When I was growing up it was clear to my parents that I had a passion for art. Any chance I could I was making and creating. They signed me up for art classes to foster my love for art and pushed me to join art competitions in my town. I took art classes at my town’s art museum. In these classes my teacher allowed me to learn all sorts of new mediums and techniques. I was given a safe space to grow and learn. My parents have always supported me and because of it, I stuck with art. In middle school, I had a teacher who saw my passions and worked to help me enhance my talents. I loved her class because she focused on me as an individual and worked with me to expand my art knowledge. She provided me with guidance on technical and conceptual skills. In my mural painting class, my teacher chose me to paint the new murals for the front lobby of the school. This was a larger-than-planned task that took the entire year to finish. But I was encouraged and assisted the entire way by my incredible teachers. Their support allowed me to leave the school with something special. The mural still stands today as a testament to all the support given by my teachers. My first two years of high school were greatly affected by the Covid pandemic. I did not get to meet my art teachers or fully experience the art studio classroom. The virtual art classes lacked the connection of a real studio and because of it none of us learned much. By my junior year, the pandemic had calmed down and we were able to return to in-person classes. It was here I met my new art teacher, Todd Bura. The class centered around our AP art exam. I realized quickly that Mr. Bura was not like my previous teachers. He was genuinely invested in our passions and wanted to push us to our greatest potential. He listened to our concerns and our ideas and met us with equal sentiments. As the year progressed and we continued to work on our AP sustained investigations I grew quickly as an artist. Having Mr. Bura by my side supporting me was a part of my growth. I eventually scored a perfect 5 on the exam and the class came to an end. In my senior year, I had Mr. Bura again for my Senior Portfolio class. This class was all about preparing us for art school applications. The college applications took a lot out of me. But the whole time, Mr. Bura was there guiding me and our class. He helped us organize our portfolio and overall supported and encouraged us to pursue our passions. I have now chosen to pursue my passions at the School of Visual Arts, funnily enough, the same school Mr. Bura attended. As I reflect on the last two years I am made aware of how influential Mr. Bura was in pushing me to continue my love for art. But I am even more aware of all the art teachers that saw my passion and encouraged me to follow it. From my parents to the teachers in my museum classes, to my middle school studio and mural teachers to my current art teacher, I have always been surrounded by creative people who have taught me and fueled my love for art. I know that without their influence I would not be where I am today, ready to make my passion my career and my entire future.

My future self is not only confident in his self-expression but also in the art he is creating and the change he is making around him.

During my childhood, I was constantly creating any chance I could. I excelled in art-based projects at school and had the drive to succeed in my education. I entered local art contests for bookmark competitions or talent shows. When I would play with my friends I was always the designated game-maker. I would create fantastical worlds for us to play in and invent all sorts of characters to be. In middle school, I continued my passion by joining as many art classes as I could including studio art, game creation, and mural painting. In my mural painting class, I was chosen to design a new mural for the front of my school. After the first semester of the class, the project was not completed so I, with the approval of my teacher, worked by myself to complete all four panels of the mural. The mural still stands today and works as a symbol of my dedication and passion for not only art but my community. It was during these same years that I began to volunteer around my town. I focused and became a part of my town's art museum volunteer force. The Montclair Art Museum was a place I had gone to when I was younger. It was within those studio classes that my passion for art blossomed. When I was making art, my self-expression flourished, devoid of others’ opinions. The teachers and volunteers encouraged me with no negativity. Years later I realized I was now volunteering and helping kids in the same position I had been in my childhood. At the Museum I have grown a love for working with kids. I understand my responsibility as an instructor to foster passion and love for art. As well as encourage the kids to grow and learn and express themselves. I work hard to promote positivity in my students and shut down bullying. No matter what the world around them says, if I can be a figure in their life that encourages joy and love in their life, then I have made a difference. My passion for art has led me to apply to art schools. I plan to have a career in children's media as a concept artist, storyboard artist, character designer, or children's book illustrator. I have chosen this path because it is a mix of the two things I love in this world. Art and working with children. I believe that I can make a change in younger generations by creating cartoons that promote diversity and inclusivity. I hope to become a successful illustrator and that my stories and characters can influence and connect with generations of kids, just as art did when I was younger. Hopefully in stories of kindness, problem-solving, and positivity in the media kids consume, they will take those lessons and apply them to the world around them, making their own impact even in a small way.

