I have always been the type to speak in colors. I whisper in soft blues and when my friend tells me a joke I laugh in bright yellows. The primary colors painted my life from the very start. In the bustle of my preschool class, I would spend most of our recess messily making rainbow caterpillars out of crayons. The scribbles didn’t mean much to me at the start, they were just a way to keep my simple child's mind happy. Still, the habit of pencil and paper followed me to elementary school. There, I was offered to join the art club where my color wheel became expansive. I started to learn what art meant to others and what it began to mean for me. Those moments were probably the first time I noticed how other people speak in colors too. From my K-12 experience, I painted my life with love and challenges. In the off-white classrooms, my friends and I would bounce doodles around with one another. One loved to draw their favorite cartoon characters in inkjet and another would exclusively draw bunnies in a shade of red. The latter friend on that particular day had enclosed herself in a blue as deep as the ocean. How often do we unexpectedly find ourselves lost in that same blue? So in our usual free time with quick small glances, I did my best to draw a small portrait of her. It was sketchy and quickly done to be finished before the lunch bell, but the tiny eraser shavings meant nothing when her face lit up in pure joy. It’s the little things that art can do that change a deep blue to a happy orange. After that day it was easier to not feel intimidated and contribute with the skills I had been growing every year. In my later years of high school, I became more involved with getting my art out to the community. For two years I was able to create green and red holiday cards selected by the mayor of my city, Hampton. Also within those two years in other competitions, I was able to explore more important topics like the effects of the pandemic on people and ignorance surrounding water pollution. The translation of these topics onto a 2D surface showed me that art is a language in itself. That the words of color also extend to shapes, textures, and lines. What other people created with paint or pencils could hold their most precious emotions and words. The experiences I had during my last high school years led me to my dream to pursue a degree in Studio Arts. The next school year I will be a sophomore attending college trying to fulfill exactly that dream. Of course, it is not as significant as our heroic first responders or as just as lawful lawyers. Yet, it has still touched hearts leaving an impact to be bigger than I would ever have imagined. In the present time I work as a custom framer where I highlight people’s precious memories and artwork into selective glass and frames. It’s something so small, but the faces that light up when seeing their framed pictures remind me of the sloppy portrait I made for my friend that day.

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere” (Vincent van Gogh). When everything in my life seems to be going wrong I find comfort when I look outside the window and see there is still beauty in the world. Nature is so vast and ever-changing that there is always something you’ve never seen before. I love nature because it is grounding yet imaginative. Laying in the grass and looking at the clouds I am peaceful and clear-headed. But, it also feeds my lush imagination. Like, what if the clouds and forest switched places? You’d take your morning stroll through a puff cloud as a squirrel’s acorn fell from the sky’s tree. Flowers as big as trees and the moon looking down so very close. Nature is full of possibilities. The possibilities don’t end in the mind, they also stretch to paper. Art is a big passion of mine and nature pushes it strongly. I try to appreciate nature by capturing it in my sketchbook. The passing bird, the daisies swaying in the wind, and the gentle butterflies are examples of things I love to draw. There are many shapes, colors, and textures found in nature. One of my favorite things to do is to lay my quilt outside to sketch and paint the things around me. I’ll never get bored of anything I see in nature. “You’ll find my heart in the deepest of oceans, the highest of mountains, the tallest of trees,” (Christy Ann Martine). There is beauty in everything and it captivates my heart. I’m grateful for what the planet gives us and will continue to enjoy it. I’ll continue to capture nature onto my pages in the hope of it becoming as sublime as its muse.

A gentle twinkle accompanied by the sweet songs of birds sounds through the forest. However, this is not the only noise, as the fairies and animals parade with festive music and happy cheers. I imagine this when I look at my favorite painting “The Fairy Way” by Margaret W. Tarrant. Enchanting fairies, a whimsical atmosphere, and cheerful scenery always draw me back to this piece. I find it exceptionally difficult to be unhappy when I see it. Each of Tarrant’s fairies seems to have their own life and personality. There is the musical band playing at the front, the curious observers to the side, and when you look close enough you find some of them sneakily hiding within the oak trees. The colors perfectly align with the mood and feel soft on the eyes. I find that the details of the background bring the forest to life, uplifting it with delicate flowers. In my childhood I adored lovely fairy-tale books. They were full of fairy children playing out with little creatures in green forests or going out on adventures. I would often dress up as a fairy just walking around our home. Margaret W. Tarrant’s illustrations give me nostalgia for those simple passing days. “The Fairy Way” fills my child self’s heart and provides me with delight.

