My mental health affects me in all areas of my life. For my academic performance, I have problems concentrating and feeling confident enough to complete the assignments. Sometimes, I tend to procrastinate and be harder on myself for not getting enough done for the day. It doesn't get better when deadlines are near, and I haven't finished the assignment due to being unable to think and mentally exhausted. The struggle with depression and anxiety hinders my ability to make myself a better student. These struggles correlate with the insomnia that plagues me for many nights and induces more stress on my body and mind. My academics get worse from there, and I figure out ways to cope. So I can learn and pass my classes. It doesn't make it any better that school lessons are a challenge and learned at an accelerated rate. My academic performance, I believe, will get better when I prioritize my mental health more. In my personal life, mental health affected how productive I was and my work performance. Often, throughout my workday, I will space out and suffer from depersonalization and derealization. I will get things done but not be aware of what's happening around me. It often happens when I get stressed out or realize I've been stuck in the same part of my life for a while. I started to make mistakes at work and unable to function like I can. To help myself out during these times, I smoke and take more time for myself. Smoking isn't a healthy habit to do, but it helps to relieve myself temporarily. When it's time to take care of myself, I usually take a hot bath or read a book. It usually occurs at the end of the day or after a long day of work. It's hard sometimes to give myself a break and love myself. I think that's one of the parts that's missing: care. Overall, taking care of myself when my mental health is at the bottom is the hardest thing to do. The steps I take to make my mental health a priority are reminding myself that if my mental health is doing ailing, then everything around me will crumble. I notice that when my anxiety and depression are high, I'm unable to focus and complete tasks like I can when it's mild or none at all. I feel more terrible about myself, and there are more negative thoughts and stress. It's hard to tell myself that I'm trying my best and take a step back. Unless someone says to rest by a closed one or check in with myself daily, I often won't take breaks. Learning to handle my mental health taught me the importance of health. I believe that the results for my academic and personal will be better.

From her 1989 (Taylor's version), This Love is one of my favorite songs. I loved all of Taylor's songs since they represented what I have been throughout my life. Most of Taylor's songs have the impact of someone I can relate to. I love that the song is upbeat beat, even though it's speaking about losing a relationship. I had friendships that ended briefly, where the companion was a great inspiration to me. And eventually, the relationship fell apart when we didn't get along or didn't like who I was. Caring and loving are similar, and it's hard to let go of something you care about. It's a constant struggle for me in my life. The lyrics: "Struggled through the night with someone new / And I could go on and on, on and on," are lines are taken in many different ways but aren't. I like that the song is melancholic and not a song that puts you into a trance. I enjoy both moods of these types of songs. The lyrics continue how love is good and bad at the same time. I experienced it, and it sucks that affection or relationships are like this. I believe there is a balance between good and evil, and This Love speaks of the latter. The hardest part of leaving a love so fine is the hurt and pain it leaves behind. I love that the song talks about something many people can relate to. And once you see the person again, you want to be in the friendship, but get hurt all over. Love is complicated, and the same person can rip your heart out. One of my friendships started well and ended after some time since we grew apart. As I was improving myself, she was staying the same person. I didn't see us ending the friendship that way and sometimes wondered if we would still be friends if she also chose to improve herself. This album, had another song I favored the most, which is Styles. She speaks about the downfalls of the relationship and still being positive about their mentality. I prefer the original song because Taylor's version sounds like it was on a memory lane. Still, I enjoy both versions equally. I believe different version of a song can bring different experiences. I love that Taylor stays true to her music and experiments with different sounds. Overall, I love Taylor Swift and her music and will continue listening to it.

1. My background in art began when I was a small child and found a passion for drawing. I didn't know that it would become my career at the time. I only knew that I enjoyed drawing and creating. Creating new pieces from references and sketching new ideas has become an activity I love. I started on dry media and eventually grew into doing digital art. I began to draw still life and portraits and experiment with colors and environments. Art was and still is one of the ways I escape from the world. It's one of the ways to let my creativity flourish and be able to handle mental problems. Art helps calm me down and assists me in processing my emotions and making sense of concepts I don't know about. It is frustrating, sometimes trying to get the proportions and often pushing myself, but it's worth it. Since I've been in college, I began learning 3D art. 3D has become a new challenge for me. 2. I'm choosing to pursue education in the arts because I love the creativity and endless amounts of projects you can make. One part of art is knowing the basics and learning the program to create magnificent pieces. Learning the basics isn't hard, it's the application of using the tools to make the process smoother and efficient is the hardest part. I want to create art that people can relate to and love to see on their walls every day. I see art as one way to show emotional turmoil and be able to share pain with others. Others would be able to relate and have a feeling of not being alone when seeing the painting. It's something I would like to do. I also would like others to find fun in the art. For example, I sometimes draw comics and narrate them. When viewing the comic, I ensure the lines all have the right weight and value. 3. In the future, I'm planning to create animations and art pieces, whether digital or traditional, for others to love. The animation shorts will most likely be in 2D, but I'm open to 3D too. 2D is my favorite profession. I would also like to work with other professionals or creatives to have a fun environment and learn more skills. The great thing about being in the art industry is being able to tie other methods and styles into your practice. I plan to finish college and be successful as a full-time artist.

Zendaya's career stood out to me the most when she enrolled as a model. I wasn't a fan of her acting or singing career. I think she is more talented as a model in comparison to an actress and singer. Her acting lacked a showing of emotions and diversity. Her, as a model, is a perfect depiction of a Hollywood eccentric. Zendaya is tall, has a slim figure, and has a skin complexion that compliments most colors of the wheel. I think yellow and bright, bold colors look the best on her. Her appearance in short skirts and blouses, depicting a young teenager's style, wasn't one of my favorite looks on her. The dresses with nice pillowy texture and fitted cloth to her skin made her perfect for the job as a California model. She gave the younger audience a vision or idea of what designer clothing should look on you when tried on. I love that her designer chose outfits that fit her body and experimented with different fits, lengths, and colors. Some outfits fitted well while others didn't. I wanted to see Zendaya in more suits. It was very classy, neat, and attractive. She fits well with the vivid and bold young adult clothing styles. I'm excited about her coming photoshoots and the new styles she will try out.

If I could form a squad to face a supernatural threat, I would choose Lucas, Steve, and Eleven. I want to work with Eleven because of her powers gained from being experimented on. I don't like that Eleven experiences nose bleeds and other medical conditions. I think Eleven would be my favorite to work with because she's caring and powerful. She has her times when she wants to handle situations on her own, and I understand her feelings towards that since I do often too. It could be hard to ask others for help. Eleven likes to help her friends and cares about family time. It's the same for me. I adore spending time with people who care about others and want to be better. Working with Eleven will be the best since we will understand each other so well. There is a contrast or difference between working with Eleven and someone else. Eleven has the personality of a strong person and wants to be independent, while everyone else in the gang doesn't have the habitual abilities. Choosing Eleven as an ally will be great for me and me. She would be able to improve herself while I can do the same. I love to get better at activities I'm okay or not good at all. It's enjoyable and requires hard work.

One of my most memorable moments was playing Super Smash Bros with my friends. I was in high school, and we brought our devices to all play together. It was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. At first, I wasn't into the game, I thought smash bros was overrated, and they were better multiplayer games out there. I went over to their house and I brought my 3ds in case I needed it. I didn't need it since they had an extra remote. But I realized that Smash bros is a pretty good game. I chose Sonic as my fighter and used special powers to beat my opponent. Even though I only won one game, I still had a blast with them. My friends were more experienced with the game, so I expected they would be beat me. They were used to having friends over. The one thing I loved about the experience and playing with them was the freedom. I didn't grow up being allowed to have sleepovers or chances to hang out with friends. Having the memories of playing with friends helps me a lot since it gives me something to look back on as a happy moment. Super Mario bros is a great, entertaining game to play with friends and by yourself.

I believe mental health is important because it correlates with our well-being and quality of life. Our mental health affects how we think and speak to each other in this life. It can tell us to do things we don't want to do, such as overreacting from anxiety, and not having the confidence to perform in hobbies. It can detriment our ability to perform in everyday life. In work, you can make multiple mistakes since you're doubting yourself and being anxious around others. Your mental health can be affected by who you're around and what others say to you. It depends on whether someone says something good to you or not. More mistakes can happen when you're overthinking the task you're doing and anxious in your environment. The difference between when you're calm and collected versus anxious and stressed. I realized I perform better when I'm calmer and don't doubt myself. I realized it's the same when I observe people. For example, one of my coworkers can't think straight and drops more items when stressed or depressed. I think it applies to everyone that a calmer, less strenuous environment is better for everyone. Keeping my mental wellness is harder than it seems. To keep it at a stable rate, I have to endorse a few routines in my daily life. Daily, I ensure I meditate for at least 15 minutes and do yoga at the end of the night. Yoga ensures that my muscles are stretched and also helps me relax from my daily stressors. During this time, I usually do breathing techniques and have relaxing music playing in the background. It's difficult at first to motivate myself to relax since I'm in school and working. Often, I'm on hyper-alert throughout the day and unable to destress until my day ends. I then remember how important it is to relax and recharge. It's sometimes stressful when I'm overthinking the yoga positions instead of letting it come naturally to me. Mental well-being comes to good use when you're going through the most troubling times. It helps calm your nerves and be able to think clearer and better. Mental health is a part of our lives from a young age. The way our parents brought us up and what they taught us influences what we think of ourselves. Wellbeing affects all parts of our lives and our health. It's important to take care of ourselves and find peace in our lives.

The character I resonate the most with from "The Office" is Pam. It reminds me of who I was and still struggle to improve as a person. In season 1, Pam was a shy, timid girl who needed someone to speak up for her. I was that person in my younger days during high school and before that time. I didn't gain confidence in myself until I was in college and went through lots of self-development. I had instances where my friends or family had to stand up for me when bullied. And times when I was too afraid to say something because I feared ideas wouldn't be accepted. Pam went through similar situations and wasn't better until she started dating Jim. On the contrary for me, I had to take opinions from certain people to improve myself. It was hard for me to keep friends since most of them were fake. The show shaped what workplace events could occur and what different types of people work in them. I saw the similarities between The Office and the workplaces I've been to. I met every person on the show and have learned that humor is what makes a workplace fun. Only some people understand dark humor and references to movies, books, and shows. And as Pam was seen as the outcast and had to learn to accept herself for her insecurities, it was the same for me. I realized, while watching the show, that the dynamics of the boss and actions towards each other happen. I experienced all of them and am glad that The Office portrayed an average workplace and characters so well.

One of my favorite K-pop groups is Stray Kids. I've been following them since they debuted. I love a lot more other groups ranging from 1st gen to now. I've been a big fan of K-pop since it first started in the 2000s. Some groups are produced by the industry, and others input their creativity and independence. The K-pop industry tends to promote what the crowd wants and not give the artists the freedom to create the music they want. It is better now that artists can choose to go solo or stay in the group and influence their music. I don't mean that K-pop artists don't write their songs, only that the media has a lot to do with what they can release to the public. Stray Kids is one of the groups that always comes out with bangers and connect with their fans. One of the things Stray Kids stands for is staying together and helping each other. When they first debuted, they struggled with mental problems and struggled to believe they could make it as a group. Often, if groups don't have enough popularity or views, they will be sacked. New groups are usually in fear of this. Stray Kids was one of them, and they decided to continue making good music and connecting with the fans. Their sound, musicality, and originality are what draw me to them. I believe they were a 4th gen K-pop group, and during this time, they were one of the only groups that I loved. I believe they didn't blow up until a few of their songs gained popularity. One of their songs, "Voices" has a great chorus and talks about their struggle to make it as a group. Even the song "Back Door", drew me in from their great concept of the music video. The dance was great, and I loved that it made a big hit on the charts. The more I listened to K-pop, the more I realized I wasn't a weird kid. A few of my friends didn't like it, and I was outed for glamourizing different music. At first, I stopped listening to it and then went back to it once I realized I should be myself and not care so much about what others think. I fell in love with other groups, such as TxT, Big Bang, CL, and many others. It's hard to choose which ones are my favorite since I love many of them. I think that's what comes with loving a genre and originality. K-pop has its perks and fans, and I'm one of them.

The field of science impacted my decision to pursue animation by influencing the genres I like to draw from. The concept of science fiction makes me think of the questions that science often asks. These questions are usually: what if this happens, and if humans lived in a dystopian world? The technology and innovation developed in these worlds are advanced and connected to AIs. Some films, like Inception and Prometheus, make me think of our creation and abnormal things that could happen in our world. The more I consider the possibility that AIS can be a part of our lives while looking at the elevation of our technology, I see that's possible. The process of creating new inventions within technology excites me. It's part of the reason why I got into animation. Seeing the capabilities of technology has always been a passion of mine. I love that science questions the unimaginable, and professionals work hard to find the answer. The plot behind Inception also expanded my thinking about different universes and realities. It's one of my favorite movies. And I come back to my drawing with more ideas. I use this inspiration to create correlating images together to fit a perspective. This one piece I did was a reality between dark and light. It's a simple concept, but I wanted people to think about the idea behind it. I try to do this every time I do conceptual art. Another way science influenced me is by helping me make sense of the world. Everyone thinks of reality differently. Whether it's by thinking of their everyday lives metaphysically or scientifically, everyone sees the world differently. We artists see the world in shapes and colors, and we need to understand our subject before drawing it. We also have an interest in solving problems. The research done on the brain helped me accept what works for me and what doesn't. I believe that the science field helped everyone understand more about themselves and the world. The field of math helped me understand architecture. I don't get too mathematical when it comes to art for it's not my style. But knowing the basics of math and using a ruler and compass, I was able to design a better environment. My preferred environment to draw is nature with trees and streams. Sometimes during an animation process, you have to change the background based on the assignment. I like to do the calculating and the math while I figure out how the image may turn out. I think of math as a tool to get the right angles and forms. Overall, I think science correlates with animation immensely and helps me get art done.

Taylor Swift's music helped me understand that I can connect with many artists I listen to. The Midnights album by Swift was eccentric, refreshing, and relatable. "The Anti-Hero" defined some parts of me. The person who tried to be their best, advise others, and admired. This is a person everyone wants to be one day or at least feel for them. Being an anti-hero is complicated. One day, people will be rooting for you while at the same time waiting for your downfall and for you to mess up. People are a mix of both good and bad. There are dark parts in us that come out sometimes, and we do things we don't want to. Even though I've done many good things, I sometimes slip up and be selfish. I had to learn through multiple times of analyzing my character that it's normal. It's normal to be an outsider, an anti-hero, whom people wish to be around and also hate. I think it's what comes along with wanting to be a good person. You get both ends of the spectrum of people's opinions on you. Being an anti-hero made me realize you have to be able to handle harsh opinions, the backlash, and the positives of doing good. It's a hard life to live. The song "Midnight Rain" makes me think about how I will sacrifice myself for a love I know will leave. When I listen to the song, I think of dear friends I had who were close to me. I wanted to stay close to them, but also wanted to keep focused on my career. I didn't lose them exactly. We ended up growing apart. "And I never think of him/ Except on midnights like this (midnights like this)" These lyrics refer to lonely nights after a day's work where I think of old times when we used to be close friends. It fills me with solace and comfort. Another part of the song of how Taylor is growing while her partner is staying the same represents complicated friendships. We remember them as the good times and something that had to happen. If I stayed the same person, then I wouldn't be the person I am today. I think about my friends who wanted everything to be happy and positive while I was okay with finding myself in the darkness. Going through the struggle, you find qualities about yourself that you didn't know before. Throughout her album, I realized I could relate to almost all of her songs and sometimes dream I was the protagonist in her story. There are some stories she speaks about I haven't experienced, such as the high school romance life and having close friendships that were never broken. I wish I could feel them and explore them myself.

I believe I will be sorted in the Ravenclaw House because it's the best house for me. The Ravenclaw House takes those clever, wise, creative, and intelligent. Their students are usually intuitive, witty, and quick-thinking. The more I learned about myself, the more I realized I am a Ravenclaw person. I wanted to be in the Gryffindor house because I see myself as being courageous and looking for adventure. But the more I look at the character of myself, the more I realize Ravenclaw is the perfect fit for me. As a smart person, I think before I act often, especially in difficult situations. This does cause a lot of stress and anxiety and makes me overthink myself. I have to take a step back and trust myself. If I find myself in a problem, my wits are the first thing I use. Sometimes, it's hard to think about how to solve a problem when you get stressed. Being a Ravenclaw defines my personality a lot. Not only am I intelligent and think fast I also am courageous. Ravenclaws aren't known to be courageous, not like Gryffindors, but have the courage within me. I gained this courage from self-development and having to stand up for myself repeatedly. I think wits will get you so far, but not when it comes to physical abilities. Being placed in a sorting hat doesn't mean you can't have other attributes correlating with other houses. It's essential to find your strengths and use them accordingly. Being with others that are equally intelligent helps me improve myself. I learn from them and use their knowledge to get smarter and better at my skills. I am also a creative person that to draw and create concept art. Concept art involves executing an idea and using references to do it. Another attribute of being a Ravenclaw is being oblivious. Often, intellects get so much in our heads and overthink a problem that we oversee when something is simple to do. We're oblivious to what others think of us and even don't care. I think it's a double-edged sword. We cannot care too much of others think of us, or we will be frozen in place when calculating a problem. I think that all houses can use that advice. Getting sorted by the hat helps your personal development, especially when you don't know who you are. At first, you may not like the decision the sorting hat gave. You may even dislike it so much that you wish to be in a different house. It's all about trust. Eventually, your true traits will show up, and recognize that the sorting hat was right.

My Barbie house will be spacious, have plenty of plants, and be kept clean and organized. One of my dreams for my place is to have a place of comfort and relaxation. I will have a workroom where I can draw and get schoolwork done. This room will be very minimal. There'll be a desk by a window where sunlight can come through. There will also be paintings of my inspiration and my own on the wall. I prefer the room to be small and to have a closet for extra storage. Initially, the house will be located in a quiet neighborhood where a park won't be too far. I don't mind if my neighbors have animals, for I love animals very much. The kitchen will be an average size and have all the cookery essentials, such as pots, pans, and utensils. The most important part of the kitchen will be the design. The floor tiles will be cool blue and white, and the wall will be cream-colored. I think the kitchen and bedroom are the most essential places in the house. I don't think the house will be exceptionally fabulous, but I believe it will be towards my needs. The bedroom will be the best part of the house. The room will be similar to my workroom but more playful. The walls are colored yellow, and the white linen curtains will reflect the sunlight coming in nicely. The decorated room will be with art I like, and figurines of my childhood will be on display. Plants will be by the window, and the flooring will be wooden. The carpet is not my ideal since it collects too much dirt and lint. Overall, my dream house will be simple while having all of the aspects of a home.

One of my greatest achievements is completing a comic for my portfolio. This comic is one I have been working on for over a month and finished the seven pages successfully. It was a battle to complete it since there were many steps to it. Luckily, I didn't have to color it. It would have taken longer to finish. The comic was a summary of the video game or project that's in progress. First, I started with the storyboard and used the references I had at hand. I got the character's background and a summary of the video game. I just needed to do the details. After some thinking and tumbling over ideas, I decided on a story about the character. I then sketched it out into a few pages with notes. Then I transferred it to my computer to create the comic. Using the art software, I can have multiple screens and references open at once while drawing the comic. It took me a while to complete, and I enjoyed the process. Creating the comic for my portfolio was an enticing experience. I didn't think I could have completed it so quickly. I'm working on another one and haven't finished it due to side projects and being busy with school and work. I'm hoping I can finish it soon. In the future, I'm hoping to complete more projects with other creatives. I'm thinking that I will meet them through college or social media. I'm involved in online art groups and sometimes help out younger artists with their work and questions. I want to meet better people than me and learn from them. It's one of the best ways of improving your progress in a craft by learning from others. The more I look into what creates an artist, the more I notice that other artists learn from their masters and observations. As I continue searching for other creatives to work with, I will continue to observe and take notes from my inspirations. Some of my favorite artists are Van Goph, Adam Duff, and Loish. I have many others, but these are the few that are some of my top. When I get stumped in my work, I always return to their pieces to find examples of what I can improve. It also reminds me to keep going and not give up on my career. Overall, I think it's hard to be an artist. Not only is it hard to keep going and trying but also to attempt your very best. I'm hoping I can complete my education and work with other professionals.

