I wasn't going to be an artist. I was thinking of being a counselor or a non-profit worker, so when senior year rolled around, the sharp, persistent question, “Oh, where are you going?” “What are you going to do? ''How are you going to live?” wore me down quite a bit. I love art, but for some reason, I never considered it an option. It was a childish pursuit, a hobby to impress a mom's Facebook group. Still, I knew it meant so much to me, and to make that my profession scared me because pursuing it made it hard to answer those sharp questions, but at the last minute, I sent my portfolio to an art school that caught my eye. And I got in with what felt like the work of something beyond myself. So, reading the acceptance letter didn't feel real because it was a hand inviting me to a future I couldn't see. I've always liked to see the steps before me, but the canvas of my future was blank; I jumped off the deep end into something I couldn't see. That's why I created this piece, I call it Chasing the Divine. Even now, my dream of creating things seems to belong to something beyond me, and I still can’t claim it as my own. It’s a large watercolor work with a sharp composition of contrasting colors. I chose watercolor because it was a medium I used to hate passionately because I was very bad at it. Its unpredictability was something I couldn’t handle, but over time, I’ve become a great friend with my most hated enemy. So I picked it up for this piece. The central figure of an angel has its arms out stech with a small object clasped in her hand, with eyes protruding into the space and a bright hand out reaching out for a fallen angel; its background has the same colorful color platte of peaceful places, of a dawning sun and a secluded cottage, contrasting the sense of movement. This is all framed by strips of cut-out space with a figure of a girl reaching out to the same object in the angel’s outstretched hand. So, in making this piece, I forced myself to fill the canvas craft the first step that I couldn't see. That requires me to examine my mind and like most artists, weighing through the constant waves of my thoughts isn't something that I like to lest I drown. I took hold of my ancestry and fears and the weight of the world that seemed to me to feel like I was always falling. I took those eyes that were watching me, trapping them in something beautiful. This is one of the first pieces that I’ve created that I can't bring myself to pick apart, which usually takes no prompting. It is beautiful when I look at it, and it is a constant reminder of the first step in a long line of first steps I have to take; my eyes are always drawn to the falling figure because it encapsulates the feeling of following my dreams, falling reckless until I remember I have wings to fly.

You never realize how much you have an impact on someone until it slaps you across the face. It is this moment of revelation and self-awareness that is so overwhelming that it threatens to take away your humility. I attended a very small school so everyone knew everyone, it was a nice struggling community at best. Since it was so small most of the extracurricular activities were run by students and paid for by students. So when no one stepped up to run the choir, I stepped forward. I was not prepared for how difficult it was. I didn’t know how to play the piano or read multiple types of music or schedule. It took me a while to find some semblance of being on top of all my school work, my job and choir. Even after establishing choir and having people drop out last minute before performance, people not paying dues, and spending all night making choir packets so we could sing Christmas carols for people in nursing homes, I finally saw what all that hard work was meant for and it wasn't meant for me, it was meant for a lower classman. His name was Jeremiah. He was walking by us singing Christmas songs and he just joined in comically and sang in the most beautiful deep voice I have ever heard. He laughed when the song ended and started to walk away and I grabbed his arm and asked him to stay and we sang together and it was fun, but that is not the part I'm talking about. It was before school. I was preparing choir music and I heard the most beautiful piano music. I followed it of course and I was in awe as I heard him play with no music in front of him. I don't know how long I stood there. I pulled out my phone to ask him for the song he played so I could add it to my playlist because it was so beautiful. He said he wrote it as if it was nothing. I started freaking out and raving about how beautiful it was and I could see it on his face, he just didn't know. It shocked me so I would ask him to play for me when I had a moment to spare. I talked to him about music and he told me that he loved choir and he wanted to play more piano, but he just didn't know how to write music and I encouraged him to learn. But I didn't feel like that was enough, so I researched for hours to find him the perfect book that would help him, but its shipment got delayed and it came after seniors were released from school, so just on a chance when I got the book I went to the school and asked the receptionist to give it to him. She agreed, but then he just appeared out of nowhere like it was destiny. There was no other explanation because he should have been in class. He appeared and as I was about to give it to him I felt in that moment his world shift. The way he looked so surprised when I handed it to him, he almost dropped the book as he hugged me. I saw at that moment how much I affect people by actions I just consider normal. I hate the self-awareness and love it at the same time because I hope that I made his life better and inspired him to believe that he can and will do great things.

