A piece of art that inspires me is Olympia by Édouard Manet. This painting just depicts a nude woman reclining, looking directly at the viewer, being brought flowers by a servant. This piece is inspiring to me mostly because of how unconventional it was at the time, how much ruckus it stirred up when people first saw it. To me, Olympia is incredibly powerful. That is a woman right there who knows her worth, who knows who she is and what she deserves in life, and she knows how to get it. I think her look being upsetting or unsettling to some people is part of what makes her so inspiring, because being female isn't always about being pretty. She is powerful and she knows it, the casual pose and eyes locked with the viewer suggests her influence goes beyond the paint and is actually a part of the world today. The unconventional style of the painting is also particularly inspiring to me because it's not what people at the time were expecting to see. The rawness and imperfections gives it a look as if there is something more the painting wants to say, but we as viewers have to figure it out ourselves. Olympia is far from being perfect as far as realism goes, but it provokes interest and thought in the looseness of the brushstrokes and dullness of the paint. Olympia is inspiring because everything about her screams to be something new, to know your worth, to not let expectations of others weigh you down. I could stare at that painting for hours and think about it and just feel like that woman is offering me some of her power to use in my own life. It makes me want to step into my skin and be unstoppable.

My AP Literature classes have exposed me to many different books over a few years, some books that are considered classics, some books I have never even seen, I was exposed to lots of viewpoints and stories over the years. I have read many books in my life, but I think that the single most inspiring book I have read has been The Power Of One by Bryce Courtenay, the story of a boy growing up in South Africa in the 1940's. This book was incredibly inspiring to me because it showcased the life of this boy, who, despite so much happening to him, simply continued with his life. Peekay, the main character, was put through many different experiences as he was growing up, most of them incredibly traumatic. Several of these events were things that I, as an average person who grew up in America, would never even get close to seeing in my daily life, and it shocked me that Peekay went through all of these things and kept going ahead. Reading this story I felt that if he could get through all of these adversities back in the 1940's then I could get through my daily life without trouble. Everyone has different experiences in life, but this book showed to me that one of the best things a person can do for themself is to keep on going, even when times are the hardest they've ever seen. People can go through a lot more than they think, and this book showed me that, showed me that it is important that I be resilient in my daily life.

To me community is about being there for each other, and having somewhere to fall back on when things don't go quite as planned. It's important that people care for each other in this world, not letting anyone fall behind ensures that they are included in the future, and everyone is an important part of changing today so that the future can be brighter. When someone has a good strong community it means that people care for each other, that there are enough resources available for everyone, and people don't bring each other down. Everyone has to support everyone else in their lives for society to improve, because society is not just made of the most successful people. I try to give back to my community by volunteering with organizations that help people who are struggling be able to access things they need to live, like food and clothes. Helping to provide essentials to people who have trouble getting them otherwise means that I can help them have one less thing to worry about in their day. It has been proven that when people have their basic needs met they are able to succeed more in other ways, and this ties in to them being able to help others in their community once they are better situated. Everyone in a given area is connected to everyone else, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, and by assisting some people in these areas I can help everyone in the community. I hope that for my future I can make some sort of social change with my art. Right now I am an art major, and I am getting into what purposes my art can have and how I can use it to invite people to act. I hope that my time in college will give me a stepping stool so I can start using my artistic skills to fuel campaigns for social change, or to even just make people aware of big issues in society today. I personally believe that art is what grabs the attention of the people, and I want to learn the most effective ways to use this to grab that attention and redirect it to something that isn't talked about enough. This last term I was introduced to printmaking and how it can and has been used in past social justice movements, my hope for my future is I can make images and items that will help progress the movements of today and the future. One thing I am particularly invested in is assisting homeless individuals in their lives, hopefully by providing much needed safe places and resources so that they can be a part of society again. I hope that by selling and providing art for movements with similar ideas I can help fund programs that will help these people with getting housing and basic human needs. I entirely believe that when people are properly cared for and not left to suffer they can prosper.