One of my favorite things about Disney is there goal to encourage others to create and explore. Disney's goal has always been to help young people and children express their creativity. It provided me with a base to start designing from a young child. The Disney films, apart from Pixar and Dreamworks, inspired me to start animation as a career. It is one of the best parts of my childhood. Disney and other cartoons, such as Network and Nickelodeon, drove me into art even more. As a child, I didn't have as much fun as I thought I was going to. Cartoons and art were my way of handling the trauma I went through. I didn't realize how much it helped me process my emotions until I could leave home. I still draw to process things I cannot say. And art has become a different activity for me. It has become an enjoyment for me to create the images I have in my head. Sometimes they come out right, and other times they're not how I imagined it. I usually get frustrated, detect the problems within it, and work on the fundamentals again. When I return to the concept drawing, I return with a better and improved mind. It leads to better work and better satisfaction. The more I think about the different directions of executing the drawing to get the desired effect, the better it appears. It's a difficult road. I have watched many of Disney's behind-the-scenes, and one of the things that intrigued me is the animators' thinking and passion for what they create. I was soon that person when I fell in love with the sketches created and wanted to create the same fantasy they made for their fans. An example is 101 Dalmations storyboards. The storyboards were amazing and told the story so well. I love the character design and how they showed their emotions well. The story is one of the most important things in making a cartoon. One of my goals is to make storyboards just as good as those of Disney creators. I understand that these creators spend hours practicing the same skill repeatedly. I also realized it's not impossible to get to their level. It takes patience and rigorous work to reach that level. The more I viewed others' work, the more I desire mine to improve. I didn't know I was gonna love Disney as much until I realized how much it impacted my drawing and life. I think Disney will always be one of my favorite productions out there.

My plans for the future are to become a full-time artist and work with other creatives. I have been drawing since I was young and love every part of it. I first started off drawing anime and learning the fundamentals of art. I didn't know I was going to get this far. Many nights were spent refining my skills and trying to improve them. Eventually, I got to a good standing point and can say that I can draw an array of characters from my mind. It's not difficult for me to do so since I practiced for hours and had others critique it. I want to draw for companies in the future, like Disney and Pixar one day. Despite the allegations against Disney and their conspiracies, I still love them. I believe the foundation is what makes me still in love with them. I can see myself in a studio with other artists working on projects. At the same time, I will be taking freelance projects and earning more experience from working. The artists I will be working with are people from different backgrounds and art styles. It will be a dream job for me. Currently, I'm enrolled at Full Sail University and doing well so far. The scholarship will help me continue my education and allow me to be with other professionals. I've been trying to work with others and have been successfu. I've met other creatives and been helping them create storyboards for a video game. It's an ongoing project, and hard to balance working on it while doing school and working. I realized that a large part of handling all the work is time management and inputting times of play. Another plan I have is to travel with friends when I'm not working. I want to go to other states and visit their parks and see their cities. This scholarship will also put another achievement in my life. It has always been a dream of mine to finish college and get further in life. Not only that, my family's main focus is our education. Even though my ideologies are different from theirs, I believe education is essential. When I travel, I'm planning on going to many sightseeing. I am more of a fan of suburban towns, not cities. I think the scholarship will help me achieve my goals. Overall, I am sent out to achieve many things in life, and hope this scholarship can help me complete school.

My journey in the arts has been better than I expected. I didn't know that I'll get so good at drawing at this point in life. I worked hard while working a full-time job and continue to do so. After coming home from work, I begin working on my art. I first started by doing sketches as a warmup. I turn on a podcast or ambient music to focus. I usually have the door closed also to lower the distractions. The drawings aren't concentrated on still life because I felt like I accomplished the part of art. It came a time when it wasn't improving from still life anymore. I had to challenge myself by drawing different objects. I fell in love with drawing horror and fantasy characters. It's what I specialize in. I worked laboriously on different styles and techniques to find my own. After much thinking and experimenting, I realized horror and fantasy are what I'm best at and what I love doing. I didn't do horror for so long because I cared what others thought of my art. Some thought I should draw cuter images like anime, but I lost interest. It took courage and acceptance to follow my art interests and continue it. When it comes to art, there is growth and learning behind it. In the future, I'm hoping to work with other professionals and improve my art. I want to gain more experience so people can look at my art and connect with it. If they can find something in them where they remember something pleasant or feel something, then I believe I've done a great job. I think it's an artist's job to deliver pieces that view the world differently. Of course, it can be fun and games temporarily instead of always thinking of how to deliver the message. I'm hoping my art is featured online on the front pages. I'm not looking for fame, only publicity. This way I can get critiques from others and not feel like my art isn't getting anywhere. Improving my art and sharing it's one of the best parts. There is some art that I don't show to the public since it's private. Overall, I think the arts are leading me to a bright future. The arts led me to self-discovery and create art that I love. I want to continue drawing and creating pieces people will love.

I plan on creating a positive impact on the world by using my art to show people they have an outlet for their emotions. There are hidden emotions sometimes, or we don't know how to process them. I think art will help people. It helped me process my trauma and hidden emotions that were hard to express. Lots of my art not also show how I struggled with life, but a face I don't display to others. It's usually a face of sadness, anger, or hurt. It isn't acceptable at times to state your opinion in front of others. Or it's hard to state your opinion when you know you won't be listened to. In my degree and learning art, drawing what's on my mind helps me to heal and move on from those experiences. I think others can benefit from art therapy. In the lessons, I can tell people how to release their emotions through a pencil or tool. It's all about getting in touch with your feelings and pushing it through on paper. The best thing about it is, i t could get done with a therapist or by yourself. It all starts with getting to a relaxed state. Once there, you can start drawing and using colors that come to mind. Nothing is wrong. It's all about feeling your emotions and using a tool to represent them. The images I created express a person looking for a way out of their situation same thing as finding themselves. It's hard to create concept art. When people have the paper in front of them, they should let loose. This way, their emotions will be discharged, and be better the following day.

This creation was made by me not too long ago. The idea came to me while I was creating a piece for a contest. I wanted it to be in the fantasy genre and one of my favorite creatures. I enjoyed every part of it. The idea came to me when I thought about how I always wanted to ride a dragon. I always wanted to see one and experience what it's like to be around them. The background idea came from thinking about finding a dragon. I've always wanted to be around one. I started the drawing by sketching it out. I knew I wanted the design to represent the curiosity between humans and beasts. I thought about making a dark theme out of it but thought it was better to make it lil more light-hearted. The dragon doesn't know the person but furthermore curious about what the human has to offer. It takes bravery to step up to a dragon and want to tame it. Another thing that inspired the drawing was my love for medieval times. I believe it's one of the best history times in history. The medieval era is a time when justice was difficult. This period inspired many of my creations. Usually, when I draw a character or scenery, I always make it medieval-themed. This drawing has been something I've been wanting to do for a while. I usually get side logged with other projects and am unable to complete drawings like these. One of my goals with these medieval drawings is to make them more realistic. I want to make them so realistic that they will be hard to tell apart. Medieval history should always come back to understand how our past affects us today. The fantasy genre has always attracted me. I grew up reading stories and fairy tales. These stories inspired who I am and what I design. The stories and medieval history got me into designing more drawings like these. I believe that stories and artists influence what you draw. These ideas come to me during the daytime while doing other tasks or on nights when I can't sleep. I usually try to write these ideas or memorize them. One of the ideas was a mother dragon nursing her eggs. It was beautiful when completed. Sometimes I turn into a full concept if there is enough material. I'm proud that I created this drawing and was able to showcase it to others.

My favorite song on the '1989' album is Blank Space. The first hearing the song, I fell in love with it. I wasn't a fan of Taylor Swift before this song, and I became a fan of her music. I love that it's catchy, and it talks about breakups. The song talks about exes and finding love. The song makes me think of past friendships and how they fell apart. When past relationships fell apart, I was heartbroken. But I reminded myself there's support. I can support myself by drawing and using journaling to process my emotions. Whenever my ex-friends come back with new friends, I feel jealous. It confuses me when they do this since I've always been a good friend to them. I think of the friends that replaced me and how fake they are. There were times when I tried speaking to them and ignored them and given a side-eye. It hurt, and I wanted to take revenge, but I didn't. When Taylor Swift says, "You can tell me when it's over, mm / If the high was worth the pain", it made me think of the first stages of new friendships that occurred. And how it ended. Another part that I liked is "Screaming, crying, perfect storms/I can make all the tables turn". After the breakup between friends and the hardship, I try to find independence. It was hard at first, but eventually, I can be on my own. Once I heal from the relationship, I began to improve myself in ways that I didn't think I can. I worked on myself by improving my characteristics. I improved my ambitions and goals, like getting better at drawing and improving my self-morals. I was glad I had a friendship with them, but also sad it ended. The friendship taught me that I'm stronger than I think I was. The lyrics: "Keep you second guessing like/ Oh my God, who is she?" makes me think of the changed person I become. I became smarter, better at picking out fake friends, and better at choosing better people to be around. Taylor Swift's album '1989' got me into her music. I enjoyed her other albums. Even though, her other songs are about breakup, Taylor doesn't stop creating. I want to be as creative as her with the same theme within my own art. Taylor's music inspired me to improve and introduced me to new music.

I can see myself drawing full-time and supporting myself with my creations.

Arts education impacted me to continue growing as a person. Art has helped me get my life together as I struggled to stay in the present and cope with daily stresses. Art helped me to express the emotions that are hard to come to the surface. Some feelings that are hard for me to express are anger, shame, and depression. On the surface, people think I'm doing fine. Most people I've spoken to as a child didn't understand the impact their actions made on me. In my art, I can express myself fully without repercussions. When I was myself, I received negative reactions towards myself. I just wanted to hide. Eventually, art became a refuge and also a place where I can grow. Through my art and learning new styles, I learned more about myself. As a child, I've had different artists that pushed me to do better, such as original traditional artists like Van Goph, to modern designers, like Adam Duff. Van Goph pushed me to try different colors and mediums. My favorite mediums to work with are pencil, colored pencil, acrylic, and digital. Studying van Goph's art, I've realized that mixing colors and using them express emotions and a message is style-like. I think one of my breakthroughs is able to redo one of Van Gogh's art and get it accurately. It also made me realize how talented I am and how I can make art a career. The other artist, Adam Duff, helped me settle into my art more. He helped me become more comfortable with expressing myself through my art. The difficulties in handling my emotions during this time came from abuse and not enough support. Art helped me in ways I didn't expect it to. It surprised me that I was able to find myself and create more. I made art pieces that I didn't think I can make. These artists and my love for my art inspired me to do better. My pieces began to improve in color distribution and definite details. Starting with art was hard since learning the fundamentals is difficult. I'm glad that I eventually improve in my art and make pieces I'm proud of. Ultimately, I believe learning from the best is one of the best ways in improving your crafts. When my art came out better with more practice and studying other works, I realized the potential I have as an artist. I hope to create great crafts in the future.

I believe it's essential to have healthy eating habits because it influences your thinking and energy. Healthy eating, like fruits, veggies, and fresh meat, gives your body the fuel to keep going. The fruits and veggies break down into nutrients for your body to use. These nutrients enable you to focus and stay energized. Your body needs to receive these nutrients because the vitamins help to keep your body going. Vitamin D, for example, helps with healthy bones, skin quality, and teeth health. It's one of the most important vitamins. It's also one of the vitamins that's commonly low in most Americans. I've also noticed that by eating balanced I can stay more focused. Eating healthy food with veggies and fruits enables me to think clearer and faster. I'm able to keep myself in good shape to do daily tasks. The nutrients from the fruits and veggies enable me to think more clearer and sharper. The antioxidants help take toxins out and lowering inflammation helps the mind work better. Your mind will be less muddy, and you will feel better. It is the same effect with vegetables. The nutrients help your body and mind perform sharper. When I eat more fatty and oily foods, I realize it's harder for me to think better, and I notice my thoughts come slower too. So I try to stay away from fast food and other unhealthy foods. The unsaturated fats are what cause more inflammation and heart problems in people. It's best to keep this food to a minimum and eat more natural foods. Along with eating healthy foods and staying clear of fatty foods, I also ensure I'm eating lean meats and food filled with omega-3s. Omega 3 increases brain health and enables better blood food to your arteries and organs. The omega 3s help my thinking to be easier, and I notice it helps with my hyperactivity. I have ADHD, and taking omega supplements helps with being more grounded. Also eating lean meats helps gives me protein and keeps my body in good shape. The protein from meats allows me to attain good blood flow and rebuild muscles when I exercise. I notice I'm less sore after workouts when I take protein. It is a letdown that lean meats are more expensive due to high quality. Sometimes eating meat, not grass-fed affects me by I feel more lethargic and less in the present. It's a downfall of eating less quality meat. Overall, eating healthier foods allows me to perform better physically and mentally.

My experience of being part of the LGBTQ+ community has been a ride. At first, I wasn’t accepted because people didn’t like me for who I am. It wasn’t that I was gay that bothered them. It bothers them that they’re either jealous of me over something I have or work I’ve done over time, such as my art. I’ve had others look at my art before and can tell they don’t like the style or what I created. I feel that being part of the LGBTQ+ is a double-edged sword. Sometimes I get support, and sometimes I don’t. Apart from the people that don’t like me, I’ve received support from them. They told me to keep going and continue working on my dreams. I try to focus on the positives than the negatives when part of a community. Some of my aspirations are becoming a full-time artist and sustaining myself as an independent person. As a full-time artist, I will be creating different designs for pieces. Being in the LGBTQ community made me realize how loving a community can be. The people I got along with, gave me so much help and advice on how to be confident in coming out. Coming out was harder than I thought. I believe it was more of accepting myself for my identity than anything else. It was hard to accept myself because before joining the LGBTQ group, my family didn’t accept me for who I am. Joining the LGBTQ community made me realize it’s okay to be who I am. Having supportive people around me helped me come out, and be comfortable in my skin. Another goal is to have a group of supportive friends around me. Being a part of the community, I found people with who I can relate. And furthermore, found others that can contribute to my artistic growth. I'm proud of how far I've come.

The parts that college excite me about are the work areas, students, being in a community where we all have a familiar passion, and clubs. When I go to class, I like to work where computers, art tablets, and easels are. I love courses like these because there are people within the art community taking similar or the same requisite courses. I always find people I can disclose with, in terms of majors, hobbies, and activities. When with them, I make great relationships that last a long time. In my first year of college, I loved going to my digital arts class because it had computers, and people who all liked art. I made friends in this class and gave each other advice on each other's art. I love that, once you select a major, you will be around others like you. You won't have to look for similar people like you do in high school or the workplace. College majors do that for you. Another positive of college is the clubs. I enjoy clubs that are within the theater or art category. In Montclair, I learned a lot about cameras in the photography club. I didn't have any prior knowledge but learned about the basics of photography through the ambassadors and other members. I was even more interested in cameras once they taught me this. I'm very grateful for my experience there. The challenges of college are the same as handling hardships in life. While in school and working part-time, I create a schedule and break times to keep myself in good shape. I first log in to my school schedule in Google, then decide what day or times I can schedule appointments. Afterward, I decide what times of the week I can go to the gym. They usually are in the evening when my classes have ended, and I'm ready to destress from the day. I ensure I eat healthily by creating a meal plan for the week. The meal plan consists of fruits, veggies, carbs, and meat. For the vegetables, I buy items used in multiple recipes like carrots, onions, tomatoes, and others. I put aside a day where I can meal prep for the rest of the week. On that day, I make food that will last a few days. Apart from that, I try to ensure I'm getting enough sleep and rest breaks. Overall, handling school and work is about prioritizing your time and getting things done. I struggle to create enough fun time but learn to do so by realizing there is more to life than work. Having a schedule with my classes, gym time, and leisure is best for me.

My lifestyle has changed so much in the past few months. I feel that it's hard to keep up with an exercise routine since a busy lifestyle correlates to it. I believe that it's hard to find time in the day for leisure. I consider exercise to be a "soft work" day. It's hard to cook your food at home when you have a busy schedule. It's either you order takeout or eat leftovers. Also, it's hard to cook after a long day of work. It takes dedication and works to prepare a meal for yourself. I usually only eat two meals a day or snack throughout the day, which led me to stay at a constant weight or sometimes lose weight. I often lose weight and eat under the amount I'm supposed to. It has partly to do with my struggle with depression. One of the common symptoms I have is low or no appetite. I would usually skip a meal or wouldn't eat at all. To counteract this, I would have to remind myself to eat or force myself to eat something. Eat more meals by what my weight should be, and taking control of my mental health helps too. To be in a better mood, I exercise or journal often. Journaling helps me to sort my thoughts and figure out what it is that's bothering me. This activity helps me to stay sane and have a clear mind. Another thing I started to do more often was exercise. I've always loved fitness and enjoyed playing sports. Exercising helps me to handle my stress and helps me stay fit. It's hard to keep up with exercise routines because working at a full-time job with other activities can get tiring. I often have to drink caffeine to stay awake and sometimes take naps. Usually, when I go to the gym, I start with medium weights and then go to the above afterward. My typical workout usually consists of the upper body and then the lower. I like to work on my chest, arms, and most. Working on the lower body comes secondary. Exercising more has enabled me to have a clearer mind and feel better in my skin. Overall, working out and eating three meals every day are helping me improve my life and health. I will be able to stay at a constant weight and be healthier. I'm hoping getting consistent weight results if I eat more meals.

The artist part of me will always come out wherever I go. Creating art pieces that people can connect with brings me joy and warmth. The drawings I make represent the darkness we have in ourselves. And not sure how to cope with it. The gloom in us can come from the anger, guilt, sadness, and grudges we hold onto. Often, these emotions come out as anger outbursts or assaulting others. Instead of these emotions boiling into something dangerous or harmful, better to let them come out healthily. These parts of us are always there. Some people may call them negative emotions, but these emotions are a part of us and waiting to be acknowledged. It's all about healthily expressing them. The drawings are in dark colors and show hyperbole or clearly. I'm planning on using my art skills to teach people how to use art as a form of therapy. Art therapy can help people understand themselves and learn about themselves. With my creativity, I can teach people how to feel and process their emotions. For some, as a child, you're not taught how to process and show your feelings. It usually happens when you live in a dysfunctional family. Communication isn't available, and people often argue with each other. It rubs off on the child, and the child may be unable to process the events in their life. These emotions build up until they display in the child's life as aggression or violence. Sadly, the child won't know how to demonstrate them positively until they're taught or learn by themselves. When they see they can express their emotions without penalties, they will feel safer. Another positive effect of art does create a fun activity for people to work on. Often, art is known to be a hard subject to master. It is as long as doing the main forms and beginner exercises as therapy. The activity helps people explore their creativity and divination tools. Using art to create images in your head or create something is a skill. Art therapy is one form of therapy that's used to process trauma and past hurts. The therapy helps people heal and move on from past hurts. The great thing about art therapy is everyone can do it without having art skills. Recreating art by tracing or coloring books can help patients. I'm intending to create line art and make it printable so people can color it when stressed. It's another way to relieve stress from daily tasks.

