"Phoenix from the Ash" started because of a basketball I had lying around. That basketball and I played outside on the hoop every day for years, yet hadn't been picked up in a long time. I had played up to my freshman year of high school and lost my love for the sport. The coaches did not care who I was and what I was dealing with, and pushed me past my limits. In the end, I left angry and hurt. I wanted to show my emotions, but knew I needed time to heal and grow. A couple months later, I still wanted to be a part of a team. I loved the friendships built and everything that came along with being a part of something, so I decided to join the bowling team. I immediately fell in love with it, like that fire in me had morphed into a new love. My fire had been relit even after the ashes had settled from basketball. Remembering the basketball I had, I decided to give it a new use. I sliced and cut the basketball, just as the sport had done to me. I puzzle-pieced the ball back together to make a flame, the fire that was in me. To show my new passion through bowling, I took a picture of the ball on the bowling alley carpet floor, showing the strong foundation bowling has now given me. Lastly, I put my drawing skills to use and drew a picture of me bowling in motion, representing the growing nature of the sport and life. I truly believe this piece fully encapsulates the theme “Unleash Mad Potential” through what bowling has given me. Since then, my passion for the sport has only continued to grow. I have won multiple state tournaments and competed in Junior Gold, the national youth tournament, twice. My own potential has been tapped in to, and if it wasn't for the madness of freshman year and me saying no, I would not be who I am today. The use of unusual materials, such as the bowling alley floor and basketball, helped me understand the potential every day objects can have in my art. Since then, I have used more than just watercolors and such by delving into items I have: trash, string, pictures, etc.. This piece truly taught me to push my own limits and trust the process. In the next couple months, I will be committing to bowl at a D1 college and continuing my education in Business and Marketing. This piece and opportunity has opened so many doors for me, and truly has not only taught me what I can do, but how my limits are unlimited.