I want to be a storyteller. I discovered this when I pushed myself to discover why art enriched my soul. What I found was a story. I've always loved reading and art and digging deeper I realized: The story under every brush stroke and every word brought together from mere ink on a page creates something extraordinary. Realizing this art became more, it became writing stories and creating worlds with words and lines. Writing has always been hard because of my dyslexia but there were just so many stories I couldn’t draw or paint. So when I attend school, I want to cultivate my skills as both a writer and an artist. I want to be the best that I can be at creating stories through any medium. Looking at things now, I realize that stories taught me lessons I didn't know I needed; and they were friends when I was alone. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artist's labors and now I want to do that for someone else. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special. That's why I need to attend school so I can create stories to the best of my abilities. When I graduate I want to create a business that stands firm on the pillars of virtue and meaning. I want to create a business that prioritizes its message over everything else because that is what matters. Its messages, its themes whatever you want to call it because it mends broken hearts and that’s not a job to take lightly. This business I want to create is going to help people. I want to transcend what media is today and focus on what matters in a story; whether that be books, graphic novels, movies, webcomics, comics, anything I can use to tell a meaningful story. I guess you could say I want to create a publishing house or a creations house because I want to have no bounds on what we create. I want this to be a safe environment for artists, writers, just creators in general to thrive. I want to create scholarship funds and have so much excess I can give to those who need it. I know I’m saying a lot of grand ideas, and I won’t lie to you and say I haven’t lived with my head in the clouds, but I know I can do this. I believe in the dream because I don’t think that dreams stay in the clouds forever, I believe that dreams are stepping stones into reality.

I truly believe that books are a reflection of human nature. Whether there is good or bad or long or short, its contents always have something to say about human nature. Whether it be from an in depth theme, or the struggle the characters go through. We as humans love seeing elements of ourselves in things. It is how we relate and connect to things. That’s why everyone should read Doeskey Crime and Punishment. This book is very daunting at first. It's one of the ‘classics’ but it has earned the right to be there. It has so much to say about human nature and human behavior, you find that you relate with a murder, it makes you as the reader question how you view the world and whether you have pity. The story is so wrapped up in itself and yet pokes at the reader to question. The book has something for everyone. Each one of his characters is in different places in their life and Dostoevsky shows clearly where their choices lead them in an unabridged image. That stark view is what makes it something everyone has to read. He shows the characters at their lowest and their best and the walk between them. I love how he writes his character because there is not one trial that character goes through and then they magically learn the lesson they need. He makes his character struggle and that struggle is something everyone goes through so seeing that laid out in ink is truly incredible. When I was reading it I felt praised and conflicted and entirely human.

My love of art stemmed from my communication skills or lack thereof. Growing up I struggled with dyslexia so reading and writing was very hard for me, but drawing and painting sketches became my replacement. I could express anything and everything with just the flick of my hand. There is one memory that’s most prominent in my mind of kindergarten and a weekly assignment we had where we had to draw and write about our weekend. I would spend all the time drawing spirals and colors. I remember feeling the emotion of my drawing even though it was indecipherable to everyone else, but I knew what I was trying to say. I would check out the dusty art book and be the only kid in line with one book larger than my chest. I was captivated by Michelangelo, Monet, Dagas, I'd trace my hands through the mesmerizing rhythms of the lines in Van Gogh's painting. Struggling and succeeding in art throughout my life has given me an immense love for it. When I was about 15 I was struck by just how much art can help people because I realized how much it helped me. I learn so much about myself and others through my love of art. In the future, I want to create art that touches people's hearts, in the same way art has touched mine. My current favorite artist is William Hogarth. He painted in the Rococo style with loose but expressive brush strokes. He was one of the few English artists that painted in the Rococo style. I adore the way he paints, but what drew me to him was his series Marriage à la Mode. I’m captivated by the whole series. It tells a riveting story of a family and I'm drawn in by the drama and the composition. There are so many hidden details that reveal a lot about the family. Hogarth was a storyteller. All those years art helped me express what I was thinking and now it has become a love for the stories that you can tell through art. I've always loved the classic paintings and the more I study them the more I see they have a story behind them. Art says something that's why I love it so much. It can tell something personal or it can tell a story your mind has created. Art can do so many things and help so many people with the story it has to tell. It helps people feel like they are seen.