During college, it’s tough to keep up with everything when you are so busy. Very often, students are working and in school at the same time. I was one of those students. It became stressful very quickly. To handle the stress, I often exercise at least three times a week. The exercise sessions are hard at first but get easier as I continue. In the gym, I usually start with stretches and then some cardio. The cardio gets my heart rate pumping and going. It gets me into the mood to work out. Getting the right playlist helps also. Usually, I play rock music or hip-hop during these sessions. Listening to music and knowing what body part to work on, whether it’s arms, legs, or elsewhere. After the workout, I feel good. I feel more refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to get work done. My motivation comes back when I exercise. I struggle to continue going to the gym, especially when stressed. Working out helps me relieve myself from my daily stressors. By relieving myself of stress, I can stay focused on my studies. When stressed, I can't keep focused or get things done. I’m also all over the place and unable to concentrate. Another thing that helps me stay balanced in school is eating healthily. Eating healthy foods that help me stay focused and keep my energy up is all I can do. The fruits and vegetables help keep my mind clear. When I eat a balanced diet, I can keep going versus when I eat fatty foods. Fatty foods have me feel lethargic and have less focus. I realized it’s easier to stay focused on tests and perform well. Apart from eating healthy and exercising, I ensure I keep up with relationships. I’ve learned that socialization is important. When I have free time, I hang out with my best friend. We usually go to the library or go the gym. We sometimes go to eat lunch together when we’re both on campus. It’s a good time for me to relax and do daily tasks. It helps also to destress instead of always working. The constant work and school bring my stress up. I believe balance is an essential part of a busy schedule. In all, my wellness is dependent on giving myself breaks. I can perform better in schoolwork and work. I've realized better performance brings better grades and better positivity in my life.

A year ago, I moved to another state, Texas. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done in a long time. I didn’t know anyone here, nor had a job in place. I was throwing myself entirely into trusting my intuition. One of the hardest for me was getting used to the new life. The new environment was different and terrifying. Apart from not knowing anyone and not knowing what to do, I was in turmoil. One of the things about Texas that I disliked strongly was its culture. Most people go to their bed early here. I’m used to going to bed at 11, and when I first came here, I didn’t expect it. It took a while for me to figure out what the culture is around here. Another challenge of moving to a new state is making new friends. Socializing is and is not an easy feat to do. It’s hard for me to make friends, and find someone to talk with. I started making friends by going to events that had shared interests. The shared interest part helps with better communication. At times when occurrences with friends didn’t work out, I move on from them. I think we all struggle with keeping up with friends and sustaining friendships. I believe that socializing can vary between people. Sometimes I can get along with people, and with others, it’s hard to talk to. There needs to be a connection between us. From there, I believe friendship can exist. Another time I experienced a setback was when my laptop charger didn’t work anymore. I had an art project to hand in within the next few days. I had to finish my project in a rush to get out on time before my computer died. The project turned out better than expected. I was satisfied with the results. One of the failures was not finishing art projects on time. I believe I took on too many projects at one time. I had to do three drawings for one project, then a storyboard for a short story. The short story had different characters interacting in a small world over daily goals. The issue was that all of these drawings were due at the same time. I thought I could get them all done at the same time. But I wasn’t able to do it due to working and unplanned events happened. After coming home, I didn’t expect to have to handle emotional issues from my roommates. This made me realize I need to take time out to destress instead of always working on projects. Overall, when I experienced setbacks, challenges, or failures I kept trying to improve.

The ideas came to me during a watercolor challenge for a month. Every day there was a new theme, and I created a new concept. The underworld drawing, which consists of a man sailing down a dark abyss, is one of my favorites. I was in an ominous mood when I created the painting. I tried to capture the atmosphere of a dark phase the best that I could. I thought about myself while making this drawing. The thoughts were how it's hard to sail through monsters during a difficult period of your life. The elder sailing the boat forward transfers the lost souls where they need to be. It's similar to Chiron's story. The knight is keeping the souls away as they sail through the underworld. The area is dangerous, and the old man wants to keep everyone safe. The second drawing, the baby, is a favorite of mine because it reminds me of child's play. The blend of the colors goes very well together and represents kids' play. I thought about the times I've seen babies play in the sand and parks. And I created this drawing. It's one of my best ones. I believe that child's play is important in everyday life because it represents our inner child. Our inner child is the one that tells us when something is wrong and what they like. I believe that watercolor is a great medium that could be used to represent beauty. Both drawings have their own beauty. The underworld represents the darkness everyone has to go through in some parts of their life, while the baby drawing represents the playfulness in all of us. I believe that we have both properties in us humans. It's all about learning how to nurture them and harbor them effectively. Watercolor paintings are a medium I do when I don't want to go as "dark" in my subject. I think of watercolors as a way to show bright colors and a cheery mood. If I wanted to use darker colors, I would use pencils or acrylics. Watercolors are a great medium to create beautiful art.

The drawing below is a caricature of a past employee I used to work with. He usually messes up orders and runs back and forth to correct them. Sometimes, it's only him or one more person on the line. The job at the time was a distance and stayed their late-night shifts often. I worked with him, and he usually forgets something on the ticket. Sometimes he left the stove on a dish and had to make it over. He tried to get everything right and not make the sous chef mad. He was a good cook that completed his job and everything. Mike, wanted to make sure that the kitchen was clean and kept up to par when the sous chef wasn't there. Usually, he starts to mess up when we have lunch or dinner rushes. Either he put the wrong plate for an expo or mixes it up in the order of which is first. The rest of us would joke with him, but offer him help equally. Mike would take smoke breaks to destress with the others. And after work, he would drink a few beers before returning home. Usually, on the weekends, it gets chaotic when we get multiple orders at one time. Mike is not able to keep up with the tickets and needs help completing them. Sometimes it gets so chaotic that there will be food everywhere. Sometimes the sous chef would get upset with Mike and yell at him. But after a while, he will always go back and help him with the orders. Mike will try to correct his mistakes and make up for them. Sometimes he can do it, but other times he's not. There were times when there were arguments in the kitchen that had to be settled. After the ruckus, everyone will calm down and talk to each other. The drawing displayed a comedic part of what goes on in the kitchen. We always run jokes with each other to make the area a fun place. My boss asked me to make a caricature of the workers. And it came out better than I expected when I finished them. We all had a good laugh at the caricatures when they finished. I didn't notice how good the drawing was until I saw their reaction. I realize more how I rely on others' reactions for my efficiency of how good my art is.

I decided to pursue a degree in the arts because it's been a passion since I was a young child. From a little child, I've always enjoyed art and liked that I could create anything I wanted. My creativity comes and goes, and I try to draw even when I don't want to. I believe that the arts have impacted the options I have as a career. Before choosing art, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do as a career. Once I chose animation as a career I desired to pursue, I realized the careers correlating with the arts are the ones I love. My passion for art hasn't left, and I don't think it will. I love to draw pictures and do concept art for people and myself. My love for art has grown over the years. It not only led me to handle my emotions but also gave me an escape from the world. My art style is more on the dark, horror theme spectrum. And the characters that I create all have a dark past behind them. I'm hoping that my art will give others a way of coping with their mental health as it did for me. I believe art is one way of having a healthy outlet for emotions and difficult events that happened. It's a hassle to deal with these emotions and not have anyone to talk to about them. Art has given me a way of helping me cope with them. For me handling my feelings without my art is a tough feat to do. I will have to use journaling and meditation sessions to help myself. Overall, art has helped me heal and cope with my emotions. Choosing art as a career made me choose creative positions. Before choosing art as a career, I thought I was pursuing computer science. But after earning a computer science certificate in high school and doing it for four years, I no longer wanted it. Computer science doesn't have enough graphics in it. I enjoyed learning about coding and solving problems, but it's not something I want to do as a career. It took some time to decide on art as a career because I saw how good I was in other technology fields. The art choices I had were digital designer, graphic design, illustrator, or animation. I wasn't sure which one I wanted to do at first but after a while of trying each one. I decided that I'll stick to animation and illustration. Those are the two paths that resonated with me the most.

The things that college excites me about are the work areas, students, being in a community where we all have a familiar passion, and clubs. When I go to class, I like to walk in an area where they are computers, art tablets, and easels. I love courses like these because there are people within the art community taking similar or the same requisite courses. I always find people I can disclose with, in terms of majors, hobbies, and activities. When with them, I make great relationships that last a long time. In my first year of college, I loved going to my digital arts class because it had computers, and people whom all liked art. I made friends in this class and gave each other advice on each other's art. I love that in school, once you select a major, you will be around others like you. You won't have to look for similar people like you do in high school or the workplace. College majors do that for you. Another positive of college is the clubs. I enjoy clubs that are within the theater or art category. When in Montclair, I learned a lot about cameras in the photography club. I didn't have any prior knowledge but learned about the basics of photography through the ambassadors and other members. I was even more interested in cameras once they taught me this. I'm very grateful for my experience there. The challenges of college are the same as handling hardships in life. During school and working part-time, I create a schedule and break times to keep myself in good shape. I first log in to my school schedule in Google, then decide what day or times I can schedule appointments. Afterward, I decide what times of the week I can go to the gym. They usually are in the evening when my classes have ended, and I'm ready to destress from the day. I ensure I eat healthily by creating a meal plan for the week. The meal plan consists of fruits, veggies, carbs, and meat. For the vegetables, I buy items used in multiple recipes such as carrots, onions, tomatoes, and others. I put aside a day where I can meal prep for the rest of the week. On that day, I make food that will last for a few days. Apart from that, I try to ensure I'm getting enough sleep and rest breaks. Overall, handling school and work is about prioritizing your time for getting things done. I struggle to create enough fun time but learn to do so by realizing there is more to life than work. Having a schedule with my classes, gym time, and leisure is best for me.

Clean living is important because it provides the nutrients and minerals your body needs to sustain itself. Clean eating consists of eating balanced portions of veggies, meat, and carbs. Eating equal amounts of veggies always provides you with the vitamins and minerals, such as iodine, magnesium, and others ensure your joints and bones have the nutrients to be mobile. Your bones and joints need these nutrients to stay healthy and prevent future injuries, such as broken bones or fractures. These nutrients are found in vegetables because the vegetables' nutrients come from the earth. Not many people eat vegetables regularly, and it's critical. It has the fiber and vitamins not found in meats and carbs. I love to cook vegetables with meat by sautéing them with tomato paste and sauces. I love to eat vegetables and mix them with soy sauce and rice noodles. The veggies give you the energy you need to get through the day and help release toxins in your body, which are antioxidants. These clean eating regimes can help people be healthier and have longer lives. Another way I incorporate clean living is by eating quality meat. I realized that the way animals are grown and fed matters. If chickens are grown up in a cooped cage where they can't wander and only have the option to eat and sit where they are, it affects how I feel when digested. I feel lazier, lethargic, and less motivated to do my work. It's the same if I eat beef or pork. The animals have to be pasture-raised and given time outside to feel better. Lately, farms have given consumers the option to buy free roamed cattle or caged meat, which is good. Also, it's essential to eat animals that are mature, not young. Younger meat, like veal, and others don't have the nutrients your body needs. Animals need time to mature and breed, to live and give humans the nutrients we need to survive. I usually buy animal meat from farms or organically grown. When bought, I use them in stews, soups, and sauteed dishes. They come out delicious and taste better than eating meat from restaurants. I enjoy using spices, marinades, and herbs on these meats because they come out the best. My daily life has a lot of natural meals that aren't processed. Processed foods gave me more stomach aches, energy declines, and brain fog. When I started eating clean, I noticed a difference in my thinking and body. I love clean eating and getting creative inside the kitchen.

Superfoods are essential for body functions and keeping your body healthy. They help you stay fit, and healthy and build your body for longevity. These superfoods, such as acacia, goji berry, and dark leafy greens, give essential vitamins to your body. These nutrients and vitamins are vital for your body to function and keep it healthy. My favorite superfoods are leafy greens, mushrooms, ginger, seaweed, sweet potatoes, nuts, and berries. I love mixing smoothies and making different combinations with them to create new flavors. I usually like mixing berries and nuts together or adding protein powder to my mixes. Either I drink the smoothie in the morning or midday before lunch. The berries provides antioxidants and energy for the rest of the day and are a good sweetness. The taste of berries is juicy, flavorful, and delicious. I really like that there are multiple ways to create different nutritious meals or smoothies. Creating nourishing foods is fun and great for body longevity. I also love cooking with leafy greens and mushrooms and adding them to recipes. These recipes usually consist of vegetarian meals. A recipe I create is ground spicy beef with spinach or kale mixed with mushrooms. Usually, I serve it with basmati rice and cook the meat in a spiced tomato puree. When I eat these foods, I notice I have energy, build muscle, and feel better in mental and physical traits. Another recipe I do commonly is tofu minced with shiitake mushrooms and greens spun with soy sauce. I added them with rice noodles and drizzled with sesame seeds and sometimes a side of seaweed. Mushrooms are very versatile and can be used with meats, veggies, and sauces and making a meaty flavor in each recipe. I love cooking and prepping different meals. It sometimes gets hard to keep up with prepping during a busy lifestyle, but it's worth it. Another favorite superfood that I have are sweet potatoes. I usually cut them into cubes for roasting and serve them with meat and veggies. Or I cut them in french fry style and oven-baked them or use the air fryer to make fries. I toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes cinnamon and honey. It makes a great snack and can be served with anything. They are very filling and provide great amounts of vitamin A, C, and fiber. Sweet potatoes and Idaho potatoes provides good starch to use in your food. Superfoods are vital for your health and longevity. They help you become stronger and increase your mobility. I love creating recipes and eating different types of food.

A healthy life is essential because it creates positive changes in your body and mind. Since I was a child, my parents changed my diet to eating less processed foods and more veggies and fruits. At first, I disliked the act, but I got accustomed to it. I loved eating healthy more when I realized the food tasted better and felt better. My mom had me eat more fish, rice, vegetables, and plants like cassava and yams. I no longer ate processed chips, and it took me a while to stop eating cookies, but I did. It was only until years later I stopped eating cookies to a minimum due to learning the effects of high amounts of sugar and having cavities. When I switched to eating less processed foods, I realized that sugar makes me feel lethargic, gives me an immediate crash, and doesn't supply me with the everlasting energy that fruits do. Since childhood, I've stuck to a healthy lifestyle and learned how it's benefiting my life in the long term. Lately, eating a balanced diet of vegetables, meat, and carbs has led me to maintain my energy levels throughout the day and be more productive and alert. At first, it was hard to stay on healthy eating since I learned quickly that I would have to make my meals. But after creating a meal plan and learning food prep, it became easier. I decided to eat out less and create my meals. It's also cheaper to buy groceries and make meals instead of going to a restaurant. When you cook at home, you have more control and creativity in making meals. Every week, I create a meal plan and decide what ingredients to buy. I think about my budget and what items can be used in multiple recipes to save money. These ingredients are usually vegetables, like tomatoes, potatoes, leafy greens, and onions. These are combined with recipes that need a sweet or spicy taste. Afterward, I think of what meats I will eat. They usually consist of fish, chicken, beef, and eggs. During a busy week, I choose one day to meal prep for the next few days or do little meal prep every day until my meals are finished. It depends on what life brings me and what I need to do. I've realized it's hard to keep up with meals when life is busy, and, during these times, it's good to eat healthily. A healthy lifestyle keeps your mind and body in good shape. I fell in love with food and cooking. I'm going to continue to eat this way next the coming years.

Selflessness benefits you when you realize that it helps yourself and others. The act of selflessness brings humbleness and kindness out of your heart. Lending a hand is important because it represents the care and vitality we have for each other. I've realized that caring for your community shows that you have a heart. And having a soul is something that people struggle to have in this world. Embodying selflessness is something I do every day. When I'm around coworkers or friends, I can give them advice. Lately, I've realized that I should treasure the advice I give to people because people don't take it well. Repeatedly, I've learned that when someone asks me for help they don't always accept it or don't like what I say. I've realized from these experiences that I should only give advice when asked or try to slip it in during conversations. When conversing with people, I take my emotional state out of it. I adapt to every situation and show a piece of me in each of them. Every conversation isn't fit to show all parts of myself. These parts are rejected. There are aspects of a person I notice when I observe them and meet them for the first time. If I notice certain things, such as gossiping or voice tones, I emotionally take myself out of it and reassess the situation. When this is done, I'm able to view the person for how they are and decide how I will continue speaking to them. Therefore, I can decide what it is the person needs improvement in their life. Often, during conversations, people don't realize I'm helping them since it's the small things that accumulate. For example, I suggest a different approach to a problem that they have been struggling with. Usually, they don't realize I'm helping them until a few days later. Selflessness is a good character trait to uphold since it shows your kindness. A few days ago, my coworker was stating how he was trying to keep his weight down. I was thinking it was his diet, but he stated that it's because he eats late at night. While he was telling me this, I suggested he eats at a set time, like ten pm, to ensure that his body can revitalize during sleeping hours. He said he knows that, but he does things when he feels like it, and can't seem to get himself to eat throughout the day instead. He also mentioned how he struggles to get work done. This is how I usually advise people when it's not directly asked. People usually don't realize that I've helped them until sometime later. Though it's not noticed immediately, I continue to do it because of my personality. The act of selflessness is a characteristic that shows who you are. I help everyone that I meet by putting my emotional state aside. Though not seen immediately, I continue to do so since it's me.

My family migrated here from Jamaica in the late 90s. My mom came here and moved in with her cousins. She didn't have a good time with them. My dad arrived shortly after, and they both decided to make a living here in America. Their time here wasn't great starting out. They struggled with racism, were paid unfair wages, and suffered mental health issues. Throughout these times, they learned that black people had to work harder than whites. It taught me that you need to work hard for your goals and be someone in this world. They told me of their experiences when I was young. And I learned they didn't have a good time starting out here either. It's similar to my experience when I moved to Buffalo, New York, and San Antonio, Texas. My first few months here were rough, and there was a lot to do when I came. Now my parents own a house, have a good-paying jobs, and both obtained vehicles. It's a successful life. From my parents' story, it's imperative working hard for what you want. In Buffalo, I worked two jobs to afford a car. I stay up at night or wake early to work on my art and writing. I'm creating comics and short stories for my portfolio. When I look back at my art from a period, I realize that I've improved and gotten better at the fundamentals and capturing scenes. Further more, I believe my work will pay off in getting a decent career. I work hard in everything I do. From working hard in my job, hobbies like skateboarding, cooking, and other activities and relationships. I use labor in everything because it's a part of my values. My parents have also taught me to stay humble. They spoke to me about being humble and how never to beg anyone for food, water, or money. I learned not to do it, and always work for myself and not to rely on others. Through my parents' history and lessons, I grasped to be humble and work hard for what I want. My parents also taught me to be wary of strangers' gifts and intentions. It has always stuck with me that I need to be careful with people. They said strangers, but I learned early in childhood that it includes family and friends. The more I learned about how people treat others unfairly, the more I'm shaped by the action of caution. It saved me multiple times when I met strangers; to be cautious of them. I believe that my learning from my parents' journey enabled me to improve myself. I've seen, and realized that successful people are hard workers and dedicated to their passions. It's all about mindset. My mindset enrolled me in trying my best in everything I do. Being humble taught me to be diligent with my ambitions and be prideful for what I do. Overall, my parents' struggles shaped who I am today and made me become a better person.

