Art has always been a part of me. I remember when my art journey started in fourth-grade aftercare and how it progressed into what it is today. One day, I pulled out a sheet of paper and drew lots of characters, such as Naruto and Luffy. My classmates told me my drawings were really good and to keep going and make my own, which I did. At that time, I did this for fun, but I didn’t realise the effect it would have on me in the future. At home, my parents started having small fights now and then, but I didn’t think much of it. Slowly, it began to become more and more aggressive. I started to be dragged into the middle of their fights. They would tell their side of the story and convince me they were right. My mom was always angry and started taking it out on me. Her words cut deep. If I did something wrong, she would go off and curse me out, take my phone, and isolate me from my friends. My dad would try to protect me from this and get me out of the house. My parents finally got divorced in the summer of 2023. It was a messy divorce; my brother and I were in the middle of it. My mom got complete custody of my brother and me; I wasn’t able to see my father for a month. During this time, I was being mistreated and constantly lied to. While I was going through this, my dad was actively trying to get more custody to see me more. My personal and school life wasn’t that easy either. I always felt like an outcast in elementary, middle, and even high school. Everybody had their own cliques and friend groups, but I never felt I belonged to any of them. I never felt I had a best friend or that one friend I could talk to about anything. I always feel lonely sitting at home watching people go out with their friends. Even though this happened to me, I still had my art to get me through it. When I had strong emotions to get out, I turned to my sketchbook for help. My style of drawing evolved from colorful anime characters to dark and more deeply rooted drawings. But even if I was drawing twisted sketches or fun drawings of celebrities, my art always took my mind off the things around me. For example, one of my drawings describes how I felt during this time. It displays two figures sitting together at night, one representing me and the other a good friend. It might seem innocent and kind-hearted at first, until you look closer. The figure representing the best friend doesn’t have a shadow. This represents the friendship I never had and how lonely I felt. Right now, I'm doing a lot better than I was two years ago. My dad now has 50/50 custody over my brother and me. I am happy to be able to see him more, and I was only able to get through this struggle with him and my art. Even though I still haven’t gotten over my past struggles, my mission now is to express my story through my art. I want other people to know that they are not alone. I hope my art can connect with other people and inspire them to keep going as I am. I now don’t want to draw to escape but to inspire others.