"Trust the process". That's what you'll hear almost every artist say while they work on their masterpiece. I used to scoff at this saying because I have always aspired to better myself as quickly as possible. I have to be better now because you never know if tomorrow will come fast enough to keep up with the demands of life. I've always wanted to have a niche, a reason for living, something I could give the world. Yet every time I was asked what my skills were, I had no answer. I didn't have any talents, except singing, which is ironic because I had stage fright. I've struggled with this idea until the summer of 8th grade. As if the stars aligned, in October of that year, I was enrolled in Art 2. I had never dreamed of pursuing it any further. I struggled with the idea of wanting to pursue art because I knew it would take years before I was “good” enough. In my mind, by age 15, I should've been an accomplished artist even though I hadn’t considered it until then. As an overthinker, I focus on the present as if it is in the past. I never perceive the future as within my reach. It always feels like a rope that is never in my grasp, light years ahead, especially since it’s not promised that I will even get there. So I have to live each day as my last, but I go through each day feeling unaccomplished. Like a caterpillar, I consume knowledge as I impatiently wait for the day that I finally become a beautiful butterfly. Nevertheless, I tried my hand at art just to see what happened when I reached for the rope of the future. As a result, I got pulled into an alternate dimension that flourished in creativity, wondrous zen, and self-fulfillment. When I create art, the whole world is washed away from my mind. It revives my sense of being. I don’t question my existence or worry about my past or my future. Every ounce of myself strives to create my own version of a masterpiece. My active mind is forced to slow down and focus on the present. By “trusting the process”, every artist has to conquer the “ugly phase” of an art piece where nothing makes sense and doubts of its beauty arise. My doubts and insecurities are erased as I fill the blank page of potential with bold, confident colors. One stroke of a pencil splits into two and branches out into five as I create a vision of myself out of blobs of colors and random lines that have gravitated to the page. Soon, this vision finds its purpose in the world. I persevere through the “ugly phase” of a piece and life as I visualize the future as the light at the end of the tunnel, where at the other end, a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis and anticipates its new journey.

I am extremely passionate about traveling. I strongly believe that our time that we have been granted here on Earth is very limited. For this reason, I want to embrace different cultures and connect with them on a deeper meaning. I do not only want to sightsee but I want to become truly knowledgeable on different aspects of life outside of the United States. I also believe that the Earth is beautiful and that we as humans take it for granted so I'd like to venture outside of a computer screen and explore with my own eyes and strive to learn more about the environment and why it is imperative that we need to save it. In college, I would like to utilize the study abroad program so that I have the chance to explore new cultures and see some of the wonders of the world and forge a deeper connection to life on Earth. In doing so I would experience a new form of gratefulness and explore a deeper meaning towards living on this planet. Coming from a small island myself, Saint Thomas, I have yet to have the chance to explore countries much bigger than mine, and so I would love to travel the world before I eventually settle in one area.

"Trust the process". That's what you'll hear almost every artist say while they work on their masterpiece. I used to scoff at this saying because I have always aspired to better myself as quickly as possible. I have to be better now because you never know if tomorrow will come fast enough to keep up with the demands of life. I've always wanted to have a niche, a reason for living, something I could give the world. Yet every time I was asked what I wanted to pursue as a career or what my skills were, I had no answer. I didn't have any talents, except singing, which is ironic because I had stage fright. I've struggled with this idea until the summer of 8th grade. As if the stars aligned, in October of that year, I was enrolled in Art 2. I had been in art classes almost all of my life, but I never dreamed of pursuing it any further. I struggled with the idea of wanting to pursue art because I knew it would take years before I was “good” enough. In my mind, by age 15, I should have been an accomplished artist even though I hadn’t considered it until then. As an overthinker, I focus on the present as if it is in the past. I never perceive the future as within my reach. It always feels like a rope that is never in my grasp, light years ahead, especially since it’s not promised that I will even get there. So I have to live each day as my last, but I go through each day feeling unaccomplished. Like a caterpillar, I consume knowledge as I impatiently wait for the day that I finally become a beautiful butterfly. Nevertheless, I tried my hand at art just to see what happened when I reached for the rope of the future. As a result, I got pulled into an alternate dimension that flourished in creativity, wondrous zen, and self-fulfillment. When I create art, the whole world is washed away from my mind. It revives my sense of being. I don’t question my existence or worry about my past or my future. Every ounce of myself strives to create my own version of a masterpiece. The Earth seems to spin slower as my active mind is forced to slow down and focus on the present. By “trusting the process”, every artist has to conquer the “ugly phase” of an art piece where nothing makes sense and doubts of its beauty arise. My doubts and insecurities are erased as I fill the blank page of potential with bold, confident colors. One stroke of a pencil splits into two and branches out into five as I create a vision of myself out of blobs of colors and random lines that have gravitated to the page. Soon, this vision finds its purpose in the world. I persevere through the “ugly phase” of a piece and life as I visualize the future as the light at the end of the tunnel, where at the other end, a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis and anticipates its new journey.