Domestic violence affects your childhood and later decisions you make throughout your life. As a victim of domestic violence, I've realized that it's hard to keep going and believe in yourself when your self-worth is low. I came from an abusive home where I'm the youngest and given the most mistreatment out of the three. Therefore, I was given the least amount of freedom and not given a chance to be myself. I was under constant control of finances, education, and whom I could socialize. Despite the that they constantly said hurtful things to me and altered my mind to negative thinking, I still believed I could be successful. With my higher education, I want to use my Bachelor's degree to become an animator and comic artist. With these abilities, I will make stories where people can connect and find warmth. Within these stories, they're going to have characters that depict human nature. These stories' location are in struggling towns and cities where everyday people can be found. The first story will be about a man who is lost in life and dislikes his current job. He doesn't want to continue with his job any longer. The workplace is tasking and wears him out every night. He wishes he could quit and get into his desired career that he wanted as a child. This story will represent a common problem among African Americans and minorities of not being able to complete their education. The story will end so that the main character can finish school. Another story that I can do is a fantasy one where that will have life lessons in them. The story will describe a girl that is striving for her dreams. But can potentially get taken down by those who disliked her. As a minority, it's a traditional feat where black people are dismissed and undermined for not having a degree. Often, those who want to be successful are mocked and overlooked. They're told they won't make it, not enough, or don't have items others have. It takes courage and strength to pull through these difficult times. I'm hoping these comics and drawings will help people show that they have a way to be successful. Minorities are often not given equal treatment and the opportunities that others are given. From my experience and others, I've known mistreatment in workplaces isn't uncommon. These comics, which will have mixed races and descriptive characters, may be loved by readers. I believe my education and previous experience with childhood will help me create stories.

I practice bravery by doing things that I'm afraid of. Recently, I moved to another state and started a new life. When I came here, I didn't know anyone or have a family living here. Now, I have few friends I can go to for help and use my resources to get myself settled here in this new state. Afterward, I repeatedly have to be aware of my surroundings and the people I'm around because I've noticed that people aren't truthful here. Overall, southern hospitality contains kind people but is not honest. I've realized that I cannot rely on others to encourage me to chase my dreams. I only have myself. Every day, I work on my art portfolio and other projects. It takes discipline and willpower. In the meantime, I have to be aware of potential danger since having no support. There is an uprising of homeless people in my area. And I've noticed that more and more that I don't know what's their intentions. It's dangerous on the streets, and it takes constant bravery. I make sure that I'm not on the streets too late nor in areas that look sketchy. In general, living on your own and declaring independence takes bravery and courage and helped become a better person.

My favorite piece of art is Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night because it shows me how the night is full of terrors and mysteries. When I look at his painting, it reminds me of the darkness and dangers of the world. The night was shrouded with crime, insecurity, and dark feelings. Giving us the other side of human nature. But even with these dark emotions, there's beauty in it. There is a polarity to the night of threats and the daytime filled with light. In reality, there are dark things during the day, except it's hidden. Beauty at night is buried within the dark-lit sky with stars. The night sky holds its treasures gently without the answer of what it's inside. Van Gogh's painting reminds me of the majestic eerie world night has. I've realized that his painting draws me in and inspires me to go outside at night and walk around. During these nights, I feel peace and an appreciation for life. I reflect on my day and the past and remind myself who I am and how far I've come. Van Gogh's The Starry Night is a beautiful specimen of night walks.

Through my mentorship of others, I hope to teach them how to be kind and generous to one another. Often, I notice that people don't know how to be kind to each other when times are hard. People get snippy with each other and start saying nasty things to people. I've also noticed that it's hard to stay mentally strong. Mentally strong people can go through dark times with better ease. While others won't be able to do so as much. These people are usually experiencing financial hardships, relationship problems, and personal issues. It's hard for this group to be more aware of their surroundings and people. I'm hoping my mentorship of giving advice when asked allows people to be more kind. I want others to understand everyone has their struggles and needs. I've realized that what's often is that humans commonly don't know how to give loving kindness. That's one of the reasons why teaching kindness is essential.

Recently, I've learned that being true to myself is important. Being true to myself is becoming harder and harder as a society and people's views push on me. Often, we're told trusting yourself and being yourself is essential, and I notice that people don't talk about how hard it is. When you are true to yourself, toxic relationships crumble, and better ones are made. The broken relationships are unhealthy for you. These relationships don't help you become a better person or help you grow. As you learn to become yourself more and more, you see who you're true friends are. The promise to be yourself every day is essential for your well-being. To stay in a constant commitment to yourself such as this is tough. You realize how much you were hurt and how these people should not be in your life. It makes you realize how much you see yourself through others' eyes versus your own. When you see yourself through another's eyes, your viewpoint is limited. Once I removed myself from their eyes, I learned to love myself more. Overall, being true to myself every day is a tougher feat (or task) than imposed, but also very empowering.

Staying optimistic during dark times is essential for my well-being and health. Having negative thoughts, I struggle to focus on my tasks and get things done. I've realized that it's hard to stay liberal and mentally strong. If I'm not optimistic, then I often get depressed. I stay positive by listening to my inner voice to improve, listening to music, and believing in myself. Also, having self-care that involves relaxation and showers helps a lot. I've noticed that my mind is the worst enemy. Coming from a pessimistic home where you won't be anything in life comes with its difficulties. The difficulties reignite more and more as it seems that I'm not making progress in my daily life. I have to remind myself daily of the constancies of my efforts. I've realized that others don't see the work that I'm doing, and therefore I have to take on myself to give myself credit. It's hard to stay optimistic and have good self-esteem during tough times, but it's possible. I use affirmations, such as "I give myself hope, faith, and love to myself," "I love all parts of myself," and "I am a divine woman." Going through these struggles and being optimistic has helped me see hope and light in my world. I've noticed more and more that I can get through life and have more mental resilience than I thought. These positive affirmations with self-care allow me to stay positive during hard times.

One personal finance lesson that I find critical is setting goals. I've learned that to effectively save money I must have attainable goals. The intentions right now are paying off my debt, affording my bills, and becoming financially stable. Lately, I've been living paycheck by paycheck and barely getting by. I sought a better future and constantly working towards it. Goal setting is important in finding where you want to be financial. Without it, I've noticed that I will relentlessly spend money and have to put the money in a savings account where I know I won't touch it. Or I have to leave it in the stock market where the chances of me selling shares is smaller than before. Also, when you set a goal, your brain is notified that this is a destination and something you want to achieve. Without the goal-setting of finances it's harder to stay vigilant with saving money and not spending it. Creating goals has helped me keep my finances stable and not continue consuming.

Budget and save your money. I heard this from my parents as a young child and still applies to my life later. Saving your money is essential for financial freedom because it gives you peace of mind that there's money in the bank in case of emergencies. When I budget and have my income determined, I can determine how much I can spend every week or month. Usually, I write out the labels and how much the bills are. By that time, I can decide how much I can spend and how much to save every month. I think about financial goals I want to reach, such as vacations and breaks. I've realized that having a budget for myself where I know the limit of how much I cannot spend helps me save money. If I don't do this while thinking ahead of potential payments that may come up, I will spend all of my money. It's a form of discipline for me. I wouldn't take the financial advice too far because I will not use any money on myself, even if it's self-care. It's hard to allow myself small rewards during my grind. Sometimes I have to remind myself that awards are essential for me to keep going. The financial advice has saved me a few times when an emergency came. Budgeting can help everyone and apply to businesses and corporations. It's one way of saving money and serves for longevity.

A change I believe that will help future generations is lowering the tuition rate or providing students with more financial aid. The tuition rate right now is higher than it was in the last twenty years. The tuition rate has been raising once the government saw that charging students money is a way to make money. More students are going into debt. The debt is escalating into a US problem where students aren't able to go to school nor pay back the loan. For more educated people to exist, people need more financial aid. The government can lower tuition rates so students can go back to school. The tuition is so high that students can't seem to pay off the loan within a few years. It's common for students to take ten years or more. Sadly, it occurs so often in this society that it's normal. We always need new people to be in professional positions. If we didn't have education, there will be tradespeople like in colonial times. The discussion of making education better is a difficult topic to discuss. There are many layers to the problems of our education. Low-income families, biracial, and minorities don't receive as much support to continue their education. The more I think about the issues in our community, the more I see that the education system is divided. Often, wealthy families can send their students to school while low-income families struggle to do so. Low-income families have to send their kids to community college. Community colleges are a struggle to get through because the administration doesn't know what they're doing, and they, popularly, charge students for classes they didn't need to take. It's hard. Overall, I wish there were cheaper options for school and better care in place for more people to go to school.

Someone I admire in history is Aristotle. Aristotle is a figure I look up to on how he was able to teach multiple classes and pass on knowledge to future generations. I love how he was able to inform and question his own life and others to build a philosophy of his own. He helped me understand my life. I wasn't sure if Aristotle's teachings would help me, but I wanted to change my life. I used his philosophy with others from stoicism and other philosophies to understand my life more. I understood that happiness doesn't come from items or materials. In this modern world, we have many distractions and influences, and it's hard to be true to yourself. We are always encouraged to buy more products and stuff promising us that we will be happy. And in Aristotle's scripts, he taught his students those items hold values, but it all depends on if they bring you true happiness. True happiness comes from within. I've realized that going within and finding what truly matters. Aristotle taught logic, and he gave reason to the obstacles in my life. The reason became useful when I was trying to figure out who I am as a person. Lately, my life has been in chaos as I didn't know whom to trust as I met new people in this new state. Since I couldn't trust people, I trusted my guts and logic. By doing this, I was able to decipher whom to trust. I looked at their reactions and behaviors around people and me. And base my judgment on that. I gave them space to prove themselves wrong to me, but my gut was always right. Aristotle opened up my mind to more logic and philosophers alike.

The biggest problem right now in the world is global warming. Global warming is affecting all of us, and the land is experiencing extreme weather. These extreme weathers are tornadoes, hurricanes, and droughts that cause extensive damage. Global warming affects the land by causing these extreme weathers and affecting how we grow crops. In gardening, plants can't get too much water or under extreme conditions, or they will burn or won't be healthy. The rising temperatures are causing the ice caps to melt and causing rising sea levels. It can cause our land, as a whole, to go underneath water. Civilization will have to move inwards. The rising temperatures are causing heavy heat waves and affecting our lands. We can prevent the worsening of our planet by using renewable energy, investing in companies that care for the earth, and recycling. The milling of our ores and fossil fuels is causing the platonic plates to shift more constantly. If we continue to drill fossil fuels, then it will get worse. Another way is to reduce the amount of plastic in oceans and the environment. We can continue creating organizations that collect plastic. Also, being mindful of our use of plastics and utilizing more renewable materials for bags. During my walks in the park, I noticed empty water bottles on the side. I pick them up and dispose of them properly. I believe if we are more mindful of cleaning up after ourselves then the planet will be cleaner. Overall, global warming is a drastic problem in this world and needs to be handled.

My favorite book is Game of Thrones because it's one example of what inspires me as a writer, and I love the genre/story. I started reading Game of Thrones when looking for a new fantasy series to be crazy over. I didn't expect much from it since it's frequently hyped, and advertised books tend to be dry. The first fifty pages were dull and dragged, and I didn't know that the beginning was very important. I fell in love with the character, Jon Snow. He was so much like me, and I understood his pain. The next thing I loved was George RR Martin's writing. His writing is close to JRR Tolkien's, and it astounded me how Martin learned from it and corporate it into his writings. The story continued until there were kingdoms and plot twists with characters. And I loved the way Martin unraveled each character and had them go on their journey. I admire the skill Martin had to intertwine the plot. I want to do that one day with the stories I write. The short stories I write are fiction and about everyday problems and lives with a twist. I love that Martin cannot only keep up with all the characters in the story within Westeros, but also how he creates great drama between them. He takes medieval and European history and ingests it in the story with intricated characters. I can tell he studied history well and transformed it. All in all, Game of Thrones is one of my favorite series and will continue to be.

Education is important to me because it's an option to live the life I desire. More and more in America, poverty levels are increasing along with homeless people. It's discouraging to see the numbers and how it affects our economy. I no longer want to work for a job that doesn't care for its workers or not in my field. I realized that going to school is one way of completing my dreams, and I would like to live a fulfilling life. The career I desire is art. I illustrate different people and environments. It's stereotypical that artists will be forever starving and not make it in the world. But it's not noticed that art is everywhere. The billboard, logo, and clothing designs all derive from art, and art will always be a part of our world. It's hard to be noticed in the industry and to make it. I believe you have to be true to yourself. There are different art styles and mine contains dark, eerie colors. I like to draw the subject under the covers and get pushed aside. I draw about the struggles we have as a society, such as mental issues. I believe someone has to give a voice to them. The importance of education was enforced on me from a child. Constantly, I am reminded to focus on school and complete it. And I couldn't agree more and know that getting my bachelor's degree will bring me joy. It's been a dream of mine, and more importantly, to work in my field will be great. At the same time, I've repeatedly been told that you won't make it as an artist. And I have heard it so often that I've become accustomed to it. It took lots of unwinding false beliefs to keep myself going. It's sad that a career, such as art, used far and wide, is undermined and taken advantage of. I don't think society realizes how much simple trades, such as woodworking or mechanic, needs to be in civilizations for us to survive and grow. It's unfair that fine arts, which used to be a favored epitome, is seen as a cheap stiletto. I've learned that education could bring you riches. I think we can all agree that education is a part of living a successful life. And also choosing the right career for you is essential. Art has always been a part of me and continues to be. The importance of education is essential for our growing society and government. It's important for me to live the life I find fulfilling and be authentic.

1. I deserve this scholarship because I don't care much for it. The scholarship could help me finish school, but who knows if I will win it. Every scholarship is like that. You apply, hoping that you will win something. And when you don't, you either give up or keep going. I won't win this scholarship, so why should I apply for it? I don't deserve it. It's not worth it. 2. I don't have any academic goals at the moment. I don't want to do better in life. I'm comfortable where I am and won't mind working for corporate for the rest of my life. I used to have goals back in high school, but destroyed when I started working. I lost all hopes of becoming an artist. I don't think being a starving artist is worth it. 3. I haven't overcome any obstacles recently. I've been working at the same job for over a year now and don't care to move up in the company. The last hardship was customer service at retail. She started yelling at me, and I began yelling back. I don't understand why people won't listen to logic. It's your answer. But during the confrontation, I almost lost my job.

The reason why I'm passionate about my education is that art is my passion. I have been drawing from a young age and always enjoyed every aspect. I illustrate images for my short stories and ideas that come into my head. I can see that receiving my education is one way of making my life easier and more enjoyable. I no longer have to work for corporate companies or a job that doesn't bring me joy. It's critical for me to feel fulfilled and good at the end of the day. Art has brought me joy, sadness, fear, and all emotions that come along with being a human. Creating art is a personal feat. And I believe you cannot make great art unless you understand yourself well. Not all the time do I feel like drawing or having the inspiration to draw. It's about making a habit and learning that it's my career. Art has many contributions to our lives: it's in cars, clothing, poster, and other designs. Art is always around us. Sometimes when I sit down to draw, nothing comes to my head. I struggle with it constantly, and starting a drawing helps my brain work. It could be a reference, and eventually, it will become something else. During the process, you feel how it is to be human. You feel a whole array of emotions, usually how much you don't want to draw or don't want to go to work today. But art brings you back to yourself and grounds you. The constant struggle of overcoming and handling your emotions. As an artist, you feel deeply and figure out how to put your ideas into a picture. It's hard work. Sometimes when you don't understand a concept, you draw the subject repeatedly. Your brain is making a mental library of what the image looks like in these positions and angles. And from there, you can decide how to warp it into something else. The trials and errors in the drawing are the same in life. You obtain some knowledge and try something and analyze it, and decide if you need to change something. I am very passionate about art because it gives me an outlet for creativity. If I don't do anything creative for some time, I will have an indiscernible itch to perform in some way. I get hyper, and my brain keeps thinking of all these different ideas. And sitting to design, gives me the allowance to not only be myself but also to express my world onto paper for others to see. I believe that getting my education is one way of making income from art.

I apply creativity in my life by drawing every day. I start my drawing sessions by sketching action poses and then getting to my main drawing. Sometime throughout the day, I will sketch some poses and people in different positions for practice. Afterward, when the day is almost over, usually around seven or eight in the evening. I'll work on my project. The project is different drawings I'm working on or multiple illustrations coming together into a story. Creativity shows up in diverse areas of my life, also. It shows up when I'm skating, designing web pages, and writing short stories. I design newsletters for my job a few days a week, and I skateboard or write throughout the week in my schedule. The newsletters have information about company products and different colors that correlate well together. And for skating, I mix up different tricks on ledges and ramps. Creativity is a part of my daily life, and I love it.

The important life lesson I've learned recently is money doesn't solve all of your problems. In New York, I was almost making $17 an hour at my job. And cover all of my bills and expenses. But when 2022 started, it wasn't like that anymore. I began struggling to pay my bills and knew I needed to change my life. During this time, it felt good to have income constantly, but it didn't bring happiness to my life. I disliked the environment I lived in and my job. The segregated area affected my well-being, and people were commonly selfish towards me. Also, I lived with people that didn't support me and continuously "borrowed" money from me. I thought, that once I had money to cover my expenses, my lifestyle will improve. But it wasn't. I was unhappy and wanted to be a full-time artist with a supportive network around me more than ever. I was taught from a young age that money will make you happy, but it's a lie. Since I didn't like my living, I moved to Texas and started anew. I didn't have much money in my bank account, and I didn't care about it anymore. Money doesn't bring gratitude to life. I am grateful that I'm living and breathing today. Though, money brings a sense of happiness, such as human needs, and allows you to do the activities you desire. Money doesn't solve your self-worth, depression, or other mental problems. In Texas, changing my outlook on life involved self-development and discovering beliefs that didn't serve me anymore. If I didn't do the constant meditations and journaling, then I wouldn't be able to have a healthier relationship with people and money. I've also learned that buying the same items in another form brings temporary happiness. To be truly happy, you find your passion and decide what steps to take to fulfill that career. Money doesn't replace the satisfaction you have after finishing a project or the thrill you get from starting something new. These are two things to live for. My relationship with money in the past made me have fewer attachments to it. I no longer want to work for a job that cares more about income than the people. And I no longer desire large sums of money in my account. I crave simple pleasures more than ever. Overall, money can mean something different for everyone. It can bring happiness by affording to live but doesn't cover your low self-esteem issues. Mental health is essential to maintain throughout your life, and better relationships lead to a better life.

The study strategies I use to get studying done are focused time stamps throughout the day. To research efficiently, I decided to know myself along the way to understand what works for me as a student. The methods that work for me are timed sessions where I study for 45 minutes with lofi or ambiance music playing in the background. Another way is writing down notes that I'll know I'll forget during a lecture and reading books for study material. I found that I retain information better when I listen to presentations instead of actively always taking notes. If I have to memorize new words for language learning, I use flash cards and SRS study sessions. Also, when I read, I tend to remember the material better for longer periods of time. I notice that it's essential for me to take breaks during study sessions and ensure I get a good amount of sleep every night. Overall, these study strategies made me a better student.

Don't compare yourself to others. When I was in high school and younger , I compared myself to my friends and classmates. I compared myself to their clothes, features, presents they've received from their family, and vacations they've gone on. I was jealous that they had a great time while I didn't. I went on breaks with my family, but I didn't enjoy them often. They were abusive, and everything I did around them seemed forced and unlike me. I wanted to dress the way I wanted, go to parties, and have close friend groups. I had friends in high school, but we always fell out. Often, I was betrayed, disliked, made a mockery of, bullied, and ignored. I knew, within a few moments of being with my friends, I learned they're not my real friends. I continued to hang out with them because I didn't have anyone else to converse with. And eventually, after more heartbreaks, I stopped trying to act like their friends. I realized my life and upbringing are different, and they had the support that I didn't have. Or they seemed to have help. I realized my classmates had missing fathers or mothers, and probably went through abuse, but don't show it. The advice to quit comparison put me back to focusing on myself and my self-development. It led me to be happier with myself and focus on loving myself every day.