I used to cry when I had to write assignments, the tears soaking the paper beyond use. Something so simple shouldn't invite such a visceral reaction but all my life it has, and because of that a hatred formed. But I was justified in my hatred because I had a disability that said it was alright. I had a special class that set me apart from everyone else that said it was alright to hate something that is naturally a part of everyone else. I wore dyslexia as a badge that excused me from something difficult. As I grew up a spark started to grow in me, a passion for stories. I explored every other way of telling a story except the dread novel because I couldn't do it. I have dyslexia and I can't write. But the thing is my disability isn't what held me back, it was my mind because I can write and that's what I'm going to do with my life. Looking at things now, I realize that stories are what helped me through the trials that I've had to face in my life. They taught me lessons I didn't know I needed. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artist's labors and now I want to do that for someone else. I want to go to Kansas City Art Institute to be a storyteller, through any means necessary to tell a meaningful story. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special. It's not a physical thing, it helps the heart and mine has been mended countless times, so it seems only right to try to help others mend theirs. I want to create a publishing house or a creations house, a safe environment for artists, writers, just creators in general to thrive. I believe in the dream because I don’t think that dreams stay in the clouds forever, I believe that dreams are stepping stones into reality. A wise man named David Rose once told me that all you have to have is an idea, his idea was giving smiles to people. He created a whole charity around his idea and called it To Give a Smile. Working with him cemented this dream in my head because I had this fragment of an idea, this fragment of this life that I imagine for myself in my head and I never thought it was anything important, but To Give a Smile showed me it was because their mission is to help kids with illness. They do whatever they can to give those kids back a small spark even if it’s just for a moment. I got to be a part of David’s journey helping bring those smiles and that made me realize that my dream wasn’t one that belongs in the recess of my mind, that it belongs in reality. Working with children with life-threatening illnesses helped me to think outside of myself, to look ahead to the future and how I could continue to bring smiles to children in need. So I’m going to tell the stories that are in my heart because I know they will help someone because what matters is helping people realize the truths that took you years of tears and pain to discover.

Looking at things now, I realize that stories are what helped me through the trials that I've had to face in my life. They taught me lessons I didn't know I needed; they were friends when I was alone. They provided a break from the business of life. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artists' labors and now I want to do that for someone else. So I want to go to school to be a storyteller, through any means to tell a meaningful story. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special. It's not a physical thing, it helps the heart and mine has been mended countless times, so it seems only right to try to help others mend theirs. So my first order of business is to create one, a business that stands firm on the pillars of virtue and meaning. I want to create a business that prioritizes its message over everything else because that is what matters. Its messages, its themes, are whatever you want to talk about because that mends broken hearts and that’s not a job to take lightly. This business I want to create is going to help people. I want to transcend what media is today and focus on what matters, a story; whether that be books, graphic novels, movies, webcomics, comics, anything I can use to tell a meaningful story. I guess you could say I want to create a publishing house or a creations house because I want to have no boundaries on what we create. I want this to be a safe environment for artists, writers, just creators in general to thrive. I believe in the dream because I don’t think that dreams stay in the clouds forever, I believe that dreams are stepping stones into reality. A wise man named David Rose once told me that all you have to have is an idea, his idea was giving smiles to people. He created a whole charity around his idea and called it To Give a Smile. Working with him really cemented this dream in my head because I had this fragment of an idea, this fragment of this life that I imagine for myself in my head and I never thought it was anything important, but To Give a Smile showed me it was because their mission is to help kids with illness. They fund treatments and spend time with the family, but most importantly they're there to make people smile with games and shows they put on and events. They do whatever they can to give those kids back a small spark even if it’s just for a moment. I got to be a part of David’s journey helping bring those smiles and that made me realize that my dream wasn’t one that belongs in the recess of my mind, that it belongs in reality. Working with children with life threatening illnesses helped me to think outside of myself, to look ahead to the future and how I could continue to bring smiles to children in need. So I’m going to tell the stories that are in my heart because I know they will help someone, because what really matters is helping people realize the truths that took you years of tears and pain to discover.

I used to cry when I had to write assignments, the tears soaking the paper beyond use. Something so simple shouldn't invite such a visceral reaction but all my life it has, and because of that a hatred formed. But I was justified in my hatred because I had a disability that said it was alright. I had a special class that set me apart from everyone else that said it was alright to hate something that is naturally a part of everyone else. I wore dyslexia as a badge that excused me from something that was difficult. As I grew up a spark started to grow in me, a passion for stories. I explored every other way of telling a story except the dreaded novel because I couldn't do it. I have dyslexia and I can't write. But the thing is my disability isn't what held me back, it was my mind, because I can write and that's what I'm going to do with my life. Looking at things now, I realize that stories are what helped me through the trials that I've had to face in my life. They taught me lessons I didn't know I needed; they were friends when I was alone. They were the center of some of my favorite memories of reading together as a family; they provided a break from the business of life. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artists' labors and now I want to do that for someone else. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special. It's not a physical thing, it helps the heart and mine has been mended countless times, so it seems only right to try to help others mend theirs. When I attend school I want to cultivate my skills as both a writer and an artist. I want to be the best that I can be at creating stories through any medium. My passion is to help others overcome their disabilities by changing their mindset about themselves. I believe, with God’s help I can help others through my stories and art. If I can do it, they can do it, too. All it takes is the belief that it can be done and the effort needed to pull it all together. “Put feet to your prayers”, my grandma always says, and that’s what I plan to do by attending college to learn how to reach people with my message.