“An art career isn’t a practical job. How will you make enough money to support yourself?” Sitting late in my dim room I looked at everything I’ve accomplished over the years. The sketchbooks I’ve filled, the finished pieces I spent days on, and the small competitions I’ve won along the way. Since elementary school I have been consumed by my passion for art. But, I have been scared of my future and feel only a strong pull to one career field. I have been met with worried questions and almost demeaning comments. Regardless, this courage envelopes my heart and I have decided to take the jumps toward my dreams. There’s a strong stereotype against careers involving culinary, music, and art. That you can’t make money from them and they’re not actual careers. But, I find these careers to be so special in a way that they feel so free to lead to other paths. Most artists work in their field not for the money, but for themselves and that’s what gives it such a special light. Of course I know an art career is a challenging field to enter. Technical skills, creativity, and a strong work ethic are needed to grow. However, I want to take the risks to work toward my dream job. So, knowing the risks and challenges that guard my goals, I have decided to major in fine arts with the hopes of blooming under these new opportunities. Sometimes my pieces don’t come out as I intend, but despite that I feel a satisfaction that I have finished and learned. Every brush stroke, study, and new creation will be dedicated to the juxtaposition between uncertainty and bravery. “Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow,” (Vincent van Gogh).

The clouds roll over my head as I bask in the warm sunlight. A merely completed sketch of the trees sits to my right, while my pencils rest on my left. The day is bright and the air gives a sense of freedom. This is how I wish I could always spend my time. In my most picturesque thoughts, I have grown to love my hobbies. They take away my stress and provide me with an outlet. My favorite hobbies include spending time outdoors and making or appreciating art. There is nothing as peaceful as sitting in the sun listening to the birds singing, the trees whispering secrets, and the rustling of the grass against my shoes. My favorite seasons are spring and fall, when the weather is just about right and so many beautiful changes are happening to nature. I enjoy leaving my window cracked up while I study as it gives me the perfect boost. In the warm months I enjoy gardening. Sunflowers are my favorite flowers to watch grow. Occasionally, I pick up flowers in my backyard and press them in books or hang them to dry. There are so many flowers that grow in the most unexpected places. Another hobby I like to enjoy is creating different forms of art. Clay creations, drawing, embroidering, and more, the possibilities feel endless with what I could do. Today several sketches of dandelions and buttercups, tomorrow a master study painting by John Waterhouse. My mediums hold my emotions and show how I feel in the moment. My sketchbooks are almost a diary of my activities and life at the moment. I also enjoy looking at art. People are able to create the most wonderful creative pieces. My time spent enjoying the scenery or with art is the most extraordinary.

“Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still, you find reasons to keep on living” (Princess Mononoke 1997). Today’s world is constantly finding ways to weigh down on us. My mental health continues to fluctuate, but romanticizing the smallest tasks of my day have drastically changed my approach to life. I pay attention to the slight breeze on strolls, the sounds coming from my bedroom window, and the various strokes I’ve made with my pencil to create something. The simple pleasures in my life that make me happy consist of my time spent outdoors and my artistic hobbies. There’s nothing as peaceful as sitting in the sun listening to the birds chirping, the trees whispering secrets, and the rustling of the grass against my shoes. My favorite seasons are spring and fall, when the weather is just about right and so many changes are happening to nature. I enjoy leaving my window cracked up while I study as it gives me the perfect boost. Occasionally, I pick up flowers in my backyard and press them in books or hang them to dry. There are so many flowers that grow in the most unexpected places. Another thing I like to enjoy is creating different forms of art. The feeling I get when I sit down and draw from the world is pure bliss. The possibilities feel endless with what I could do. Today several sketches of dandelions and buttercups, tomorrow a master study painting by John Waterhouse. My mediums hold my emotions and show how I feel in the moment. I appreciate the most delicate painted line and the different shades. My sketchbooks are almost a diary of my activities and life at the moment. Nature and art makes my mundane life feel boundless and infinite.

Everyone has something special, may it be a hobby or talent, that has powerfully impacted their life. I discovered my most passionate joy to be art. My interests began early in elementary school when I was a part of an art related club. Throughout middle school, my art passions fluctuated with the ever changing growth I experienced. This passion only increased after entering high school leading me to win places in local art competitions. Today I have tried so many different art mediums such as embroidery, digital painting, and several traditional mediums. Art has forever changed my life by providing me with an emotional outlet and changing my perspective. For every big life change I have experienced there is surely a drawing to go alongside it. The happiest yellow, the furious red, and the bluest sadness are all parts of life that come and go. When I needed a place for these emotions I drew and painted them to my heart’s content. The paper was a friend without judgments for the dirty smudges I needed to rid myself of. Using art as a de-stressing therapy has led me to combat my problems with a healthy mindset. This has allowed me to properly manage emotions and find solutions. Just like in art, the world has many different views, textures, and colors. Life is full of many obstacles which need creative solutions. Issues between individuals can be solved in creative ways that satisfy and meet the needs of everyone. Even the way I dress has been influenced by my art interests in colors, textures, and the way clothes flow. Art has given me new outlooks on life and allowed me to learn from my emotions.