all these years. Along the way, I gained invaluable knowledge about branding, design, manufacturing, logistics, business, finances, and so many other things I never imagined I could master.

I put a board on the bed—that was my working station for more than six months.

When Passion Finds Its Purpose

Today, I have a company, employees, and a product played by incredible musicians all over the world. The Pickaso Guitar Bow is sold across the globe, and I’ve even had the honor of seeing it on the shelves of Guitar Center stores. I now have tens of thousands of creative, talented customers who inspire me every single day—and I’m constantly working on new products and ideas, some of which are connected to Pickaso and will be shared soon.

But for me, what truly matters is what the Pickaso Guitar Bow represents: creativity, hope, and the power of self-belief. Every time I hear its sound played on a guitar, it feels poetic—a reminder that if a guitar can uncover such beautiful, hidden sounds within itself, so can we. Each of us has untapped potential waiting to be discovered.

I hope my story helps someone—even just one person—to uncover their hidden potential, the vibrant colors within that are patiently waiting to shine. ✨

Thank you for reading.