I plan to study Digital Media in the fall semester of 2024. This passion all started with my interest in hand lettering. My mom thought it was impressive and asked if I could make a logo for her which was really fun and creatively challenging. I decided then that I wanted to pursue graphic design as a career. But what I didn't know is that there was a career field out there where I could not only do graphic design but other marketing tactics as well. I fell in love with the way I was able to think outside of the box and create things for people that nobody else could because they were uniquely my thoughts. I've always been incredibly passionate in the arts and I've started exploring careers in the music industry that I could pursue with my Digital Media degree. My goal is to create things that will leave an imprint on people. There are some marketing videos and designs that I won't forget because of their effectiveness. I want my work to not only influence people memorably but spread a message all the same. I believe that positivity is contagious and if people see their favorite artists/brands endorsing positivity, they will too. The world can be a better place with just a few statements from companies or celebrities. My goal is to find someone or somewhere that will see that and use their work to make the world a brighter place. I also believe that a talented marketer/designer is a very effective way to spread memorable, positive, messages. Whatever company and/or artist I decide to work for in my future career, I want to make sure that they are doing business for a good cause. Every business, influencer, artist, etc., has the potential to change the world and I want to play a part in that. This is the passion that I feel for my interest. I've taken notice of the composition of designs and the artistic choices in the world around me. I want to be a part of this universal, continual, art project that everyone partakes in. I want to leave my mark on the canvas and I want it to be a part of a bigger picture more than anything. I believe that I have a lot to contribute to the creative world and I would be honored to have the opportunity to harness this creativity whilst earning a higher education. Thank you for your time.

My name is Aubrey and I’ve been a creative soul since I was born. The thing about that is I’m always finding new things I want to explore but I really struggle to stick with one thing and get good at it. I’ve started to think of this as a good thing and with the career I want to pursue, it is. Last year I fell in love with design. My mom asked me to design a logo for her photography business and she had some ideas in mind but couldn’t transfer them to paper herself. So, I took on the responsibility of creating a board with 20 different sketches for her to look at. Coming up with 20 sketches wasn’t difficult at all but coming up with 20 sketches that were all completely different from one another was a little more challenging. But it was the good kind of challenging. I began to see just how outside of the box I could think that would blow her mind and I was successful. Once she chose elements of a few of the sketches she liked, I came up with four more that compiled the things she was looking for and mixed things up. This was even more challenging but again, incredibly fun. Something that I viewed as a weakness before, turned into my greatest weapon. I am able to come up with ideas that nobody else would think of and turn them into a reality. The satisfaction that comes from even the simplest projects where I’m taking what’s in my head and making it real is astronomical. This is a talent that I know is unique and valuable to many businesses. There’s a lot of competition when it comes to marketing and I believe I have so much to offer that industry. My plan is to take Digital Media where I will learn graphic design, photography, brand creation, marketing, and more. These are all things that require a creative eye that isn’t afraid to think outside of the box. In fact, nobody wants someone who just does what everyone else does. I am going to constantly challenge myself in order to get that satisfaction when the work is complete. I’ll explore many different projects because I’ve always been the type to try new things. I strongly believe that I have a lot to offer the marketing world. Whether that be with music or companies, I will always be willing to go the extra mile for a job well done. My determination, creativity, and mental agility will provide as I go through college and I hope the world will see what I have to offer.

