Some people plan their lives away; others let life happen. The poster child for the latter state of mind could be Carine Fabius. Since moving to New York City from Haiti at the age of eight, this warm, energetic woman helped propel a worldwide body-art trend, opened a gallery that enjoys national exposure and loyal clients, and has published two books, her latest called Ceremonies for Real Life . None of these accomplishments were in her life game plan.

All Fabius knew was that she had something to say. “Anyone who knows what they want to do at a young age is so lucky, because I was just floundering around,” she says with a smile. “I knew I wanted to write, but I didn't know what I wanted to write.” After studying marketing and advertising in college, Fabius became a receptionist at CBS in New York City . Then, she spent seven fun-filled years in the go-go Miami of the '80s before deciding, “I really needed to go somewhere where I could focus on my career.”

That place turned out to be L.A. She “fell into” public relations, and suddenly, her dreams were coming true: she was constantly writing, handling up to 14 clients at a time. “It was my first 9-to-5 job I really loved,” she says.

Eventually, with such a hectic workload, she burned out on PR. She met her second husband, artist Pascal Giacomini, who encouraged her to go out on her own. “You really need someone to tell you you're gonna be okay, " she said. "Going on your own is scary.” With her boss' blessing, she took a couple clients with her and found a happy balance.