For the longest time, I've lived my life for a past version of myself. That “younger self'' first began to form when I realized I was transgender. The beginning of my transition was filled with only shame and anger. I was always told “It gets better,” but in such a bleak state, it is easy for one to believe that they will never find happiness. Younger me was impatient and full of hate towards himself. In an attempt to forcibly find this so-called “happiness,” he created a defined version of his future self. This desired depiction was the epitome of masculinity. His male form was never questioned, His transness did not exist. I convinced myself that as long as I worked towards becoming this “better” version, I would find happiness. I remember living my life in such a forward-motion state. I only wanted to reach this cisgender male form. If ever I paused my unyielding climb, I was instantly engulfed by shame and crushed by the weight of dysphoria. This forward-motion mindset continued for years. Years in which I silenced myself and forced myself to present in a dishonest, masculine way. None of it was me, I just didn't understand that there were different ways to be a boy. Finally one day, I looked in the mirror and realized we were one and the same, the Better and I. I had completely transformed myself into the cis-passing, masculine figure my younger self had dreamed of. And I hated Him. He was an accumulation of all my internalized transphobia. The art He made spoke only of cisgender experiences, none of which were mine. I realized that I had muted my only form of self-expression, my art. Why had I worked so hard to reject and destroy my transness? In doing so, I had destroyed myself. I have worked steadily to put myself back together, but I will always be changing and evolving. I understand now that being male is not a physical, one-sided experience. The most obvious parallel between this newfound self-exploration is the exploration I experience in my art. After years of trying to fit my art into a box, I can no longer hold down my passion. It springs out from me in an irresistible desire to create all sorts of art, to defy any one style, and to create infinitely. These days the art I make is from all parts of me, it speaks of all my experiences. Art is my true passion, art is what brings me to life, and I mourn the years I spent trying to silence it. What I've come to understand now is that I can not continue to evolve if I only live in terms of a past version of myself. What may have saved me all those years ago is not necessarily what will make me happy now. I feel now an overwhelming desire to embrace my queerness, to make up for all those years I pretended to be Him. I wish to relinquish myself of any ties connecting me back to my younger self. I understand now that He will never be proud of me because He was never able to admit his transness and the beauty within it. In accepting my transness I can begin to undo the harm His image caused me. I no longer have the desire to force a label onto my queerness. In an echo of Henry David Thoreau, I want to live for myself every second of every day and not when I come to die, discover that I have not lived.

Since I could pick up a crayon I have been drawing. Art was my first love, and it has been ever since. During my childhood, I was constantly creating any chance I could. I excelled in art-based projects at school and had the drive to succeed in my education. I entered local art contests for bookmark competitions or talent shows. When I would play with my friends I was always the designated game-maker. I would create fantastical worlds for us to play in and invent all sorts of characters to be. In middle school, I continued my passion by joining as many art classes as I could including studio art, game creation, and mural painting. In my mural painting class, I was chosen to design and paint a new mural for the front of my school. The mural still stands today and works as a symbol of my dedication and passion for not only art but my community. The mural instilled a love for community service in me and entering high school I sought out opportunities to contribute to my town. This is when I first began volunteering at the Montclair Art Museum, my town's own art museum. I had taken classes there when I was younger, and now I was assisting kids in those same classes. Working with children I was able to encourage and inspire a love of art in them. I assisted the teacher and worked to create a creative and safe place in the studio. My dedication to the Museum allowed me to be chosen for their internship program. As an intern, I gained a further appreciation for the impact I can have on my community. Volunteering at the art museum instilled a love for working with kids while making art. It has encouraged me to pursue children's media art, a career that would blend my love for creating fantastical worlds, illustration, and working with kids. As I have begun the college application process to art schools the reality of its high price has worked to shake my confidence in my passion. However, the choice to pursue art is not one I hesitate with. I know I am committed to making my love for art into a career and I know I will achieve it no matter which school I attend. My dedication to excelling in art, community service, and school has granted me many merit scholarships from schools I've applied to. I am so grateful for this help in financing my education. But the price of art school is still high. The line between risk and reward has begun to blur. Earning the Morgan Levine Dolan Community Service Scholarship would allow me to clear up that line and make choosing a great art education a more responsible and easy choice. For both me and my family. It would allow me to gain confidence in choosing a school that will help me succeed rather than one that will hold back my passions. From bookmark contests to middle school murals to art school, my desire to create has never stopped. The next step in my art journey is not completely clear to me, but it is one I am working every day to make possible.

