For as long as I can remember I have loved music. When I was four years old my mom put me in a charter school in the Bronx. The charter school was bilingual and offered music and dance classes. In this school, I learned my love of music. I learned to play the violin until 8 when I switched to the cello and was always involved in the school choir. After elementary and middle school, it was time to graduate and start looking for high schools. For me, my top high school choices were either Talent Unlimited or Laguardia High School. There were so many kids auditioning and only a 10% acceptance rate. But I went for it anyway. Then a few months later, I opened up the portal and it said I had gotten accepted to both Laguardia for vocal and Talent Unlimited for vocal. I was shocked, to say the least, but I immediately put in my decision and went to Laguardia High School. This is where I discovered my love for performing. I was involved in chorus, opera, and musical theater. All the while making my own music to post on YouTube. It was the most amazing experience and now I'm at Hofstra University studying Music Performance with a minor in Musical Theater. I owe my love for music to my mom. She has been there for me through everything and has always supported my decisions. Without her and without music, I don't know who I would be today. Music has taught me how to be more confident in myself. I'm an overthinker and honestly my worst critic. Music and performing have allowed me to express myself and just grow more confident in my abilities. When it comes to music I'm always pushing myself and surprising myself with the things I can do. Like writing an EP, learning how to mix my songs, creating an acapella mashup for a club I'm trying to start up at college, and much more. In music, I'm always learning and trying new things to expand my abilities. Music has given me a passion and that alone has changed my life completely. My entire life has revolved around it and I can't imagine me doing anything else. As a performer, I love music’s ability to transport audiences to another world, away from the struggles of everyday life. Living in NY all my life I've always loved going to Broadway shows and it would be amazing to do what those performers do, spreading joy through music. As a songwriter, I aspire to create music that resonates with others. I hope to release my album and EP very soon. As a singer, well I just want the opportunity to do what I love. However, my ambitions extend beyond personal success. I plan to open a music-themed cafe that will host open mic nights, creating safe spaces for people to share their talents. I want to organize "Silent Disco Therapy" sessions, combining music, movement, and mindfulness to promote mental health. I also hope to launch a "Music for Confidence" program which will offer free music lessons and workshops to help people build self-esteem through music. I plan to extend this program to schools, encouraging students to express themselves musically and discover their potential. I plan to establish my own record label, creating opportunities for artists of color to pursue their dreams. Making a living in the arts is hard enough and I want to give artists a chance to express themselves and be heard by others.
Transcript: To me, creativity is going beyond what is surface level. What I see with my eyes can be pushed to the limits of my imagination. No matter how unrealistic, I’m not afraid to express my creativity, because excess creativity creates a creative world.
Media in the video submission: Animation, comics, traditional and film.
Creativity is a fundamental aspect of our being, an essential need that connects us to the world. I think creativity can come from many things, connection, love, or trauma. From a young age, I felt a strong urge to pursue an artistic path, using any tools and mediums available to me. I felt a need to create things. I remember being completely enchanted by animation; movies had this magical way of pulling me into their tiny worlds, especially the ones I watched on VHS. While animation holds a special place in my heart, I’m also excited to explore other artistic avenues like fashion design and writing children’s books.
As I've matured, I've recognized that my passion for creativity is intimately linked to my desire for escapism and safety. Life’s challenges don’t hold me back; instead, I transform those experiences into fuel for my art. Even if I don’t always feel comfort or safety, I aim to provide warmth and security through my creations.
My animated illustration vividly captures my creative process, beginning with how I recharge before diving into my art. In the chaos of a bustling home, I’ve found an unexpected sanctuary—the restroom. It’s my quiet retreat, where I can escape the noise and embrace my vulnerability.
Through this intimate illustration, I portray a space that resonates deeply with me. The main characters represent significant parts of my journey: myself, as my mind; Roy, the glass bottle character, symbolizing my emotional state and the spectrum of my feelings; and Scratch, embodying trauma and the physical body.
To rejuvenate my spirit, I often shower or engage in self-care rituals. This visual journey invites the audience into my world, where moments of introspection and the renewal of my creativity unfold.
I drew a lot of inspiration from “Bee and Puppy Cat.” I first watched the show at 12, and it struck a chord with me. Now at 20, I recognize how profoundly I related to Bee's journey of navigating life without clear guidance or family support.
For as long as I can remember, my creativity has been about telling stories. Whether I was writing theme songs for my brother's LEGO games or playing the music from my favorite TV shows, I was always crafting a tale! Stories connect us and inspire us. Sometimes, they even change us.
The day I watched Jurassic Park changed me. All my life I’d used music to tell a story, but never had I seen it done like that. I leaped from my chair when we saw dinosaurs for the first time, and when the end credits faded in eerie strings, I knew I had found my calling. I wrote jazz ballads and symphonic suites, piano trios and synth beats. With a bursting portfolio of music (including pieces from two student short films), I applied to Berklee College of Music, where film composers like Howard Shore and Alan Silvestri went, and I was accepted. Now I’m working towards my degree in Film and Media Scoring, hoping for a Hollywood happily-ever-after.
I created this piece using Logic Pro, a Digital Audio Workface (commonly abbreviated as a DAW) and the Spitfire Symphony Orchestra. It's called There Were Legends and is inspired off of Chinese music and folklore.
Creativity at its core is a very human concept that allows us the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, and patterns to generate new and original concepts. In its essence, creativity is a concept with many interpretations, and that's part of its beauty. What creativity means to one person may differ greatly from its meaning to another, raising the important question: How do I personally define creativity?
To me, Creativity is a unique ability that connects communities and brings dreams to life. It's the spark of an idea that forms in your mind. One that you feel an innate desire to bring into existence. For artists, being creative means envisioning a piece of art—no matter how strange or unconventional— and sharing it with a community of others who can appreciate and share your imaginative vision. The most fascinating aspect of creativity is that it is never static. It evolves and builds upon the artists who came before us. It draws from a library of our lived experiences and the communities that shape us. Continuously inspiring new forms of expression.
In my attached artwork I named Peaceful Decay, I explored what creativity means to me. I delved into how nature and decay feed into the human experience, and how from a certain point of view, it can be beautiful. I wanted this piece to push my limits and see how far my creativity could take me if I tried hard enough. I researched the anatomical human structure to give me an outline of where her ribs should rest and how I could form a skull into the face of a living woman. By combining elements of the natural world with the human form, I aimed to illustrate the fragile beauty of existence and the inevitability of change. Ultimately, Peaceful Decay is a reflection of how creativity allows us to find meaning and beauty even in the most unexpected places.