Recently, I moved to Texas and decided to start a new life here. I was taking care of two adults, and I hated that my life was stagnant. It was rough because I left in a hurry, due to my previous residence being worse and I couldn't live there anymore. I didn't have a job, a home, or people I knew when I came here. I was by myself, and I focused on my inner healing to find myself again to make it through. I wanted to give up and go back to New York, but I wouldn't. I told myself I didn't drive over 1500+ miles to not succeed. I was living in my car for some time and went to an event where I met a businessman offering me a job. I took the job and had myself under a strict budget to have enough money for the week and future. I knew it was tough to move, but I desired a life change. No one was there for me emotionally. My family and friends are all toxic, abusive people and only wanted the worse for me. So, to keep my mental health in a good state, I constantly meditated, journaled, and went outside. I slowly met new, supportive people in this new city and saw my life improving. I won't give up despite the obstacles in front of me.

My dream for the future involves becoming an animator and an art therapist. I've always loved comic books and creating stories and wanted to become a storyteller from a child. Becoming an animator is a job that involves thinking about the story and thinking ahead. There are characters, world-building, the layout, and how the story will unfold to keep the reader engaged and interested till the end. I enjoy making stories and seeing people listen to them when I read them from primary school. It made me realize how stories not only help me see the world differently and can help others too. I know that words from books aren't everyone's favorite, so I think comics that have both lathers are a good combo. I also strive to be an art therapist so I can help people process their trauma and emotions. The pharmaceutical companies and talk therapy doesn't work alone for most people. Art therapy is another option that shows a promise of helping others. I believe we need different options to help people heal from their past, and I think I can help them.

It may seem strange, but my desire to continue working and going for my dreams are current events in the world. Right now, there is a global mental health epidemic. My goal is to become an animator and an art therapist. Every day, I see homeless people on the streets wandering wherever I go. And I know that the reasons could range from no help to high rent, disabilities, and a whole range of reasons. And the constant shootings that occur in America made me realize how mental health needs to be more required in the school and work system. Therefore, I look at my talents of being able to talk to someone and find their problems while also helping them process them is a gift. And think to myself about how I cannot quit at completing school. The pressure doesn't ever dissipate to produce great work with my art and learn different ways to communicate, and I don't think it will. But seeing others always suffer and die and knowing you can help somehow puts me in the position to keep trying until failure isn't an option. It feels like a constant weight on my shoulders, and I've learned how to carry it. And know that my life won't get any easier from here, but learning and taking care of my health aids with the weight.

My experience with mental health transformed me to be a different, better person. I don't think I would have learned what I know now without it. There's a trade. If I didn't have mental illnesses, then I won't be able to connect with people. Previously, I've struggled with depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorder, and other diagnoses. For some time, it ruled my life, and I couldn't surpass it. During those times, I believe I kept on losing who I was. I spiraled into negative thinking and discouraging words I heard in my head. I don't know a time before my mental health affected me because it's been a part of my life since a child. I overcame it by healing and taking apart my beliefs. I've realized that mental health is a common struggle we all have. For example, I've struggled with depression for all of my life, and it's common for mental health professionals to say it's best to take medications. And by trying prescriptions and knowing other friends who have done the same, it's not for everyone. The drugs made me a zombie, and I didn't feel like myself. And 'sitting' in the depression and questioning yourself why am I depressed and my beliefs helped me get out of it. Also, going outside helped me cope while not solving the problem. It's until you decide to question your beliefs, what you think of yourself, where you are in life, and what you will do about it; is when the depression lifts. And depression can be caused by other drugs, health issues, and other circumstances. And journaling is one way of moving past it. I started struggling with anorexia when I was eleven or twelve. I've seen others encounter problems with eating. It made me realize that social media and others' opinions effects our image. Growing up, I believed that I couldn't eat unless I'd done work. My parents, mostly my dad, gave me multiple chores to do throughout the week. And if he saw I finished it or didn't have anything to do, I was given work to do. And if I ate without doing "enough," I was insulted. His behavior came from when he didn't have food as a child. We had the money for food, but he didn't want to spend it. Meanwhile, moving to a new state and seeing others and myself suffer from going through starvation, I learned that food and basic human needs shouldn't be a luxury. Sometimes my mind wants to go back to not eating, and I have to remind myself that I need to eat to live. Also, survival isn't sustainable for the human body. For my career, I've decided to become an art therapist. I can help people process their trauma and unhealed wounds. I am good at talking to people and getting to the problem of their situation. I can easily read people and know what they need to do to get them out of their situation. As said earlier, my mental health struggles help me connect with people. When people see that I've been through similar struggles they're more empathetic toward me. I love that I can help people with their circumstances by going through mine.

Staying true to yourself is harder than it sounds. It's hard to accept that people won't like your opinions or who you are as a individual. You always have to remind yourself that being happy who you are is more important than what others think of you. To stay centered and true to myself, I take the mornings for myself. And meditate and journal my reflections. During this time, I drink a hot cup of tea and mentally prepare myself for the day. Afterward, I continue with my day and do the tasks I need to complete. I think about how important it is to stay true to yourself to stay on the path. It's difficult to continue because someone will always give you the cold shoulder or dislike you. I remember during these times that speaking my truth gives me uniqueness. Also, I'm at a point in my life, where I don't desire others' opinions to define who I am. People-pleasing was a problem before, and I learned you can't satisfy everyone. Along with people using me and not being treated fairly, it's best to be yourself and stand up for yourself all the time.

My life so far has been a ride. I moved to a new state without an apartment, friends, or job placed. I live in New York before coming here. New York wasn't serving me any longer, and I hated that my life was stuck and I wasn't achieving anything I wanted. In this new state, I experienced homelessness, met new diverse people from different backgrounds, and learned a lot about myself and people. I realized that it doesn't matter how much you help someone, and not realizing how much you've done for them, if not selfish for yourself. You're left behind. My family have gotten money, love, and other things when they needed help. And I leave myself with little. When I needed help, they couldn't help me. And I learned that I needed to ensure I'm taken care of before assisting another. I realized my family couldn't do it because they don't know how to and hadn't healed from their past trauma. I can only help them by giving them advice. So in the future, I'm making sure I give to myself first before giving to others. I ensure that my basic needs are seen, and I have supportive people around me to keep my life wealthy. Being homeless also taught me that home is a place of love and comfort, not abuse and hurt. I've always felt abandoned and never called previous places I've lived home. For the future, I'm hoping to build a community of love and respect for others. At the same time, giving help to those who need it and was left behind. This world is difficult to survive in, and I want to make it easier for the forgotten.

The meaning of life, to me, is to serve your purpose and help others. Your purpose can be something you never imagined it to be, and more than likely, it will help others and yourself. I don't believe we were placed on this earth to waste our lives in menial jobs. Finding your purpose is most likely attached to what you like doing in your leisure time, and something you wouldn't mind doing for the rest of your life. I no longer try to achieve the meaning of life because I already know my purpose. I wish to become an art therapist and help people heal from their traumas. It's hard to be an artist and a therapist, but it is what I love doing. I see too many people suffering without help. Pharmaceutical drugs don't help all or make the person's condition worse. Also, to work a job you love while being surrounded by loving friends and family is a common goal. When you have support, a job you love, and activities you enjoy, your life will be full of joy and meaning. It's a life that's possible. And I am on the same path too.

The action to encourage others comes within you. It's an ability that comes from the self-care and love you have for yourself. When I encourage another, I use words of encouragement and results. It usually happens when they've been working on a project for a long time, and haven't seen results. I remind them and show them the progress they made. It could be small details they've missed or milestones within their work. Afterward, I tell them how much of a great job they're doing. I use the words: "that's great," "keep going," or "well done." Everyone must receive encouragement because it's easy to give up on your endeavors. It's hard, especially, when you're on your own. I also ensure the area is clean and organized to encourage work. A dirty workplace brings procrastination and discouragement. I also ensure they are comfortable and give them a different perspective from what their mind is telling them. It's difficult to stay positive during hard times, and words of encouragement are what you need.

My bucket list right now, I have goals to skate a big gap, go to a rock band concert, camping, and parkour. I have been skateboarding for two years now and will like to jump a big gap one day. I'm looking to jump a five stair and be able to do a flip trick or a shuvit down the stairs. Once I can ollie over the stairs, then I will be able to figure out to do other tricks down the gap. I also want to grind a ledge and do a heelflip or kickflip at the end. From there, I'm looking to do a backside 180 in and out of the ledge. I know it will take lots of practice, but I'm confident I will be able to do it. Also, I love heavy and soft rock bands, such as Linkin Park, Bring Me to the Horizon, Bullet to my Valentine, and others. I grew up with rock, and it helped me become who I am today. Eventually, I will like to go to my favorite band with my friends when they're holding a concert. Other activities I will like to try are camping and parkour. I want to learn how to live off the land with the materials you have on you and look for signs of activity. Parkour has attracted me in how you can use your surroundings as your playground. I have other things I'm interested in doing, but these are a few. Luckily, the area I live in has all of these things.

My goals for the future are building a support group, finishing school, and creating a life I love. I'm in a new state and have met new people from different backgrounds. They taught me to look at the world differently and continue doing so. Finding the right people to be vulnerable and close to is hard in this world where you don't know who people are. And I've learned to give everyone a chance while being cautious of them and my surroundings. It's my dream to finish school, and I intend to do so. It's hard to be a freelance artist without connections and work a day job. I no longer want to do that and would like to complete my Bachelor's in animation. Also, during these difficult times, I've noticed it's hard to keep my stress levels down. I made time in my schedule to exercise, spend time outdoors, and time with friends. Therefore, I won't experience burnout again and can continue going while staying healthy. Along with a support group, I want to help other people build relationships with each other. Help businesses create partnerships and collaborations so we can all prosper together. Overall, my morals derive from companionship and creating a life I love.

When I realize someone is having a hard time, I ask them what's going on. Not all the time they will answer or want to discuss it, but I usually give them the space to open up. Sometimes, my coworkers will mess up on their work. Instead of belittling them or getting angry at them, I show them kindness. I tell them it's okay and help them learn from their mistakes. Nothing is perfect in this world. Empathy and support are needed and needs to be more accepted. For a long time, society has seen empathy as a weakness, and it's deteriorating our culture. For example, I passed by a homeless man by the gas station. He asked for some change, and I gave it to him. I know what it's like to be helpless and to experience starvation. When I meet someone, I'm always honest with them and give them space to speak what's on their mind. The world needs more nurturing and femininity.

After a long day, I relax by going to the park for a walk and showering afterward. Nearby where I live, a lake surrounds a park. The trail is a mile long and contains wildlife with an area for children to play and a basketball court. You can't swim in the lake, but you can go rafting. Late in the evening, the sunset glimmers on the water and shines on its ripples. It's a beautiful scene to see. During my walks, I bring a notebook to write down anything that comes to mind. It could be ideas for my stories or reflections on my life. Journaling is my best friend in finding who I am, and it keeps me grounded. Lastly, going home afterward to take a shower cools me down. The water washes all the dirt, sweat, and hard work I've done for the day. Then I make a nice hot cup of tea or hot chocolate and relax in my bedroom. The hot liquid down my throat soothes me while experiencing the cleanliness of my mind and body is sacred. I wouldn't trade simplicity for anything.

My favorite hobbies are reading, drawing, playing chess, and skateboarding. I love anything that's fitness related, and skateboarding is one of those sports that I fall back on. It's a sport that can be done anywhere, has many options, and boosts your confidence. It's hard to land a trick sometimes, but it's a passion of mine and always go back. In general, I love all card and board games, but chess is one of them that continually strives to be better. I look at chess as a form of life. The strategy to build your attack and learn your opponent's moves is related to living. It's like juggling multiple jobs with school. You have to decide how much time you can do your hobbies every day while still working and taking care of yourself. I love to read nonfiction and fantasy books. I dive deep into books to learn about history, crafting, politics, and anything I'm interested in. Books are helpful to me because they shaped a part of my life and made me who I am today. Art is one of my passions. I desire it to be my career, so I also love it. I love all my hobbies. They keep me learning and finding a purpose in life.

One of my talents is the ability to draw. I have been drawing since a child, and it is one of my passions. I struggled to understand that talent alone can't get you a career, so I decided to make it a habit to draw every day. I made a schedule and made sure I drew for at least an hour daily. It was hard at first because the topics I was drawing weren't anything I was interested in. There were action poses, perspectives, and figure drawings. I didn't understand why I couldn't draw a model until I realized I didn't know the anatomy of a human. So, I taught myself anatomy by watching videos and reading. And my drawings improved drastically. I can draw the action poses accurately and consistently at the right angles. My foreshortening skills have gotten better too. Foreshortening is when you look at a figure and create shapes based on the perspective. It was difficult for me to draw objects in 3D, but I continued drawing life objects and improved gradually. It's no longer a struggle to draw everyday. I automatically do it. And enjoy every minute of it.

To ensure that my friends, family, and other people in my life are heard, I check in on them and ask them how they are doing. I know that life is hard, and it can get hard to continue working and doing your best every day. I keep in touch with my close-knit friends and talk to them almost every day. We make plans together to hang out outside of our busy schedules and keep in touch. I help them the best I can by giving them advice on relationships and helping them find themselves in this crazy world. I don't try to push anything they don't see because I know if I drive them too far, it can make them angry, or I can push them away. Friends outside of my close group, I visit them weekly and see how they're doing. I also call them consistently and help them with any projects they have. I know what it feels like to be alone, so I do my best to help others.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is one the most inspiring books I've read. The book is different than other spiritual books because it has the simple concept of the present moment. Eckhart Tolle goes deep in details of how important it is to be in the present. He sees it as a way of life, but also what you must do to live your life to the fullest. It helped me with my meditation practices and being more in the present during the day. I learned that when you're outside of the mat, being present matters too. Mindfulness and being in the moment is an everyday practice and won't be perfect all the time. I learned that it's hard to be present, especially if you have mental illnesses. And Eckhart Tolle's book led me to improve my time in the present. I also noticed self care is important, and if I don't do enough self-care, my mental health struggles. The Power of Now is an insightful book that teaches you to be more here.

Earlier this month, I learned that I have strong resilience. I have been through toxic relationships where I succumbed to low self-esteem and self-worth. And it didn't help that these events occurred after each other. It brought me to a dark place, and it's hard to be positive, or at least optimistic for the future. During this time, my mental health was crumbling, and it became hard to get up in the morning and go to work. Every time, I thought about giving up, I always got back up and continued. I didn't know how resistant I was to failure until I moved to another state by myself. I didn't have a job or an apartment set up yet, not in what town. During this time, I discovered the strength I have within myself. I had a small amount of money and didn't know where I was to live. I had to stay optimistic about my future. It was my only choice. And life began looking better as I took it day by day.

The image below from a part of The Dark Souls series is enticing, reverberating, and beautiful. I'm attracted to dark concepts as an artist and love to draw horror. Dark Souls' art style is similar to where I want to be as an artist in the next coming years. I want to be able to create atmospheric shadows and moods in the painting. To get there, constant practicing and observing nature will lead me there. When I look at this drawing, it's haughty and gothic. A knight is preparing for the next journey in his life. The painting is grim and menacing, but the knight's stature shows that he is courageous and ready for the challenges. The pose is something I want to draw eventually, and the castle's shading is gorgeous. I prefer to create images with an ominous mood because I want to show people there's light at the end of the tunnel. I love the perspective because the painter obtained the angles correctly while delivering the message. The painting shows how the castle and gate are overbearing the soldier, but he still holds strong. I love the galore and message it carries.

At first, I didn't know what to draw as I stared at the screen. But I remembered an idea I had earlier in the day. During the day, an idea came to me, and I held it in my head until I was out of work. That night, I sat down and made a sketch. And Soon, the image came to life after some thoughts on what I wanted it to represent. This piece of art came to me when I was at my lowest. At this time, I was working a full-time job and applying for scholarships, and drawing during my leisure hours. I didn't give myself a break because I love my craft. I can't imagine living without it. During this time, I worked at a restaurant as a line cook and was constantly given the most burden to carry there. I'm known as a responsible leader. My living condition wasn't good either. The area I lived in was expensive, and I had to help with my roommates' bills. I always put a lot of pressure on myself to create new drawings. I'm always looking to improve and discover new skills while drawing. I didn't have much hope that my life can improve. I always thought of myself as having a small light inside of me that burns bright. And then, I thought about how can I input the light inside a drawing, and that's when the idea came to me: a boy in a dark alley holding a glow. It's hard to be an artist and work all the time. So, the image of this boy in the street is how I felt in my life. It wasn't hard for me to think of gender because I usually draw boys first when it comes to people. Men are simple to sketch than women since there are fewer curves and shapes to think about. The background came along when I thought about history and landed on Mesopotamian streets. I wanted there to be sandy-colored walls and streets. The figures in the back are hand-crafted potteries, and the windows are from someone's home. The alley is between two houses. And the archway is an entryway to other tunnels. The tunnels and archways describe how I felt during one of my darkest times. Lost. Beaten. But still hoping. This is one of my favorite pieces I've made, and hope others like it.

My life has revolved around art from a child and continues to define me and make me who I am today. Art has served me well by giving me an escape from my reality. It's given me an outlet where I can express myself fully without judgment. I can draw monsters, scenery, people, and environments. I feel free when I'm drawing and glad I can share my art with the world. If I'm feeling down or struggling with life struggles, drawing helps me. I can sit down and draw for hours have a pleasant release. The process of putting the pencil on paper and feeling the rush of creative images coming to light is beautiful. At first, it was hard to lay my problems in front of me. But it's necessary to keep me calm and collected throughout the day. And I love that art allows me to explore my thoughts and find myself. Art and music have helped society by giving them an outlet to feel and process emotions. With music, people can feel their emotions when there is no place in the world for them. The melody describes the human soul and events differently. There are melodies, sounds, words, and feelings through instruments. Music has been around for centuries and has helped human beings express their emotions. For example, a guitar solo gives people time to slow down and relax. The melody can bring people back to the present or to the past when around family and having a good time. Music can help you heal, process, and move on through life. It is always around us. Whether it's the sounds of the leaves rustling birds chirping in the morning, there are always sounds and melodies around us. It will always be around for many more years as the planet survives. Art is the same as music in how it helps people process emotions. When people go to galleries and see art paintings, the imagery brings the person into the artist's mind. You wonder what the artist has been through and their past. To figure out how they made such a masterpiece. Some people look at paintings and be brought back to a memory or remember their lover. There is also art therapy where people can sit with basic tools and paper. And release their emotions on paper. They can use the colors and pencil hardness or texture to depict their anger, sadness, or another emotion. It's a way to heal from past trauma. And I'm interested in teaching people art therapy. Art and music have helped me process my troubled memories and create stories I've had in my head. It has helped me along with other sources of self-care. I'm grateful for being introduced to art and continuing to create stories.

Artist name: Lillian Natwood Album Name: Almost There songs: Twenty One Pilots -Chlorine Twenty One Pilots - Bandito Woosung - Lazy (feat. Reddy) Stray Kids - Miroh The Neighborhood - Afraid Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule the World

My goals for the future intertwine with my personality. I'm an artist and an intuitive person that loves to get to the bottom of subjects. I also love to help people solve problems and help them improve their lives. My career goal is to become an art therapist to help people process past traumas and experiences. So they can improve their lives and live a happier life. I'm constantly learning about philosophy and how the brain works. I observe people's actions and thoughts and am fascinated by what the human mind can do. It's interesting how we are, known right now, the only beings in a world that have consciousness. At the same time, I'm working towards getting my apartment by saving money and working every day. Another one of my goals is to learn multiple languages, at least 3 or 4. I need to study and practice creating sentences every day. Also, I always wanted to make my comic book series. It will be in the fantasy, horror, adventure genre. I will have to draw every day and know how people look in different positions and angles. Altogether, I believe I can do it and keep working until I reach there.