I am a firm believer that representation at a young age can aid in diminishing hate later on in life. When I was younger I was surrounded by conflicting ideas about queerness. I had a gay aunt who was my only exposure to positive representation of the LGBTQ+ community. But beyond her, the world around me seemed to hush at the word "gay". So when I entered middle school I began to internalize that silence. Classmates around me who had never been exposed to queer people showed me hate toward the community. This only furthered my confusion and shame in my own identity. We were all just kids repeating what we had been taught. If those kids had had a gay aunt like me, that had shown them positive queerness, would they have grown so much hate in their hearts? When I came out as trans I continued my journey in shame. I understood my queerness but I connected it to negative messages. My queerness was something to be ashamed of, or so the world around me said so. It was not until later in my high school years that I began to be more and more exposed to positive representation. In comics, books, cartoons, and the internet. This representation in the media showed me the joy, love, and overall beauty of queerness. For the first time in my life, I was able to look at the hate towards my community and understand that the two were not related at all. There was nothing negative about being trans and gay, there was everything negative in the hate people spewed toward us. It was during these same years that I began to volunteer around my town. I focused and became a part of my town's art museum volunteer force. The Montclair Art Museum was a place I had gone to when I was younger. It was within those studio classes that my passion for art blossomed. When I was making art, my self-expression flourished, devoid of others’ opinions. The teachers and volunteers encouraged me with no negativity. Years later I realized I was now volunteering and helping kids in the same position I had been in my childhood. At the Museum I have grown a love for working with kids. I understand my responsibility as an instructor to foster passion and love for art. As well as encourage the kids to grow and learn and express themselves. I work hard to promote positivity in my students and shut down bullying. In this way, the kids are less exposed to hate toward the LGBTQ+ community. No matter what the world around them says, if I can be a figure in their life that encourages joy and love in their life, then I have made a difference. I wish all those years ago I could have had a role model in my life telling me to be myself no matter what others said. Maybe then I could have held confidence in my identity rather than years of shame. My passion for art has led me to apply to art schools. I plan to have a career in children's media as a concept artist, storyboard artist, character designer, or children's book illustrator. I have chosen this path because it is a mix of the two things I love in this world. Art and working with children. I believe that I can make a change in younger generations by creating cartoons that promote diversity and inclusivity. If young queer kids can see themselves on a screen then hopefully they can feel confident in being themselves.

