I became an artist as an escape from reality. It was the best way for me to destress what was happening around me-whether school, work, family, or other factors. I realized a couple of photos of my paintings on social media. That is when I realized the impact I had from doing the thing I loved. That drove me to change the conception of why I am an artist has changed for the better. Being an artist means I can raise awareness. It means I can express how I personally feel and show people around me that expression without having to say anything. As world events happen, my paintings tend to revolve around them. I started by painting women's bodies: big, small, curvy, thin, I paint them all. It shows that no matter what your body type is, it is just as beautiful as the rest. I aimed to show that it is ideal to love your body even if it does not look like others. I use colors that do not reflect human skin tones to show that we are all the same no matter our skin complexions. I have recently started a new collection of paintings that focuses on African American women. Being one myself, I have seen what being an African American woman in this country can do to your self-esteem. I decided to start this collection because my own sister was having trouble with accepting herself. She felt she would never be good enough for anyone. These paintings are meant to show her that she is beautiful no matter what hairstyle she has, the clothes she wears, or the activities she does. I plan to continue to paint to connect to future generations. I want to show that even though you may be different from the crowd, that is a good thing whether than a bad thing. I want future generations to accept the differences and embrace them to better themselves. I want to do this by creating a painting seminar that I can present to high schoolers and college students. I envision this to be a hands-on seminar that allows students to express how they feel about their bodies. Then, I would hold an open discussion to allow everyone to speak on why they envision themselves in that way. I found painting and speaking about these insecurities helps release them and replace them with respect.

"You're a black woman in a white man's world. Every move you make, you will be judged on, and those moves can sometimes define you in other people's eyes. Be careful." That is one of the life lessons I will always remember from my grandfather before he passed away. I was too young to understand what he was saying. When I started high school, I realized exactly what he meant. I went to a predominantly white high school in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee. In my graduating class of 294, there were only 8 black women including me. All eyes were always on us and our every move. However, we never received guidance to be successful. I had to learn how to get where I am on my own. In my junior year of high school, I made the decision to not attend one of the colleges my guidance counselor suggested and shoot for a school they never thought I can get in, the University of Michigan, my dream school. I knew I could not afford it, so I found scholarships that will help me at least make the cost lower. I found a decent amount on my own. My sister is now going through what I went through. This made me realize that there are black women across the country going through it too. I decided to help where I could starting with my sister's class. I talked to the black women of her class to help assist and guide them to finding the best college for them and find scholarships that allow them to attend those colleges whether it be in the state or out of state. Helping these young women find ways to make the impossible possible made me realize this is what I live for. I always hear "Women are the Future" but I never hear "Black Women are the Future." To continue my fight to uplift black women, I decided to after college, create a non-profit that helps black women be more than what others perceive them to be. My grandfather's conversation with me is reality right now, and I am hoping one day, it will not be, and black women can be seen as others.