My favorite hobbies are drawing, reading, and studying languages. I've always enjoyed learning something new and applying it to my daily life. I read books on philosophy, art, history, fantasy, and fiction. I love to read because it allows me to slow down from my chaotic life. I can escape reality and get into a book and read for hours. One thing I love about books is that it's nonjudgmental. The words on paper don't know who you are and don't expect anything from you. You can read all day and not feel guilty for it. Reading also molds into me loving drawing because it's a place where I can work on a skill and be creative. Also, studying a language has given space to my brain to learn something new. Sometimes I get bored learning mundane things every day or doing the same thing. And want to speak and learn a different culture to learn something new about the world. I like to talk to people and learn topics that contradict my opinion, widening my perspective of the world. My hobbies are very introspective, and I love to share them with other people.

I wouldn't be here right now working hard on my craft if it wasn't for my inquisitive mind. As a child, I noticed when adults were angry and their actions. I've always wondered why people have such strong emotions and do evasive things to others. I didn't understand why until I observed their past, read history and philosophy. I've always wanted to know the why and how of actions, events, and emotions. And where it comes from. It has led me to rekindle the fire when I sit down to draw. Every time I draw, the obstructions and beauty of the world come out. And this understanding of people and the world has led me to my career of being an art therapist. I want to help people find themselves in this collateral world and find happiness. There are too many negative events and struggling people, and everyone needs love and light. If I help people find different ways to heal from past trauma, maybe the world would be a better place. I hope to offer that to people with my practice.

I grew up in a middle-class family where I learned from an early age that hard work pays off if I keep pushing myself. From a child, I got used to having a list of chores to do every week and learned to handle high amounts of stress from school. It wasn't easy, but I learned how to adapt to different situations and survive in high-stress environments. I realized then that time management is essential when balancing multiple activities, along with a full-time job. Every day, I'm always working on a project, learning new activities, or studying Japanese. To be successful need to be healthy, physically active, and focused on my goals. Also, I saw from a young child that fear is a great enemy in a human's mind. I believe that one of my goals will come true shortly. One of my goals is to relocate to a different area to a better environment. I won't let fear stop me from relocating and starting anew. I can make it anywhere I go work for me, and I can become a full-time artist.

The ability to be creative and artistic is a special part of me. I can draw objects, people, anything from my head with or without a reference. I can draw scenery and reality accurately and change it by changing the colors, perspective, and style. For example, if my subject is realistic, then I can paint it in an impressionist or cartoonish style. Being creative helps me with cooking, modeling, and designing. I'm able to create logos for friends and do commissions. Every day, I draw at least a page on a subject I have trouble doing. For instance, I struggle with drawing perspectives, inking drawings, and anatomy. I build a schedule for myself and decide which day I will work on each topic. After finishing a page of sketches, I move on to a drawing or project I'm completing and repeat the same steps every day. Eventually, after weeks of doing this, I see improvement in my work. I learned that talent matters, but everyday practice brings you success.

The meaning of life is caring and loving each other while succeeding in our dreams. We must help each other when we struggle. Despite your career or where you've come from, we all want the same thing. We all want success in our careers, have a happy family and live in a safe environment. When we help each other obtain our goals, it brings a sense of gratitude and love. There are times in life when it gets hard, and it's harder to get daily tasks done. It's during these times that loved ones help each other to grow. I believe another part of the meaning of life is to make a better place for future generations. We can do this by protesting against inequality, workers' unequal wages, and advocating for climate change prosperity. The meaning of life is helping each other and making a better place for our children.

At the end of a busy day, I relax by taking a shower, shaving, and applying a face masque to my face. I will light a candle or incense and place it in the bathroom. While in the shower, I'll use a body scrub or a body exfoliant. I will start my skin routine using a face masque that's either moisturizing or exfoliating. I will finish my shower and continue with my day by making a hot cup of decaf coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. I'll drink it while reading a book or watching anime. To keep my brain focused and from wandering, I journal on things on my mind. It could be the small thing that happened at work or something peculiar I found out. Other days, if I cannot do all of my skincare if my day is busy, then I at least drink a cup of tea and relax. I will end my day with a yoga session and a book by my bedside. Self-care is essential to keep me sane and calm throughout the day.

In the future, I see myself working at home and occasionally meeting with friends to complete a project. As an artist, I don't need to go to a studio to get work done; I can stay home and do everything from a desk and a computer. Therefore, I can freelance full-time or apply at a studio to get a job there. I eventually want to work with other artists or creatives at a studio, but I think I would like to do that after freelancing for some time. I see myself owning my apartment and being able to hang out with friends on hikes or exploring a new city. It will be the coolest thing ever to create projects with other artists. I haven't met many artists yet, but will shortly. I want to go to nightclubs and dance clubs with friends and have a great time. We can all take pictures and share our happiest memories. I know it will take lots of hard work and perseverance to get there, but I'm up for the challenge.

I live with gratitude every day by writing a list of five things I'm grateful for every morning. I'm thankful for having a car, having food, shelter, and a healthy outlet for my emotions. I know that not everyone has it. I can release my emotions by journaling or drawing. Therefore, I won't abuse any drugs or alcohol, affecting my body in the long run. I've driven past these streets where homeless people live and beg for money from drivers. These experiences made me realize how great it is to have a car and have basic human necessities. I used to walk and take a bus to get to work and school. I know how it feels like to have most of your day taken by commute. It's exhausting and annoying. I remind myself every day that I wouldn't be here if I didn't work hard and my parents never migrated to America. I'm proud to be Jamaican and able to draw as a career.

A consistent study strategy I use that never fails me is the method; spaced repetition. I usually use it when a test comes up, and the professor gave me reading materials and assignments. While I'm reading, I will take notes on important information and topics I think will be on the test. I take notes on what I know I will forget and overlook. If I receive hands-on homework, then I will use my notes and knowledge. The most important element for me breaks in between my studying sessions. I will study for an hour and take ten to fifteen-minute breaks. I review information by using spaced repetition and looking over notes constantly. I write down any questions I have for the professor and email her them. And right before the test, usually, a few days before, I study all the materials in small short chunks in time throughout the day. From the beginning, I review material I don't know or forget. And before the test, I study everything a few days prior. It's essential for me to take breaks, too. These strategies haven't failed me and continue to help me.

Every day, it's a challenge for me to wake up and work on my goals. I always have discouraging thoughts and past people's voices telling me I'll be a failure. But I don't let it define me. When it gets hard to get up out of bed, I remind myself that I'm not a quitter. If I give up, that means I'm giving in to those people that don't believe in me. And I can't give in to them. I remind myself what my goals are and where I will be. I push myself to do my best in my art and other hobbies. The thoughts of I won't be anyone when I grow up, what's wrong with you, and I'm stupid deteriorates my confidence. Even though I have low confidence and no self-worth, I make it an effort every day to prove those negative voices wrong. Every day, I complete two to three hours of drawing, studying Japanese, reading, and other adult tasks. And every time I sit down to draw, I push myself to be more creative and fix my mistakes. I always told myself that I'm better than the previous version. And I believe I can become a full-time artist.

My favorite way to help others is by giving them advice and helping them solve problems emotionally. Often, people come to me with their problems, looking for answers. I can see the issue with the information provided and give advice based on it. I understand how they are feeling and what they are searching for. People who come to me are always looking for support. I offer help by listening and asking questions about how they feel and how to improve themselves so they won't feel insecure or afraid. I give them tools, such as mindfulness practices, to be more in the present. I've noticed a common theme with people who come to me is that they are not in the present. I get issues from drug addicts, abuse victims, and lost souls who don't know what to do with their lives. And I offer them a way out by giving them a guide to get to a better place. It ranges from getting a new job, starting new habits, changing diets, and others. Overall, I offer therapy to people who come to me.

The past doesn't define you, and the future doesn't unwrap the true you. These words remind me how important it is to stay in the present. My mind is either going back to the past where conflicts occurred or worried if I present myself right to a stranger. Or there are times where I think of the future me of whom I want to be. Instead of working towards that future self in the now, I get stuck daydreaming of that future self. I want to be an independent, confident person that owns their belongings, such as a car and house and have a group of supportive friends. I want to be comfortable sharing my emotions with no fear of doing something new. I notice people aren't in the present moment. Either they are on their phone, listening to music instead of talking to their friends, or using drugs or nicotine to escape reality. It doesn't help the situation. And time passes by so fast. You don't realize you could have worked on yourself to be better or moved to a different area to give yourself a new start. People don't realize how life passes so quickly. And this sentence is to remind them to be here in the now.

My best skill is to draw anything I see and reimagine it differently. I've been drawing since I was a child and decided to pursue it as a career. I want to be an animator and storybook illustrator. When I discovered I have a talent for drawing, I decided to improve the basics. I worked on the fundamentals of drawing, which are perspective, shapes, contours, light and shadow, and color theory. It takes lots of practice to get better at these skills. I look at my past work from the last month, and I determine what I need to improve. Right now, I need to improve in perspective and color. I'm comfortable with finding the form and drawing the details afterward. Also, I am creative with knowing details of a person and reimagining it into a caricature. Every day, I draw for at least an hour. Either by working on a drawing for my portfolio or drawing people, animals, and other subjects at different angles. I love to be creative and want it to be my career.

Doctor Star & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows' #4 by Jeff Lemire, Max Fiumara, Dave Stewart, and Nate Piekos's main cover inspires me to create comic pages with impact. I want to be a comic artist in the future, and I always struggle to draw characters with the correct expressions. I can get the coloring and position right, but the proportions are always a struggle. The comic book cover brings the reader nicely. Even a person who doesn't know about the series wants to pick it up. The contrast is perfect. The colors of dark and light are a great blend to resemble finding the light in the darkness. The composition of the two characters, the man and the woman, is placed well. I can tell what the book is about just by looking at the cover. The artist did well with showing a doctor holding a patient, bringing her to help. It's marvelous. I want to make art like him and make it impactful to help people. I hope with my hard work that my skill gets to that level eventually.

The memory of first going to college gave me a taste of whom I want to be in the future. I grew up in a sheltered home where I couldn't go anywhere unless my family was there. I didn't have many friends, and every week I had a list of chores to do and was forced to do adult tasks at a young age. Adult things like calling for appointments, being in charge of cleaning, and making a website, and selling products. Going to college was a fresh breath I never thought I had. I could choose when to do my homework, where I want to go on campus, and what activities I want to do. The person I dreamed of becoming is a free-spirited person that is confident, independent, and strong-willed. The first day of stepping on campus was the first I felt like I was myself without punishment. Even though it wasn't the college I wanted, it gave me a slither of hope that my life could get better. Overall, the first day of college revealed that I could leave my parents' home and take charge of my life. And it came true.

After a long day of work, I enjoy a hot cup of cocoa with cinnamon spice. I sit down, put the TV on my favorite anime, and relax. I make my hot cocoa with extra chocolate, spice, a little bit of sugar, and a moderate amount of creamer. It reminds me to slow down, and it's okay not to work. I tend to work for hours without giving myself breaks. Time isn't going as fast as I think it is, and sometimes it's necessary to enjoy life as it is. Another pleasure I take for granted is nature walks. Early morning on the weekends, I go on a hiking trail or park. I walk around for an hour and enjoy time away from civilization. Walking around and hearing the crows cawing each other, birds tweeting, and seeing animals scampering for food reminds me of how simple life is. I often overcomplicate life with how many things I need to do. But going in nature reminds me of how simple life is. These walks connect me back to myself and appreciate wildlife. It's also a good wake-up call in the morning. When a squirrel looks for food for hours, I remember to be patient with myself. I sometimes get impatient for achieving my goals instead of enjoying the process. These simple pleasures bring me back to myself and connect me to earth.

I'm excited about the development of graphene in the next coming years. It is a developing technology that has big promises. Scientists have tested it and saw that it can replace toxic materials. The component makes the internet faster, generates more solar power, filter water, charge batteries, and has other benefits. Graphene is nontoxic and more sustainable than other materials we use for practical reasons. It can boost the capacity and charge rate of batteries along with longevity. Right now, batteries are lithium-based and decrease in energy from every charge or recharge. Graphene tin oxide as an anode in lithium will produce longer-lasting batteries with no reduction in storage capacity. It can make electronic cars more viable and be more efficient in energy saving. There will be fewer gasoline cars on the road, decreasing pollution. Also, graphene can act as a corrosion barrier that in vehicles and industrial motors. It means I can worry less about getting car parts replaced and know that my car can be rust-proof. Graphene is healthier for the environment and will help us with quality products. Graphene is not available for production because scientists have yet to figure out how to mass-produce this compound. I am most excited that we have a material used universally for anything and can potentially be mass-produced. Most likely, it will be an expensive material since it's new and nontoxic. But as people advocate for more eco-friendly options, companies will change their formula. The future car I will get is electric. I don't want to continue damaging the earth from driving every day. And if graphene is used, I don't have to worry about running out of energy on a long drive. It will be a great de-stressor. This compound has mass promises more than discussed, and I want to know where it would take us.

Friendship means a relationship between a person or group where connections are present. These connections help you grow and learn aspects about yourself. Friends are there for you when you need help and support. There are healthy and unhealthy friendships. Healthy friends help each other during moves, advice, life situations, and like having fun. They won't betray you or say poor things about you. A healthy relationship is when the person will be there for you when you need help. Relationships are to be nurtured and treasured for the hard work. Both sides spent time and energy learning about themselves and how to be genuine people. It's hard to stay as a good friend when society and others around you don't like your opinion. Everyone is on their journey to improve themselves and have support. Friendship breakups occur when people cannot agree with situations and have different values. It's unfortunate, but it's essential when people are growing and learning about themselves. It's important to me to keep friendships honest and open. It prevents any miscommunication from happening and keeps relationships growing. My friend group is small right now and hoping to expand in the next coming years.

The desire to stop working at menial jobs and work as an artist full-time propels me to move forward. The jobs I've been doing so far had these things in common: poor management, low wages, and mistreatment. If it wasn't one mishap, then it's something else that the job doesn't have. I'm frustrated that I don't get paid well despite how much work I put in. I've spoken to management multiple times, and there's no change. I'm tired of working for a company that doesn't care about benefitting me. It's why I'm motivated to get art as a full-time job and be able to travel without having to worry if I have enough money to live. I am also motivated by the artists I'm influenced by: Bobby Chiu, Michael Whelan, and Tom Lockwood. They continue drawing despite their life circumstances, and their paintings are phenomenal. I want to be like them one day and not work for unfair wages any longer. Or at least work, a job that I enjoy and not something I dislike. I draw for hours every day, working on my portfolio and online store, hoping it will go somewhere. I believe I can be a full-time artist.

A turnaround story I'm proud of is learning how to drive and buying my first car. When I was 17 and learning to drive, my parents always yelled at me or lectured me for not knowing what to do. My dad explained how to parallel park in a complicated way, and I didn't comprehend. He belittled me by cursing me out and said I can pay for driving classes. I felt dumb. My mom tried to teach me but didn't trust me on the wheel and did not know how to explain the driving basics. I went to driving lessons and learned how to drive. It took time for me to build up my confidence and learn to trust myself. I mastered when it's the time to slow down and turn and be aware of my surroundings. I saved money and bought a car that has low mileage and fits my financial budget. I know how to merge onto highways and am comfortable while driving. Driving on the interstate the first few times gave me great anxiety, but I no longer suffer from it. I feel confident while driving, and proud. I bought a car through my preservation and saving money.

I hope through my mentorship that people will learn how to be independent and manage emotions with self-care. In my mentorship, people will be less afraid to be their authentic selves and live the lives they dreamed. Very often, I see people my age and older choosing a career that's "safe." A "safe" career that's financially stable and won't have any risks of the market declining in the next decade. People don't follow their dreams because society and associates tell them it's too risky to chase after a career that's unstable financially or in low demand. But at the end of the day, it matters what makes you happy. I'm hoping my stories people can learn that despite what others say or social pressures, what truly matters is their opinion. And where do they want to go in life? It breaks my heart when I see people following the crowd or not speaking their truth. That's why I'm hoping that being authentic and following my dreams can inspire others to do the same. Also, I am advocating for people to take care of their mental health in this fast-paced world. A common reason why people don't chase after their dreams is fear. Through therapy, the person can work through where the fear is coming from and process it. They will also learn how to manage their emotions and not let their emotions rule them. My stories can help people find their true selves and follow their passions.

My favorite book series is Game of Thrones because the action and compelling story are nonstop. I was skeptical of the book the first time I picked it up because I read many fantasy books beforehand and questioned whether a popular series is worth reading. Popular books are often overrated and given too much credit despite not having good character development, an enticing plot, and a different writing style. Game of Thrones took some time to get better since the first 50 pages were Westeros's history. But afterward, when it started with Jon and Bran, I was excited. I couldn't stop reading the book. George RR Martin did a great job at developing the environment and world to familiarize a new reader. His words of simplistic to challenging wordplay and still staying on topic are phenomenal. He understands that the reader will be confused about the scenario, but he continues writing and uses the information from the beginning, and connects it to the story. There were many times I had to go back to the beginning because I missed a detail that made a huge turning point in the book later. I love writers who have a complete understanding and control of the story. He knows how to write drama and mystery to keep you on your toes. When Martin spoke about Bran and the incest between the Lannisters' family, I was shocked. I didn't expect an author to write about this topic. I never read a book that uses tragic events and descriptions so well to connect the reader. His writing and intricate details inside the story make me want to improve my storytelling. Game of Thrones is a magnificent series and all-time favorite.

If I am a highly influential figure, I stand for encouraging people to follow their dreams. It's a hard road, but it's worth it in the end. I don't want people to stay in corporate or highly densely populated fields, whom they don't like, and be miserable. I want to see people learn a trade or go back to school for what they genuinely desire their career to be. Too many people at retirement age state they regretted staying in a 9-5 job. And didn't take the chance to chase their dream. We indeed need people to work those jobs still, but we also need people in other fields that are low staffed and can improve society positively. Other than that, I am more concerned about people's happiness and their values in life. Instead of having unhappy people that affect others due to projection and who cannot find the good in life, it's better to advocate for others to change their careers. Even if you have to work a menial job part-time and the craft on the side, it's better than being miserable all day. I care for people's well-being and make their lives better so they can live fully.

A global problem that is affecting us today and will in the future is climate change. Mechanism can be a great enthusiast to push the importance of climate change. In the past few decades, the earth getting warmer and has caused more droughts and animals stranded on the land. California, the midwest, and other countries suffer from little to no water. The people have to go through hot summers with temperatures of 100 degrees or over. And animals travel for miles searching for water and either die from thirst or find it miles away from their home. Farmers are struggling to feed the growing population. Also, with limiting water and weather too warm, the plants die too quickly to be saved. Yes, we can use greenhouses, but the resource of water still comes from the earth. Since the land is warming up too quickly, the likelihood of having enough water for every organism is smaller. Everyone suffers from humans not acting fast enough for climate change impacts. Examples are animals, us, plants, and every organism. Sadly, politics plays a huge role in the future of climate change. Mechanism can spread awareness of the issue and provide a solution. Spreading awareness brings attention to a problem. They can do this by holding petitions and rallies for change. If we continue like this, we will all suffer the consequences of not caring for the earth. For the past years, indigenous people complaining about the US government taking over the Amazon forest. The US bulldozed hundreds of trees to make room to plant soy. The vegan diet is a trend. More people are looking for meat substitutes, and the US thought it'll be a good idea to plant more soy despite the drawbacks. After harvesting soy, it withers and dies but doesn't leave any nutrition for the soil. It's not like other plants. Many organisms, plants, and animals are dead or traveled more inland as the US plant additional soy. Recently, there was a wildfire at the Amazon taking out acres of land. It's another consequence of climate change and why we need to do something now. Politicians will have no votes unless something positive happens for the environment. Then they will make it a priority. Mechanism can create a business where plastic-free bottles and containers are produced. Or plant crops and use the compost for the next season. Mechanism has the power to make a difference since they have strong leaders and firm reasoning. As countries continue to drill oil, they're more earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other disasters. They're occurring more often. If a farmer lived in the midwest, suffered from a natural disaster caused by climate change, he will have no crops. He cannot afford to feed his family. His only chance is to make a statement towards the government about what becomes his farm. It's unfortunate. Climate change is our fault and needs action. Water is scarce, and some states do not have clean water due to our declining ecosystem and failing sewer system. The mechanism can spread awareness and raise petitions and people so that climate change can be our main priority instead of not taking it seriously. Politicians can live their lavish lives until it starts affecting them more and does something about it. Greed is a strong emotion and can crumble with love and reason.