I listen to others mainly by sitting down with them or opening a private chat with them, asking them how they are, and simply letting them talk for as long as they need. While this may not be so much listening as helping them vent, I find that in doing so I can better understand a person and how they function. Listening to me is not so much about hearing what people are saying and responding to their words. In my opinion, listening is about taking a long, quiet look at someone's soul. What a person says when they're rambling about their issues or simply nothing at all can say a lot about what they need in their life, or what they think, or how they feel about the world. When I am truly listening to someone I'm not hearing what they're saying, but rather taking the emotion and viewpoint from their words and trying to figure out what it is I can offer that will help them either with their problems or just with their general life. Listening is about understanding a person and how they feel, taking that to better understand your relationship with them and even your relationship with yourself as you find yourself exposed to new viewpoints and see things with the filter of someone else's emotions. It can be a great exercise in clearing your own mind of personal problems and seeing beyond what you feel, seeing what you can help change and improve in the world with your abilities. If people didn't listen to each other and use it to better understand each other, then it would be much harder to ever improve society in a way that benefits more than one group. Listening is how the world learns to work together for good.

One of the most common acts of service I perform to help others is simply being a good friend to listen to. In today's world it is so easy to get caught up in my own business and fears, hopes and wishes, and I rarely find the time to truly listen to people in day-to-day conversation. So many stressors and anxieties build up in my mind over time that it becomes hard to focus, and I realized that this wasn't just true for me but also for everyone around me. By listening to people talk about their issues, by offering advice for difficult situations, I am able to help my friends and family have a little less stress in their lives and a little more peace of mind. While I try to help others in multiple ways such as volunteering for jobs when people need help, I find it seems more helpful to simply listen to people talk. More often than not there is something in my friend's life that is weighing them down, making it difficult to operate on a normal basis. When I stop to listen they always make a point to say how much better they feel about a situation or emotion they were having, and this act of service of simply being someone to talk to has helped many of my friends clear their minds and continue their lives for the better. Letting so many issues build up is never good for anyone, and helping to clear some of that clutter makes it easier for them to carry on with their own projects, overall letting them also help others in their own personal ways. I find that people really appreciate feeling heard, and the more people feel heard the more they are prepared to hear others.

I don't go back to my parent's house every weekend, but when I do I can always count on my cat Khoshekh to greet me lovingly at the door. When he first sees me he starts meowing and rubbing up against my legs, and I can only take that as a very heartfelt "I missed you!" from him. Of all the things in life, the big and the small, the good and the bad, I can always count on the simplicity of curling up in bed with him by my side. It never fails to help me feel better after a long and stressful week. While some people might say that curling up with a pet isn't so important in the grand scheme of things, I personally think those few minutes of cuddling with him helps me slow down and really appreciate life around me. When he's calm, it helps me be calm, and I have time to look at my surroundings and really appreciate what I can see, especially since having such a cuddly cat on my lap means I can't get up and do things. Sometimes it helps me notice the rain, and the plants outside the window, and how it all flows and works together while I get to sit back and witness it. Cuddling with my cat is one of the simplest and easiest things I can do with my time, but it makes me incredibly happy, and sitting down with him really helps me appreciate the other small things in my life that I often miss when I'm up and about doing chores and tasks. Without having the simple pleasure of sitting with Khoshekh and enjoying the world around me, I think time would go by very fast and things would be much more stressful.

When I look back at my life, I often bring to mind specific objects that I own that remind me of certain people or events that are really special to me. I was told, however, that good people don't look at material things when pondering what is important to them. People would say that the best thing anyone can do for a person is be there for them, physically, emotionally, any way that they need. Of course, my parents see acts of service as the best way to show love, but I have never really understood the sentiment. I've realized recently that I give more of myself to those around me than I thought. During the pandemic, I started to value time and personal interaction more than material gifts, even though I do still love receiving them. Nowadays I see every interaction as a gift, and I try to use my time to help others, because there really is nothing better to give than some time and kindness. It's what makes me feel fulfilled as a person, and I've noticed that the way I interact with others has become increasingly positive as I've utilized offering time as a way to give to others and my community. One of the ways I've recently used my time to give back to others is by volunteering at the local senior center in my hometown. They all come down to that building for a nice hot meal and some games to play with their friends, and it's always such a reward seeing how I can help them have that little bit of fun and excitement in their lives, just by showing up and offering my help. By doing this, I can try to give back by offering my time to others when I can.