Art was my first love, and it has been ever since. During my childhood, I was constantly creating any chance I could. I excelled in art-based projects at school and had the drive to succeed in my education. I entered local art contests for bookmark competitions or talent shows. When I would play with my friends I was always the designated game-maker. I would create fantastical worlds for us to play in and invent all sorts of characters to be. In middle school, I continued my passion by joining as many art classes as I could including studio art, game creation, and mural painting. In my mural painting class, I was chosen to design a new mural for the front of my school. After the first semester of the class, the project was not completed so I, with the approval of my teacher, worked by myself to complete all four panels of the mural. The mural still stands today and works as a symbol of my dedication and passion for not only art but my community. I received a community service award as well as an art award from my school. The joy of impacting my school community encouraged me to work more for my community. I was and still am a dedicated student because I am aware of where my education can take me. In school, I have always worked to go above and beyond both in and out of the classroom. In my school, I am a part of the Center for Social Justice. Being part of CSJ allows me to make an impact within my school for underclassmen as well as learn how to help communities all around the world. I have participated in numerous events in CSJ including organizing and presenting during the Hispanic Heritage Month event. Outside of school, I volunteer constantly, specifically in my town's art museum, the Montclair Art Museum. It was here I took classes when I was younger, and now work to give back to its efforts. My work at the Museum involves assisting the art teacher during classes and engaging with students. At the Museum I found a love for working with kids. I am inspired by encouraging and working with kids to push them to reach their full potential as well as foster a love for art. My dedication to volunteering at the Museum allowed me to apply for and earn a position in their internship program. Here I was able to learn even more about the Museum and its role in my community. As I have begun the college application process to art school the reality of its high price has worked to shake my confidence in my passion. However, the choice to pursue art is not one I hesitate with. I know I am committed to making my love for art into a career. My dedication to excelling in art and school has granted me many merit scholarships from schools I've applied to. I am so grateful for this help in financing my education. But the price of art school is still high. I have continued to work non-stop in earning more scholarships to make my dream come true. I have a goal of becoming a professional and successful illustrator for kids' media. I grew up inspired by the worlds authors and artists made for me, and I want to bring the same to new generations of kids. I want to make a change for younger generations and help give them a world full of hope and love.

Art was my first love, and it has been ever since. During my childhood, I was constantly creating any chance I could. I excelled in art-based projects at school and had the drive to succeed in my education. I entered local art contests for bookmark competitions or talent shows. When I would play with my friends I was always the designated game-maker. I would create fantastical worlds for us to play in and invent all sorts of characters to be. In middle school, I continued my passion by joining as many art classes as I could including studio art, game creation, and mural painting. In my mural painting class, I was chosen to design a new mural for the front of my school. After the first semester of the class, the project was not completed so I, with the approval of my teacher, worked by myself to complete all four panels of the mural. The mural still stands today and works as a symbol of my dedication and passion for not only art but my community. Those same creative and imaginative skills are what have influenced my desire to work in a creative field, such as kids' shows or books as well as media in general. When I was younger everywhere I could, I wanted to learn more about the skills in art and the world around me. I was and still am a dedicated student because I am aware of where my education can take me. In school, I have always worked to go above and beyond both in and out of the classroom. In my community, I volunteer constantly, specifically in my town's art museum, the Montclair Art Museum. It was here I took classes when I was younger, and now work to give back to its efforts. As I have begun the college application process to art school the reality of its high price has worked to shake my confidence in my passion. However, the choice to pursue art is not one I hesitate with. I know I am committed to making my love for art into a career and I know I will achieve it no matter which school I attend. My dedication to excelling in art and school has granted me many merit scholarships from schools I've applied to. I am so grateful for this help in financing my education. But the price of art school is still high. I have continued to work non-stop in earning more scholarships to make my dream come true. I have a goal of becoming a professional and successful illustrator for kids' media. I grew up inspired by the worlds authors and artists made for me, and I want to bring the same to new generations of kids. From bookmark contests, to middle school murals, to art school, my desire to create has never succeeded. The next step in my art journey is not completely clear to me, but it is one I am working every day to make possible.