I am a senior at a small town high school in Ohio that has always been passionate about the arts. Sometimes it feels as if my brain is wired to only communicate artistically. Where words can never suffice, my art is able to do more than satisfy. My biggest passion in the arts has been music but I plan to pursue a degree in Digital Media. I’ve really enjoyed creating things digitally for people and challenging my mind to think outside of the box. In college though I hope to continue to broaden my horizons with music, particularly singing, acting, and playing new instruments. When I think about how my art pieces are special to me I’ll always come back to songs that I’ve written. Songwriting is a form of art I discovered shortly after getting a ukulele. I’ve written songs that will always be engraved into my life experiences because of their deep importance to me. When I can’t write out how I’m feeling, all I have to do is find a tune and the words come pouring out in a poetic way. However, I feel the same way about some of the drawings I’ve developed. For example, I’ve always thought of butterflies as much more strong than they really are. Once I got older I slowly realized how foolish I was to think so. I began to think of butterflies as people. We are beautiful creatures too but it’s so easy for us to crumble under the weight of just a finger. I decided though that I didn’t want to be a butterfly that crumbled under the weight of someone else. I wanted to write my own story and choose my own ending. That’s what inspired my sketch of a butterfly that caught on fire. Her ashes blew away in the wind, finding homes of their own. She wasn’t burning because of anyone else, she was burning because she chose the path with the most resistance. Otherwise known as the path with the most action, life, and energy. My passion in singing developed when I was very little. My parents were not afraid to tell me that I was a bad singer, rightfully so. Nonetheless, I joined choir my 7th grade year and fell even more in love with singing as I learned how to use my voice effectively. I continued in this even though I had little to no confidence all the way up to my senior year. I was always known for singing very, very, quietly. Except this year I wanted to change that. After getting my license and having plenty of time to practice singing in the car, I auditioned for the MWACDA National Honor Choir that was being hosted in Nebraska. To my total surprise, I was accepted. This was the encouragement I needed to audition for a lead singing role in the musical, which I got! I will never forget how I took a leap of faith and started pursuing my passion instead of letting my biggest fears control me. After college, I know that I want to stick with something artistic whether that’s design or being a music producer/manager. Whatever it is, I know that I never want to lose this fun, creative side of me. I will always choose the burning butterfly over the melting moth.

For starters, New Romantics (Taylor’s Version) would be the number one track on it. I feel that this song has represented my newfound confidence in a way no other song can capture. I’ve always felt like people were judging me but this year I really decided that I didn’t care what anyone else thought. When I started embracing this I was able to be free and like Taylor says, “The best people in life are free.” I believe that I’ve really started to live my life instead of waiting for things to happen to me. Life feels so much more “romantic” and bright to me now that I’ve started dancing on my OWN two feet. The second track that represents my year so far is I know Places (Taylor’s Version). This track is something that feels extremely powerful. When I hear this song I think about how I continuously feel like I’m running from other people. However, the way that the lyrics turn it into a game that she has perfected makes me believe that the people who are seeking me out to hurt me are the ones that are foolish. The entirety of the song feels like she isn’t combatting the negativity people are spewing at her but instead she’s taking the shots and rising above them. That’s how I feel since accepting the fact that you can’t make everyone happy. The final track that I would tie to this year and even before this year, my all-time favorite track, Out Of The Woods (Taylor’s Version). This song has always represented the kind of romance that I want with a guy. The image of moving the furniture and dancing is something wild that seems to have that child-like spark I never want to lose. Not only does this song capture the fun elements of my dream relationship but it also sees the reality of them too. Romance is not always romantic. Every relationship has its ups and downs but this song always shows the relationship persevering. The lyrics “are we out of the woods yet?” cut very deep with me. It’s something that really resonates with my emotions throughout a relationship because I’ve always been holding my breath and praying that we would make it through the rough patches. But the fact that Taylor continuously sings about this is showing that it’s a reoccurring question that never really goes away. The beauty of the song that seems to make my head spin is the repetitiveness and uncertainty. But, like a relationship, that’s the spark that seems to keep it alive. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is one of the most meaningful albums that Taylor has written. To me, this album represents growth and the becoming of a whole new person. Her lyrics tell the story I can never seem to put into words and the music makes me want to close my eyes and dance. When I listen to these songs I look back and see how far I’ve come and it makes me excited to continue to grow into the person I want to be, not who they want me to be. Taylor Swift shows her confidence in her identity by naming her album after the year she was born. The birds on the album cover also to me represent confidence and freedom. The way she owns her music with dignity is the same way I feel when I listen to it.