I want to e a storyteller. Looking at things now, I realize that stories are what helped me through the trials that I've had to face in my life. They taught me lessons I didn't know I needed; they were friends when I was alone. They provided a break from the business of life. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artist's labors and now I want to do that for someone else. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special. It's not a physical thing, it helps the heart and mine has been mended countless times, so it seems only right to try to help others mend theirs. So my first order of business is to create one, that’s stands firm on the pillars of virtue and meaning. I want to create a business that prioritizes its message over everything else because that is what matters. It’s messages, it's themes whatever you want to call it because it mends broken hearts and that’s not a job to take lightly. This business I want to create is going to help people. I want to transcend what media is today and focus on what matters, a story; whether that be books, graphic novels, movies, webcomics, comics, anything I can use to tell a meaningful story. I guess you could say I want to create a publishing house or a creations house because I want to have no bounds on what we create. I want this to be a safe environment for artists, writers, just creators in general to thrive. I want to create scholarship funds and have so much excess I can give to those who need it. I know I’m saying a lot of grand ideas, and I won’t lie to you and say I haven’t lived with my head in the clouds, but I know I can do this. I believe in the dream because I don’t think that dreams stay in the clouds forever, I believe that dreams are stepping stones into reality. A wise man named David Rose once told me that all you have to have is an idea, his idea was giving smiles to people. He created a whole charity around his idea and called it To Give a Smile. Working with him really cemented this dream in my head because I used to have this fragment of an idea, this fragment of this life that I imagine for myself in my head and I never thought it was anything important, but To Give a Smile showed me it was because their mission is to help kids with illness. They fund treatments and spend time with the family, but most importantly they're there to make people smile with games and shows they put on and events. They do whatever they can to give those kids back a small spark even if it’s just for a moment. I got to be a part of David’s journey helping bring those smiles and that made me realize that my dream wasn’t one that belongs in the recess of my mind, that it belongs in reality. So I’m going to tell the stories that are in my heart because I know they will help someone, because what really matters is helping people.

I want to be a storyteller. I discovered this when I pushed myself to discover why art enriched my soul. What I found was a story. I've always loved reading and art and digging deeper I realized: The story under every brush stroke and every word brought together from mere ink on a page creates something extraordinary. Realizing this art became more, it became writing stories and creating worlds with words and lines. When I attend school, I want to cultivate my skills as both a writer and an artist. I want to be the best that I can be at creating stories through any medium. Looking at things now, I realize that stories taught me lessons I didn't know I needed; and they were friends when I was alone. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artist's labors and now I want to do that for someone else. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special.

I remember when I was in kindergarten they had this assignment every Monday where we would have to draw something from our weekend. I remember very vividly that I would draw these spirals playing with colors and laying them over each other. To me I could feel the emotion in the spirals. It's all a little fuzzy now, but I know what I drew made sense to me, it was a part of who I was and am today. As I got older, drawing and painting came easier than spelling. In every book I read, I could see the characters as clearly as if they were on a movie theater screen. My imagination took flight making everything come alive. I became desperate to make what I was seeing in my head appear on the pages. I pushed myself to draw, paint, and sketch what I saw. Granted, it wasn't very good at first, but it took me a long time to realize that. Without all the bad projects and wonky proportions I produced in the beginning, I could never have progressed to the level I have achieved today. Through all my work however, something was missing. I kept making art, but the thoughts of becoming an artist never entered my mind. I could render what my mind came up with so why did my passion never fade? I felt so aimless without a goal. I did what I have always done. I pushed myself to discover why art enriched my soul. What I found was a story. Novels are the only thing that has ever held a candle to art. Reading and Art were connecting in me and digging deeper I realized: The story under every brush stroke and every word brought together from mere ink on a page creates something extraordinary. This revelation changed my view of the world. The random sketches I did soon became people with hopes and dreams and fears to overcome not just a rendering of lines. Being an artist wasn't just drawing or painting anymore, it became writing stories and creating worlds with words and lines. When I attend school I want to cultivate my skills as both a writer and an artist. I want to be the best that I can be at creating stories through any medium and that means going to a good art school but that's going to take a lot of funds and I'm willing to work as hard as I can but growing up is learning to ask for help. Looking at things now, I realize that stories are what helped me through the trials that I've had to face in my life. They taught me lessons I didn't know I needed; they were friends when I was alone. They were the center of some of my favorite memories of reading together as a family; they provided a break from the business of life. Stories were exactly what I needed when life got difficult. I am the fruit of countless artist's labors and now I want to do that for someone else. It's going to take a lot of work to achieve and I'm willing to work as hard as I have to because the kind of help stories provide is special. It's not a physical thing, it helps the heart and mine has been mended countless times, so it seems only right to try to help others mend theirs.