The best way to live a long, healthy life is constant exercise, a healthy diet, and healthy relationships. Constantly having motion propels blood flow, keeps a healthy brain, and keeps your body healthy. The natural serotonin you receive from exercising pushes you to continue your day. You can also get physically fit and lose weight. A healthy diet will give you the fuel to exercise and function during daily tasks and help a longer, healthier life. Your social life is also essential. Having relationships where friends and family encourage and support you to do better and live authentically helps lots with mental health. These three components are the main parts of a healthy person. Exercise can be anything from aerobic, anaerobic, or yoga. Another component of a good life is choosing an environment where you're comfortable. A safe place where you're comfortable and has nearby activities. Everyone is different. Also, having a job you love is essential. It's a place where you will be spending most of your time during the week. To prevent misery and unhappiness, a job where you like going to is critical.

The Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson is the most inspiring book because it gave me a different perspective on life. I grew up thinking that hard work pays off no matter where energy is spent, and happiness will follow. I learned from reading and experience that applying effort in the right places benefits me more. For example, I used to work in retail and worked hard. During the pandemic, I learned that corporate companies and my boss didn't care about me. I was only a body. Manson's chapter about this led me to be aware of corporations. Putting energy in a company that doesn't care for me was causing part of my unhappiness. In Chapter 5, on the chapter of choice, he discussed how there is never a good or bad choice because of a lesson or experience taken from it. It led me to stop worrying about making the right choice in life and giving myself more leniency. No one knows the true path of success for everyone. Everyone's version of success is different, and I was obsessed with always making sure I make the right decision for my career. My goal hasn't changed, but I'm learning it's okay to have a life outside of my passion. This book is an eye-opener and highly recommended.

Independence means supporting yourself financially, having your transportation, and not relying on anyone for essential human needs. You need to have stable financial status and have enough money saved for the next few months. You can budget accordingly and can maintain bills and occasional emergency bills. It also means to have your transportation whether it's by bus, car, or train. Also, to buy living essentials, groceries, and personal belongings without going broke or asking anyone else for money. Independency impacts me by how I want to live my life and what I aim for. I want to freelance and have due dates throughout the month. I wish to have my apartment and have a small studio dedicated to art. My goal influences what I value and the hard work I input. I want to live somewhere affordable in the future where nature is not too far away. Independency is teaching me how to be a person and helping me find a part of myself.

Generosity means that it's essential to show compassion and kindness to everyone despite their actions and treatment towards you. Throughout my life, I have noticed how people get swarmed by their emotions. And cannot focus on the solution to the problem. It will be beneficial if emotions can let go of and give respect and morality to another. For example, in an argument, a person can get consumed by their opinion so much that they forget whom they are talking to, whether a loved one or friend, and forget morality. The person says things they don't want to say and hurts the receiver's feelings. If both parties came to a compromise and remembered human decency and kindness, then there wouldn't be a scar between them. I noticed lots of people that are miserable and abusive lack love in their life. Either they hold a grudge from years ago and made it define their future relationships, or they don't know how to handle their feelings, so they get defensive and violent with people. If these people received love and kindness, then they wouldn't be so reactive. There is enough hate and violence in the world, and it can't hurt to be kind to one another despite who they are. And even if the receiver doesn't accept your kindness, it's okay. It's not about limiting it to one person. It's about sharing and being the better person in this world.

I practice self-care by scheduling times of my day in between projects and work. Usually, I take a cold shower in the morning with deep breaths. It allows me to mentally prepare myself for the day and set a few goals. I also cook my meals and listen to music during my free time. It's a time for me to relax and not think about my current problems. My meals are mostly plant-based. In the afternoon, after coming out of work, I eat lunch or exercise. Showering or exercising gives me time to destress and revive myself. When the day is over, whether it's midnight or before, I end with hot chocolate or decaf coffee with a wax warmer melting in my room. My best wax warmer scents are sage, lavender and chamomile, cotton, and lemon verbena. Self-care has taught me how important it is to put myself first in front of others and work. When I don't take care of myself, I am more anxious, reactive, and drained. My alone time is essential and keeps me balanced, clear-headed, and mindful of my surroundings and actions.

I have recently learned that life is not a race. I have always been anxious about the future and dreamed about how I couldn't wait to have my career and my apartment. And I know that to get there, I would need to work more and improve in art. Every time I sit down to draw, I get anxious. And try to learn a new technique in a short time that's not possible. And the more I rushed the process, the uglier it came out. I grasped that it's not about the end goal like I've been taught by society and parents. It's about enjoying the process and taking your time. I tried to enforce this concept in my brain, and the more I demanded it, the more it didn't make sense to me. It wasn't until I started questioning why I couldn't enjoy drawing as I did in the past, I understood. I needed to slow down and breathe. It's astounding. But it worked, and now the voice of I need to hurry up and reach my goal quieted. I enjoy art again and enjoying my highs and lows every day. And it's okay that I'm not in my junior year of college yet. People are completing it at age 30, and everyone's circumstances are different. All in all, slowing down and learning to live instead of escaping reality helped me a lot.

Patience is critical to me because I have learned that life is not a race. When driving during rush hour, you can try to swerve around traffic, but you put yourself in danger of crashing. So it's better to wait and go at low mileage. Also, speaking to multiple people from different age ranges taught me that vast achievements can happen at any time in life, and it's okay if it's later than told by society. Society says you should marry at around age 30 and have a home with children. It's become a concept that you must go to college after high school graduation. But every person's life is different. School tuition is getting outrageously expensive, and harder to receive financial aid. Not every person wants children, and more people are having children later in their life and limiting to 3 or fewer children. More young people value their youth to travel and experience instead of having a family at a set age. Patience is every aspect of my life. For drawing, it takes weeks or months to learn a technique and apply it to different subjects and environments. It's the same for every skill, such as music and writing. When I start slow and learn the basics, I have more confidence and progress. Life is here to live and enjoy, and I cherish every moment I have by slowing down and being in the moment.

Edgar Allan Poe's writings impressed me from the moment I began reading his short stories. They were assigned to my class in high school, and I fell in love with them from the first paragraph. The way he writes is very detailed and purposeful. "The Black Cat" is one of his short horror stories, and it's very twisted and gruesome. When I was younger, I didn't think his stories were scary. But now reexamining, some of them, I can see how different his mind is. And I see how I loved horror so much that nothing was scary to me and still is now. In his stories, I realized his writing style derives from Old English: a set of writing with lots of old words and strong vocabulary we don't use today. His writing is complex and different from today. Modern scripts use the easy language used every day. It is very straightforward when it comes to plots and dialogue. And Edgar Allan Poe's writing with George RR Martin, JRR Tolkien, and many others inspired me to continue writing. It beckoned me to continue writing since I also write short stories from time to time. I always wanted my writing to be at their level because I desire to describe every environment or situation all the way. I have surpassed the modern way of writing, and it isn't enough for me. I love the old English writing and dialogue since it's so intricate and different from today. He did a great job at escalating the plot and involving mystery with his dialect. It's amazing. One day, my writing will be the same or better as Edgar Allan Poe's, and other writers loved and will be published. It will go great with my comic books.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." - Soren Kierkegaard For the past two years, I have struggled to stay in the present. I kept on getting drowned in depression with guilt and shame in the mix. I couldn't stop thinking about what should have happened and how I could have done something. Eventually, I wanted to live and move on past the depression and guilt. But every time I worked on a goal, it always came back. I learned how to face my fears and insecurities from childhood to move forward. This quote reminds me every time that the answers I've been searching for are in the past. I wondered why I couldn't be confident, ask for help, and have more self-worth. And every question keeps bringing back a flashback of situations between my parents and me. I came from an abusive home, and I detected how my self-esteem issues and lack of self-love derived from them. For example, I argued with a friend about not keeping in touch with her consistently. I didn't know why and apologized and do better now. I journaled and learned that every time I handle a problem, whether emotional, stress or financial. I always isolated myself. My parents were never there for me when I asked for help, so I learned to solve them by myself. Kierkegaard's quote and other writing demonstrate that my childhood has the answers to improving myself and healing, and I cannot enjoy myself in the present until I heal from the past.

One of my favorite anime as a child was Yu-Gi-Oh. Yugi Moto reminded me of myself of how I was a shy person. I always wanted to become a confident, outgoing person. Yugi's better half, a 3000-year-old spirit of an ancient pharaoh, is how I want to be. The character development of Yugi saving his allies propelled me to be the best friend for everyone. One of the best duels was between Pegasus and Yugi. And despite Pegasus's actions, Yugi still considered him a friend because he learned we are all the same. He sees the good hearts in people, as I do. It pushed me to be more competitive in sports, school and drawing. Yugi loses and comes back stronger. It reminds me how to never give up on my dreams and becoming an artist. Yu-Gi-Oh is one of the best carding playing and anime out there.

The goal to create comic books and animations to bring joy to people pushes me every day to continue drawing. I want to make these things because I have seen people look at my art and acquired a smile on their faces. I noticed then that I post my art online and reach more people instead of the small community that I'm around. My stories will be a happy moment in the person's life. Since I was a child, books and art were there to be the star of my day. And I feel that my comic books can be that for other people. Not only do I love to write stories and share adventurous stories, but the fantasy part can help people get breaks from reality. In the same way, exercise is a de-stressor. Every time I sit down to draw, I lose myself in time. Time passes, and my mind keeps going with ideas, and sketches come out on the paper. And when done, I present my work to the public. It's great to receive feedback and have a great reaction. I noticed each time I finished a drawing, and someone saw it. They're happy. My main goal is for someone to read my stories and get engrossed in them. The comic books will be accurate in perspective, coloring, and expressions. And when someone opens the book, I want them to forget about reality and just read and enjoy. They will be into the drawing, coloring, or dialogue. As long as they have a fun time while reading, I'm happy. Sometimes life is rough, and we need something to destress. Alcohol, drugs, and unhealthy habits are options, but they're not good options for you. It doesn't help that we have access to the news at our fingertips and can see the devastation in seconds. So, I want there to be another. My comic books and animations will be the answer. I can see people, in my mind, enjoying my work and having a fun time with their families. I can see my creations reaching other countries and getting translated into different languages. It's possible. I believe my drawings can create a community where others can help each other. People can find themselves in the books either by the environment, personalities, or plots. I've seen a lot of hate and violence in this world, and I want to make it a better place. There's no need for people to suffer anymore. I want my animations to be the one gem in people's lives. There needs to be more love and support in this world, and I think my work can do that.

I completed this tutorial for those who need a helping hand in learning how to draw. Many people are inspired to learn how to draw, and I don't know how to start. By following an art instructive, you can begin to study. The most important part of drawing is breaking down the image into basic shapes and slowly build up. That's why I started the dog with circles, boxes, and cylinders. I always wanted to help people somehow, and teaching them a skill is a way. The concept of drawing a dog with shapes used for other subjects. Not only that, a dog is a person's heart. Everyone loves dogs for their playfulness. It reminds us of our lives as a child. All in all, the tutorial helps upcoming artists to start and begin creating crafts.

The impact of the young generation and spreading awareness give me hope that there is an upcoming change in the future. In our generation, people are using social media and the internet to spread awareness of injustices in the world. Sexual harassment has been a problem in the work industry for years now. Instead of not saying anything, women and men are reporting the incidents and sharing them online. Recently, Bizzard Entertainment has been under federal investigation for sexual misconduct reports. There have been protests and people speaking up on social media and the press to bring attention to cycles of events. The chief legal officer resigned during the investigation. I'm proud that this generation knows their worth and publicizing unfair treatment and wanting better. People who came forward for misconduct inspires other people to follow suit. It's great that people are standing up for themselves and giving future generations confidence in themselves. For the past two decades, mental health awareness has led people to come forward and prove that mental health matters. Celebrities, YouTubers, and people can take breaks without being undermined. In the 80s and before, if people said they were depressed or anxious, they are told to get over it or calm down. These illnesses and others are not as simple as perceived. I'm glad that there is more awareness of health. This generation knows what's important: your health. More mental health professionals and pharmaceutical drugs are available to help people. Mental health awareness brings healthier people leading to better work environments and better lives. As more people are coming forward about their health, the better the world will become. The awareness of common problems in the world is making people's lives and the world better. This generation brings awareness to any injustices bringing change. I have hope that the future will be better in every aspect from climate, health, sports, and everything.

The health department in America needs to widen affordability to benefit those who need mental help. It's common for people who cannot afford mental health because it's too expensive or insurance doesn't accept it. There needs to be a change where all insurances cover mental health by changing the government's outlook. It's hard to change the government's mind due to a capitalist country. But more politicians in office who support mental health affordability lead to people improving their lives. In the US, most top insurances cover mental health. The health insurance for low-income families does not cover mental health bills. America has a large population in poverty. Unfortunately, the rich people have access to help, and others do not. As mental health awareness rises, advocates can show people how their lives changed from therapy. By using the internet, social media, and posting blogs engage the population in a process that works. They will have less shame and guilt for having a mental illness. Also, it creates a better world where people know how to communicate and learn what truly matters in life. People will be more grateful and compassionate towards each other when past wounds heal. Therapy takes lots of work, but it's worth it when you can be your best self. Once a mental health advocate is in office, there will be changes in insurance policies. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies will rise from more distributions of prescription drugs. Therefore, all people can have access to improving their lives.

My mental health ruled my life from birth and wasn't realize the extent until high school. I had a difficult childhood where abuse and constant stress were constant. I didn't know how to handle it. I communicated with my parents that not like their actions. I only received backlash and more abuse. I drew and read at every chance to handle it. In high school, I had many insecurities and suffered from mental illnesses. Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem were the main ones. I wanted to be confident and be more outgoing. But every time I attempted different hobbies or new opportunities, I faced negative thoughts and self-sabotage. I enrolled myself in therapy and was diagnosed with PTSD, MDD, and general anxiety disorder. I am learning to love myself and have confidence. I understand people's actions and mentality because of my mental illnesses. Every activity someone does, there is insecurity or taught behavior. These experiences have led me to help others struggling. And let them know that if there are going through a hard time, they are not alone. The comic books and animations I want to create show people that there is still joy in the world. Anytime I had problems struggling to make a new story, I noticed a self-limiting belief or artist block. My goal hasn't changed. I will make stories where people can relate and find inner peace and joy in themselves. Similar to when I was young with books and art. As a child, I never understood why my father had severe anger issues and couldn't empathize with people. He grew up with an abusive father and never healed from it. I noticed when he yelled at me for doing something 'wrong'; The words were towards his father. Most likely, his father never allowed him to express his anger and therefore created a man who used his fury to bully people. It's sad. Anger comes from an unfair proclamation against yourself and not being able to do anything about it. When I first expressed my anger, I have said things that I didn't mean and almost got violent like my father. I swore I would never hit someone and find different ways to handle anger. Anger brings out different sides to people. Great examples are riots, protests, and wars. People want to be understood, and anger brings out change to make a social difference. I handled depression all my life, and it caused me to be the person I'm not. I love to socialize and go to different places with friends. It wasn't until I went on the path to forgive and do better that I learned how important it is to check in with people. I didn't believe people when they told me they cared for me and worried about me. I wanted to improve, have friends, and great social life. So I rebelled against my thoughts of wanting to be alone all the time. I called my family and friends and asked how they were doing. And all of my thoughts that no one cared and I'm better off on my own were false. I need people, and as a social mammal, I cannot continue by myself. Every time my depression sets in, I remind myself that people care for me and love me. Forcing myself to go outside and do something active helps to get me out of my head. Throughout high school, my insecurities owned my life and portrayed what I could and could not do. I thought I was shy, timid, had no confidence. But it was my depression and anxiety talking. I pushed past those barriers and improved in skateboarding, driving, and making more friends. Looking around, I noticed that insecurities prevent people from achieving their goals, meeting someone new, and doing something different. Lots of people struggle to accept themselves for who they are for fear of rejection and societal views. I believe more support will help and fewer judgments. Living life is a lot to do with finding yourself and understanding how it works. Mental health owns everyone's lives from how you view yourself and what actions you will take. People need to move past their fears and lack of worthiness to live their potential. I want to create comic books to encourage people don't stop improving themselves and enjoy life. Anyone can change their lives, and it takes work and the right mindset. I learned about the world by knowing myself and can help others struggling the same way.

I believe faith in the universe keeps me on my path to success. I went through heartaches with friends and family this year. I thought that there was something wrong with me. I blamed myself for the status of our relationship. But I lost friendships because I've changed as a person. We don't agree on the same topics anymore or have similar interests. It led me to feel alone and lonely. I thought I wouldn't find anyone related to me. I withdrew more from social interactions and felt lost. So, I journaled about past relationships and reflected. One of my life goals is to be true to myself, and I decided to continue my path. I couldn't maintain people-pleasing or lie to myself anymore. It causes me too much suffering. I believe the universe has better friends for me in the future. I see it coming true now. I have a best friend that I can rely upon. I have begun to communicate better with my family about my motives and what's important to me. I meditate and journal every day to stay true to myself. And lately, I have met people that support my dream of becoming an animator. Those who were jealous of me are no longer my friends anymore due to incompatibility. Having faith in the universe taught me that trusting in a God gives me peace. I learned to have patience. It shows me that as long as I'm authentic, I will attract people who support me. Buddhism led me to my awakening of the world and continues to serve me well.

Educational inequity prevents students from achieving their dreams. More high school students are coming out of each other and unable to afford college. An average 4-year college is forty thousand a year, not including room and board. The government doesn't give enough money for financial aid, so students have to take out loans that take them more than eight years to pay. All these students are unable to achieve their dreams due to the cost. Therefore, students have to work menial jobs, go to trade schools, or work independently. Students working in menial jobs bring a life of unhappiness, misery, and hatred towards the government. The college cost creates a divide between social classes since rich people can afford to send their children while middle and low-income families cannot. It's causing the social status to continue where the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. It's unfortunate. I come from a middle-class family where my parents immigrated here and struggling to send me to college. I sympathize with everyone. Student debt is over a trillion dollars and becoming a government and social issue. College costs are too expensive and need to be lower, so students don't have to get their dreams crushed. Altogether, educational inequity is discouraging students from achieving their goals. It forces them to perform a job they dislike.