Since I could pick up a crayon I have been drawing. Art was my first love, and it has been ever since. During my childhood, I was constantly creating any chance I could. I excelled in art-based projects at school and had the drive to succeed in my education. I entered local art contests for bookmark competitions or talent shows. When I would play with my friends I was always the designated game-maker. I would create fantastical worlds for us to play in and invent all sorts of characters to be. In middle school, I continued my passion by joining as many art classes as I could including studio art, game creation, and mural painting. In my mural painting class, I was chosen to design a new mural for the front of my school. After the first semester of the class, the project was not completed so I, with the approval of my teacher, worked by myself to complete all four panels of the mural. The mural still stands today and works as a symbol of my dedication and passion for not only art but my community. Those same creative and imaginative skills are what have influenced my desire to work in a creative field, such as kids' shows or books as well as media in general. When I was younger, everywhere I could, I wanted to learn more about the skills in art and the world around me. I was and still am a dedicated student because I am aware of where my education can take me. In school, I have always worked to go above and beyond both in and out of the classroom. In my community, I volunteer constantly, specifically in my town's art museum, the Montclair Art Museum. It was here I took classes when I was younger, and now work to give back to its efforts. As I have begun the college application process to art school the reality of its high price has worked to shake my confidence in my passion. However, the choice to pursue art is not one I hesitate with. I know I am committed to making my love for art into a career and I know I will achieve it no matter which school I attend. My dedication to excelling in art and school has granted me many merit scholarships from schools I've applied to. I am so grateful for this help in financing my education. But the price of art school is still high. The line between risk and reward has begun to blur. Earning the Graffiti Arts Scholarship would allow me to clear up that line and make choosing a great art education a more responsible and easy choice. For both me and my family. It would allow me to gain confidence in choosing a school that will help me succeed rather than one that will hold back my passions. From bookmark contests to middle school murals to art school, my desire to create has never stopped. The next step in my art journey is not completely clear to me, but it is one I am working every day to make possible.

Art is a bridge that connects beyond all. Art has the power to bring out parts of people they didn't know existed. Art has the ability to heal people and communities. Art has the responsibility to bring expression and representation to everyone. My passion for art is to both create and connect. I strive to create works that touch the viewer and leave a positive impact on them. Although I have not started my own career yet I have still managed to use my love of art to make a positive impact in my own community. I am a dedicated volunteer in my town’s art museum, Montclair Art Museum. I've worked as an intern, a counselor, and a volunteer here. When I volunteer at the museum my responsibilities include assisting teachers, watching over the students, and encouraging and inspiring them to make art. I take my job very seriously because I was once one of those kids in an art class. The Museum fostered a love of art for me and I work to give the same back to my community. Within the studio class, I encourage feelings of positivity, love, and self-expression in the students. I want them to each feel they are heard and that their art matters in the classroom and outside of the classroom. The impact of the museum on my community is large, and I do my best to encourage and support that impact. Entering art school as an illustration major has given me the opportunity to reach millions with my art. I plan to have a career in some aspect of media whether it be in film or literature. Film and literature are two mediums through which we look to learn and absorb information. A lot of hate and negativity in the world stems from censorship or distortion of these two. As a queer Hispanic student, I am constantly aware of the terrible violence queer people of color experience, today and throughout history. Though the LGBTQ+ movement has made strides forward, we are always sent two steps back. The horrific violence stems from a place of hate in people's hearts. To hate others' happiness is something that is taught to humans, not something we carry from birth. I am a firm believer that representation at a young age can help children grow with open mindsets and without hate toward others that are different from them. This representation can be in media, literature, and art. Even today as more LGBTQ+-friendly kid’s shows are produced, many end up censored or canceled. That’s why I want to be an illustrator or concept artist. I want to work in a field that produces the media we consume. I am especially interested in working in children’s media. I would use my skills to create stories and images that relay ideas of love, kindness, and respect to children. To teach them to accept others no matter their differences.

Art is a bridge that connects beyond all. Art has the power to bring out parts of people they didn't know existed. Art has the ability to heal people and communities. Art has the responsibility to bring expression and representation to everyone. My passion for art is to both create and connect. I strive to create works that touch the viewer and leave a positive impact on them. Entering art school as an illustration major has given me the opportunity to reach millions with my art. I plan to have a career in some aspect of media whether it be in film or literature. Film and literature are two mediums through which we look to learn and absorb information. A lot of hate and negativity in the world stems from censorship or distortion of these two. As a queer Hispanic student, I am constantly aware of the terrible violence queer people of color experience, today and throughout history. Though the LGBTQ+ movement has made strides forward, we are always sent two steps back. The horrific violence stems from a place of hate in people's hearts. To hate others' happiness is something that is taught to humans, not something we carry from birth. I am a firm believer that representation at a young age can help children grow with open mindsets and without hate toward others that are different from them. This representation can be in media, literature, and art. Even today as more LGBTQ+-friendly kid’s shows are produced, many end up censored or canceled. That’s why I want to be an illustrator or concept artist. I want to work in a field that produces the media we consume. I am especially interested in working in children’s media. I would use my skills to create stories and images that relay ideas of love, kindness, and respect to children. To teach them to accept others no matter their differences. My career goals expand to any sort of illustration in media. Working to bring my art to the covers of magazines and the screens of millions, I plan to use my art to spread positivity in our world and make a change. The skills I would learn at art school would allow me to truly grow as an artist and connect with other art students that share my sentiment. By creating works exploring queer ideas and imagery, my art could connect to many no matter their preconceived ideas about the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups. Art can humanize people, and that is what we need to make a change in the current hateful and violent environment surrounding queer people of color. My impact could work to shape a generation of kids with open and kind hearts. Hopefully, by stopping hate from forming at a young age and introducing queer ideas to our current generation, I could make my own impact on the current violence against trans and queer people.

Art is a bridge that connects beyond all. Art has the power to bring out parts of people they didn't know existed. Art has the ability to heal people and communities. Art has the responsibility to bring expression and representation to everyone. My passion for art is to both create and connect. I strive to create works that touch the viewer and leave a positive impact on them. Although I have not started my own career yet I have still managed to use my love of art to make a positive impact in my own community. I am a dedicated volunteer at my town’s art museum, the Montclair Art Museum. I've worked as an intern, a counselor, and a volunteer here. When I volunteer at the museum my responsibilities include assisting teachers, watching over the students, and inspiring them to make art. I take my job very seriously because I was once one of those kids in an art class. The Museum fostered a love of art for me and I work to give the same back to my community. Within the studio class, I encourage feelings of positivity, love, and self-expression in the students. I want them to know they are heard and that their art matters in the classroom. The Museum has such an impact on my community and I do my best to encourage and support that impact. Entering art school as an illustration major has given me the opportunity to reach millions with my art. I plan to have a career in some aspect of media whether it be in film or literature. These are two mediums through which we look to learn and absorb information. A lot of hate and negativity in the world stems from censorship or distortion of these two. As a queer Hispanic student, I am constantly aware of the terrible violence queer people of color experience, today and throughout history. Though the LGBTQ+ movement has made strides forward, we are always sent two steps back. The horrific violence stems from a place of hate in people's hearts. To hate others' happiness is something that is taught to humans, not something we carry from birth. I am a firm believer that representation at a young age can help children grow with open mindsets and without hate toward others that are different from them. This representation can be in media, literature, and art. Even today as more LGBTQ+-friendly kid’s shows are produced, many end up censored or canceled. That’s why I want to be an illustrator or concept artist. I want to work in a field that produces the media we consume. I am especially interested in working in children’s media. I would use my skills to create stories and images that relay ideas of love, kindness, and respect to children. To teach them to accept others no matter their differences. The skills I would learn at art school would allow me to truly grow as an artist and connect with other art students that share my sentiment. By creating works exploring queer ideas and imagery, my art could connect to many no matter their preconceived ideas about the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups. We need to make a change in the current hateful and violent environment surrounding queer people of color. My impact could work to shape a generation of kids with open and kind hearts. Hopefully, by stopping hate from forming at a young age and introducing queer ideas to our current generation, I could make my own impact on the current violence against my community.

Art and the individual that creates it has an intrinsic relationship unlike anything else in this universe. Artists may create the artwork with their own hands, any medium they choose, any canvas they may find, and bring to life the images they dream of. But throughout the artistic process and the final work, there is an unmistakable element given to the artist by the artwork itself. It is a level of expression, understanding and peace (or furthered curiosity) that an artist can only achieve through intentional dedication to creating their passion. Art is truth and if you are honest with the work you make, the truth will reflect to you. I have been creating since I can remember. I have always been drawn to art and to creating new images and worlds. My art has evolved alongside me as I grow. Within my own art, I seek to discover my truths. My works are reflections and explorations of my own mind. My brain is multifaceted and so my art represents as much. Many of my works explore my experiences with mental health, the ugly and the euphoric. My interests, whether profound and philosophical or nerdy and niche, find their way onto my canvas. My queerness is always present in any idea I portray. No matter what story or message I am working to create, the elements of art that call to me always have a hand in the final work. I am extremely interested in the color on the canvas. I enjoy pushing colors beyond their limit by enhancing saturation or placing colors against each other to battle it out on the canvas. Texture is an element of art I enjoy utilizing whether that be within the flat surfaces or in the lineart itself. The components within my art such as the main focal point or surroundings elements are always positioned with the intent to create a cohesive and balanced composition. All of these conscious decisions in my artistic process give me the creation of a work that truly feels alive and whole. I extend great dedication to all my works, digital and traditional so that each feels fully unique to my artistic vision. Through all the love and respect I show my pieces I am always rewarded with a gift bigger than the work itself. A feeling of achievement, harmony, euphoria or just plain contentedness. I am pursuing an art education because I know that my desire to create will never cease. I have the desire to grow as an artist and achieve new heights within my own talent, my self-expression and my perspectives. Just like the mutualistic relationship I have with my art, I know that I am ready to work endlessly and apply myself and that my hard work will reward me with the ability to pursue my passions for the rest of my life.

Desire in Every Fiber Art and the individual that creates it have an intrinsic relationship unlike anything else in this universe. An artist may create the artwork with their own hands, any medium they choose, any canvas they may find, and bring to life the images they dream of. But throughout the artistic process and the final work, there is an unmistakable element given to the artist by the artwork itself. It is a level of expression, understanding, and peace (or furthered curiosity) that an artist can only achieve through intentional dedication to creating their passion. Art is truth and if you are honest with the work you make, the truth will reflect back to you. At the beginning of my transition, I began to form a mindset that my transness and queerness were a burden to my art. I believed that my art should never express queer ideas or themes and that doing so would change others’ views of the value of my art. With this mindset, I grew a dishonest relationship with my art. My real thoughts and feelings were withheld from the canvas. Instead, I depicted ideal images of myself, my life, and my feelings. The dishonesty led to a disconnect within my passion for art. Working so hard to ignore the reality of my queerness stunted my personal growth and self-exploration. Eventually, as the years went by I began to open up to my transness. Doodles became sketches and became full artworks. Slowly telling a story of my real thoughts and ideas. Under layers of paint, my transness peeked through. It was not until this year, when I created the work “Desire in Every Fiber '', that I really let go of any shame I felt depicting my transness in my art. This drawing illustrates a future version of myself in my transition, with his arms raised and a smile on his face. On the left is a poem I wrote about my passion for art. Surrounding my figure are stars, sky, and rays of light. The work was made with the intention of truly seeing me and my queerness. I promised myself to make the artwork for myself and only myself. Through the process, I was honest with my own feelings and it birthed one of the most euphoric and passionate paintings I have ever created. Since making this work, I have experienced a new level of self-love both for myself and my art. Though I gave life to the work itself, the piece has given me back a gift bigger than life. It has opened my eyes to how good it can feel to be oneself openly and without shame. No longer do I feel an obligation to make myself small for others, instead, like the figure in my work, I want to stretch my arms wide and take up as much space as possible with my art, my feelings, my thoughts, and my queerness.