I never realized how mental health ruled my life until now. From the time of a young age, I developed severe depression, anxiety, and worthlessness. It came from my abusive childhood and narcissistic parents. Because of my mental illnesses, I thought I was shy, antisocial, and not like doing anything different. In reality, I love the outdoors and go to different places. I stayed in my room because I always felt lonely and wasn't liked by others. Teachers and classmates loved me for who I am. It allowed me to draw and read more. I had more time to sketch and improv, which helped me today in my portfolio. Looking back, I realized that mental health rules your beliefs and how I feel about myself. I didn't enjoy my childhood or times I hanged out with friends due to the ongoing abuse and not feeling great. My coping mechanisms were drawing and reading with unhealthy methods. As a child, I wondered why my parents treated me so. I figured out most of it, but not all. My dad, abused by his father, never processed his emotions or experiences. He ranted about it every day and ate away at his consciousness when he passed away. I've noticed the words he said during the abuse weren't directed at me but his dad. Also, my mom got harmed by her parents. She claims she has moved past it but rants about it every day to me. It was when I was still living there. Their abuse caused lots of trauma and insecurities, and I won't allow their or my treatment to pass the abuse onto others. During my lonely days, I learned how critical relationships are. I didn't have any good friends in high school, but now I do. My friendships provided me with thoughts and advice that didn't cross my mind. I thought no one wanted to know who I was and won't support me. These thoughts were false. The people I crossed paths with have a desire to know strangers. I have learned a lot from them. I learned how important it is to stay in touch, strike a conversation, and hang out. I didn't have this opportunity younger since my parents didn't allow me to. I never got the answer to why. But from the close relationships, I saw how much people care for me. My depression tells me otherwise and makes me have social withdrawals. It's tough sometimes. I get exhausted from being social while my mind tells me to hide in my room. I will continue to move past my mental issues and become the person I want. Mental health provides a vast blueprint to our life. Based on my experience on how I was treated and saw myself as being unworthy, a healthy mind will make a life a lot easier. If a person believes in themselves, sees their potential, and knows what they are worth, then they will know when it's best to leave a relationship and see where they belong. My experience inspired me to make something out of myself. I want to be an animator and help people through their dark days with my art. I want to move past the mentality of not being worthy and not being enough. And if I was born in a healthier environment where there is no abuse and more support. I wouldn't have these mental issues and put myself out there more to publicize my art. The childhood and beliefs pushed down upon anyone from parents and family, especially during the first couple of years on earth, are crucial. It greatly influences what you think of yourself and others. Also, I have noticed that my experience with my parents led me to want to help others more: abused people, are harming, and want to improve themselves. The frequent missing piece with these people is the lack of love and worthiness. It's the sad part of life, but it propels me to improve my art and storytelling.

My experience of being born as a first-generation American made me know how it feels to be an outlier in society. My parents are originally from Jamaica and immigrated here for a new way of life. As the last daughter of three, I realized how minorities discrimination is common. And little change comes. In fifth grade, I was bullied and harassed by my white teacher because I was black and an honor roll student. My family and I are always glared and followed in store to this day. Some people profile blacks and minorities based on their skin color due to whom taught them what's right and wrong. Racism is a learned behavior. People sometimes don't realize the inequality thoughts and actions they do because of no awareness. A problem with our society is most people don't question their beliefs. I used to unfairly treat people in middle school because I learned it from my parents. My parents went through a lot during immigration. And haven't learned to understand those events when untreated does not go for everyone. Also, it doesn't help that their immigration was during the 80s. Altogether, I accept why people believe in racism and how they feel about it. And one common thing that racist and nonracist experience is inequality. A white person who degrades blacks for living on the streets and decapitated homes is a common reaction. But they don't realize that one bad experience with a black person can influence their belief. The black person could have a bad day, have mental issues, or be angry with the government. And everyone can be in this position on both sides, whether it's black, white, or Arabic. It doesn't matter what race. Racism can be born from one mishap experience, a learned behavior, or following common beliefs from a cult. My works are to show there is no inequality. In the comic books and animations, the characters will be multilingual with different sets of skills. The storytelling will depict diverse struggles that are equal throughout all races. I've noticed that we are all equals from living in the high minority, white, and middle-class environments. We all went through a struggle that's equal to someone who suffered incarceration, struggle to pay bills and feed family, eviction, and other misfortunes. The emotional pain and suffering cannot be greater than another if the person cannot see their answer. The story will connect with the reader, and eventually, there will be a community where race won't be a thought. Everyone in the community will speak about the character, drawing, or color. They will be joined by love and connection, not hate or rejection. I'm planning to have a small team to help me with the workload. Eventually, every race can join together and relate their experiences. And learn none is alone despite differences of race or skin color.

The hard days of my early days represented the stages of life. I didn't understand it before, but now I do. Growing up in an abusive home had me on my toes at all times. I didn't know what will happen next, and instead of facing my fears with strength and vitality, I was full of fear. I had a tight schedule where a chore list is given to me every week, and certain tasks had to be on time. I disliked it as a child because the video games and drawing time had to wait. But I learned discipline in this way. My parents always had me do homework first before watching TV or playing games. I went to charter middle school, and the teachers gave me so much school work that I was up until midnight or after doing homework. I learned from going to this school that it takes hard work to reach your goals. Also, I didn't have many friends growing up. I never fit in with other kids. I was bullied and usually given nasty looks. I believe it's because I was an honor roll student, excelled in sports, and didn't like to bother anyone. I think there were jealous. I was stared at and given the cold shoulder a lot. It wasn't until high school when I made better friends and wasn't known as the outlier. I felt like I belonged somewhere. When I receive my degree, I will create comic books and animation series for all ages. My work will depict life differently. It will have personalized characters where each individual will have a different set of skills. The story will connect with readers personally. My series and comics will help those going through troubled times and know there is still hope. I love the expression when people see my art, and it brings a smile to their faces. I would also like to become an art therapist to help people to express their emotions through drawings. A common theme that I noticed in underrepresented communities is their mentality. Either some people are striving to succeed, or people believe that life is as it is. I want to help both parties. And it doesn't help that society paints low-income families as nondreamers and lazy workers. Lighting a spark in the nonbelievers and giving motivation to those working toward their dreams is my goal. We are all capable of accomplishing the impossible. Everyone needs a little push or reminder of who they truly are behind those layers of society degrading views on low-income communities.

My life as a first-generation student shaped me into a confident, ambitious person. My parents are Jamaican and immigrated here to America for a new way of life. My mom always told me to stand up for myself when disrespected. And it's hard to get a job. I didn't know what she meant until I experienced racism as a fifth-grade student. The teacher was white, and she always picked on me and stated I've done something wrong. I was an honor roll student and kept quiet during class. I was bullied and not accepted for being myself. There were times when my mom, sister, and I would go in a store and be followed and glared at. They thought we were going to steal something when we were looking around. Therefore, my mom spoke more about racism and how other cultures are stuck in their ways, such as Asians can't see, or Indians spending cheaply. My mom had strong views. And I understand that she developed this mindset from not being treated right in workplaces and disrespected by her skin color. In middle school, her opinions were so strong that I shared her viewpoints. Eventually, I questioned these beliefs and got out of that mindset. Being degraded and treated immoral, pushed me to earn my place in this world. I didn't believe I belonged anywhere. Therefore, I studied hard in school, excelled in sports, and worked hard on my art. In my mind, I saw that if people wouldn't accept me for being black, coming from a middle-class family, then I needed to prove myself. I received honor roll rewards and great compliments from teachers throughout all my school years. The lack of acceptance pushes you to be seen at things you're good at. These experiences made me wonder whether the other kids I grew up with and also excelled in school if they also experienced abuse of some kind. Or they grew up in a safe house and were brought up to push for the limits. I never made many friends in school due to alienation. High school wasn't too bad, but my classmates were jealous of my grades and bullied me. I thought I had real friends. Ideally, I am a child of immigrants and learned it doesn't matter whether you are black or white or mixed. If you succeed in many different subjects in school and sports, you will be a target. There aren't many real friends out there that will support you. Ideally, my skin color influenced my treatment, and my successes brought the dark side of people out in public.

My dream from a young age is to become an animator. Reading and drawing helped me continue life on the hard days. While growing up, I met people who had families that drink, did drugs, and weren't in their lives. I always thought I wasn't in a difficult situation, but it's false. My childhood was abusive, and I saw everything as normal. I noticed that not everyone has healthy coping mechanisms, and I would like to give that to people. I want to use my talent in art to help people see hope and have an enjoyable moment. I plan to create animations, comic books, and become an art therapist. The motion pictures will be a medieval theme and have characters equivalent to everyday humans. Every character has different personalities to represent the different cultures and mindsets we have today. I'm going to have a studio with a team with set deadlines. Therefore, every reader can find themselves and relate to someone in the clips. I am excited every morning to work on my goals and draw. I love to draw different characters from different perspectives, buildings, and environments. When I'm away from my desk, I am cooking, exercising or learning philosophy, or any topic that interests me. I've realized that in every neighborhood or woodland, there is a history. I read articles on where I live and how concepts work. On my hikes, it brings me back to the lesson that if I get lost, it's okay. You don't know where life will take you, and that can be the whole adventure. Despite getting lost, I find my way back to where I was. But when I don't know where I am going, I learn something about myself. Showing people how to express themselves through art will benefit their lives. It's a way to help them see that their life is not over despite their difficult situation. Drawing has always been my savior, and hope it will become someone else's. A common problem with people who grew up in hard homes is not having a healthy coping mechanism. Without it, the person can abuse themselves by taking drugs, hurting others, or cutting themselves. I can encourage them through my art that their dream isn't over. Giving up will only cause suffering. And everyone has the potential to live their dream.

Being a black woman has made me into a better person today. In fifth grade, my white teacher constantly harassed and bullied me even though I was an honor roll student and was quiet during class. When my family and I go into stores in particular neighborhoods, we were followed and stared upon. I thought it was my fault and I was doing something wrong to be unfairly treated. It's false. I was the only black child in the class, and the people in the stores weren't black or colored. I experienced these unfortunate events for all of my life. I got used to it. These experiences pushed me to do better in academics, sports, and other areas of my life. Therefore, I was always an honor roll student and had a decent GPA. While growing up, I noticed Asians, Middle Easterns, and other races treated unfairly. This essay is not only about a fight for one race: black, but others too. We are all equals. Throughout my life, I have seen all races struggle and claim their suffering is worse than another. It's not true. A family losing their home and someone struggling to pay their bills due to a mental illness are both equal. One person can say that their sufferings are more than another. But if the adversity is so great that the person cannot function in everyday life, whether it's a mental, physical, or biological issue: it's all the same. So, how will I make a difference? When I receive my degree, I want to enroll in art therapy. And make comics and animations having different races. The books would be for everyone: showing equality and, more importantly, love instead of hate that causes racism. It's what the world needs right now. When my animations and comic books are done, and people see that everyone's battles are the same, racism will be less. Everyone will be united and supporting each other instead of hate.

The pandemic gave me a chance to slow down and re-access my life. Before the pandemic, I was working two jobs and barely had time for myself. And when it hit, it felt great to get sleep and have personal time. I had time to draw, exercise, cook different foods, and chat with friends. I used Zoom to speak with them, not in person. I was able to have the time to think about where is my life going. I determined that I am going to save money to buy a car and go to school. I didn't like my job at the time, so I change it when the state opened back up. I used the unemployment money to pay back my student loan and save for my car. I wasn't going to be able to pay the student loan back any time soon. Also, I was able to play sports more often and, more importantly, have time to relax. Despite the heartbreaks and deaths the pandemic brought, it gave me a chance to be myself again and pay off my debt.

Growing up as a child of immigrants taught me a lot about this country and myself. In 5th grade, I was always picked on and bullied by my teacher and classmates. I never knew why at that age. I was an honor roll student and quiet during class. It wasn't until I reflected a few years later, I recognized that she was racist. I remembered that I was only the black student in the class, and she was white. There were multiple times when my family and I went into a store and were stared at and followed. I was given dirty looks and spoke to disrespectfully because of my skin color. At these times, we were in white-dominant areas. I never understood racism until I went through it. I learned that people learned to be racist from others, whether their parents or someone who raised them. For example, my parents are racist. I denied it for a long time. But they always spoke about other cultures in a disregarded and disrespectful manner. They will both act polite in public and be the complete opposite when alone. They taught me that Indians wear tattered and discolored clothes and worn shoes because they were cheap. And Asians can't drive because they have mono-eye lids. I sucked all of this information in and became just like my parents. In middle school, I recited and believed what my parents told me and had the same mentality. I wasn't popular in the small school I attended. It took me some time to learn that racism is wrong. My parents were physically there in my life but not present for emotional support. Whenever I cried, my parents didn't comfort me and told me no one feels bad for me. I was under a strict cleaning schedule, and if not done, I will be yelled at or beaten for it. My option was to find shelter in myself. My only escapes were drawing, reading, and video games. Looking back, I was lucky to get out of the household. I wasn't able to leave until 19. Overall, more children like me are too afraid to come forward and admit abuse. My goal is to teach people art therapy. I want to show others that your life is not over despite being profiled for your skin color, experiencing mental, physical, or sexual abuse. Those experiences don't define you. There were there to teach you about yourself and people. Another goal of mine is to create animations and comic books for enjoyment during hard times. These creations will have human personalities using humans or creatures I made. Since turning 18, my parents have told me that my school and personal expenses are all on me. They wanted me to finish school, but I am on my own because they believed I didn't appreciate them. I have been wanting to complete school since graduating from high school. When done with school, I can help others that are struggling. I have been drawing since a child and helped others along the way, and I won't stop when obtaining my degree. I am going to keep going.

Technology has improved our lives in many ways and brought similar people together. I am a tech-savvy person. I always loved technology and how far it's come throughout the years. It improved our problem-solving, efficiency and created new jobs. On days when I cannot see my friends, I go online and message them. Summer days when it is too hot as a child, I spend all day watching anime and playing computer games. RPG games, such as World of Warcraft and League of Legends, were some of my favorites. I learned that animation wouldn't exist without technology. When the first stop motion films had released in the 1940s, the technology industry was booming. And it increased as years went on. If it wasn't for technology, creating comic books by scratch is the only option. Ideally, technology got many jobs rolling and opened new opportunities for new creations. For the most part, I use my computer to create art. The digital illustrations I designed are going towards the people that are struggling with personal or mental problems. Every drawing of mine is a short story caught in one still image. This degree will help me learn the skills to capture the vision inside my head. My art is either in metaphor or plain representation of my perception. It would be great if people looked at my art and felt something. I want people to think when they see my work, whether it's about themselves or the artist's mind. Art is a profound subject. It's interesting how an image, color, or object can signify a topic with immense meaning. I post my art on social media to reach thousands of people so it can benefit others. All in all, I won't be able to scope people at high levels in such a short time if it wasn't for technology. I am grateful for the technology existing. As a young child, animation has been a part of my life. It was a great escape from growing up in an adverse home. Cartoons such as Walt Disney, Warner Bros, and Boomerang pushed me more to improve in drawing and be engulfed me in imagination. One of my goals is to create comic books for all ages. The comic books will be just like the cartoons I watched as a child. They will have humor, originality, and personality, which will lead to the reader seeing themselves. I will have a small studio with a team of people who has a similar goal in sight. Once done, they're released to the public. Also, I would like to create animations that will make people laugh and see small details referencing reality. I can find my team by using the computer and going to art fairs. My team will be talented and be eager to learn something new. I wouldn't be able to create digital art without computers nor animations. Altogether, technology will benefit me by propelling my career to move forward and help me craft better art.

Difficult times in my life pushed me to be a better person. I had an abusive relationship with my parents, where my limitations of freedom encompassed me. I wasn't allowed to hang out, visit friends, or have sleepovers. I had no control over my life. Due to this reason and other issues, I decided to leave. The cops had to come. Since moving, I struggled to open myself to the world. My parents made me believe that everyone will harm me, whether by envy, lies, or abuse. When I went to college while still living with them, I learned that it was a lie. There are friendly and helpful people out there. It took months for me to overcome the fear. I told myself that the world isn't as scary as I was programmed, and going to new places doesn't necessarily mean something negative will happen. It is all a mindset. For a very long time, I believed I was antisocial and an introvert. It was false. I love going to new places and meeting people. Though, I like to have solitude at the end of the day. My parents brainwashed me that the world is a scary place and no trust existed. It wasn't true. Driving a car is a constant skill, and I never believed that I could buy a car. When I was 17 and learning how to drive, my parents gave me practice. It didn't go too well. My mom tried to teach me, but I was too nervous that I never trusted myself. I never knew when to brake or press the gas pedal. At the same time, my dad got frustrated and yelled at me for repeating himself and not progressing. I felt dumb. Therefore, they both refused to teach me how to drive. I decided to go to driving school and learn a different way. I never believed that it's possible to own a car or know how to drive until I learned how to believe in myself. I didn't notice that driving had more to do with confidence than anything else. From this experience, you need patience when teaching someone and give support to help them improve. Throughout these and other experiences, I am motivated to do better in improving myself and my art. From learning that fear prevents me from accomplishing my goals, I pushed against my fear of the unknown and put myself in discomfort. I created a schedule where I go somewhere new every week and post my art even if it's not up to par. I learned that believing in myself is the key to my happiness and success in life. I can create great stories and comics to impact people and make a difference in the world. My stories will help people in dark places and be the one good read or experience in their day. Additionally, I would like to teach people that art is therapeutic and a coping mechanism for tough days. Despite my difficult childhood, I learned important lessons about life.

Life changes and experiences have always driven people to their goals. I have been drawing since I was a child and always believed I wasn't good enough. I was hard on myself if I didn't reach my expectation. It wasn't until I showed it to friends and family and saw their smiles, I knew my art can make a difference in the world. My drawing interests are nature, people, animals, and medieval history. When I was younger, I always enjoy reading books. My favorite books are Game of Thrones, Eragon, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. Books and art were there to comfort me when I needed an escape from my difficult childhood. It filled the void within me. While growing up in an abusive home with no freedom and no better days, my relief was fantasy books. It made me believe in myself. The books satisfied my longing for freedom as drawing gave me an outlet for expressing my emotions. I know that others cannot pull themselves out of difficult situations due to circumstances of emotional or physical difficulties. The difficulties can range from financial reliability, low self-esteem, or limited resources. Therefore, I wish to be the author and illustrator in their lives delivering hope. For there to be an innovation of yourself, there needs to be a trigger and an inspiration. In every book I read, the main character goes through trials to learn lessons to prove their worth. In a difficult situation, it's hard to believe there is a different reality where happiness exists. When I achieve this degree, I will have technical and storytelling skills. Comic books will be a person's escape from the bad days. It will consist of imaginative creatures with landscapes that will not find on earth. It will be a fairytale. But the fairytale won't be too unrealistic. The genre, imaginative realism, will be in my books and will have characters with human qualities. And eventually, once the books are done, or during the production, I will like to create an animation. The comedic animation will be lighthearted and represents the joys of life. I see myself handling multiple projects at one time with a group of people that shares my vision. It has been a dream of mine for a long time to create stories to help people. For me, obtaining a degree is only the beginning.

Death is always right around the corner, but we never become comfortable with it until it happens. In December 2017, a couple of days before Christmas Eve, I received the news that my aunt was in the hospital. I have three uncles and four aunts. Aunty Jackie was admitted to the hospital because my cousin found her collapsed on the floor unresponsive. She was rushed to the hospital and sent to the ER, suffering from a blood clot and inflammation build-up. She couldn't eat or drink or breathe on her own. Aunty Jackie was always cheery, upbeat, always asked how I was doing and gave me gifts. She only lived twenty minutes away from me, unlike my other aunts in New York City. I am from New Jersey. I remembered the drive to the hospital and walking to her room. And when I looked at her in the hospital bed, dread filled me. I knew it was over for her. She wasn't how I remembered her. Her body was so swollen that it made her barely recognizable unless you knew her. I didn't know what to say as I stood by her bed with my mom. She was fine just a week ago, but I guess she wasn't. I said hello and how is she feeling, but she couldn't speak due to the feeding tube and oxygen machine. I left the room and felt nothing. A couple of days later, I heard the news that my aunt passed away. I didn't cry. I was too overwhelmed with emotions to say or do anything. I struggled in school, and mom didn't seem to be in the present either. I went to the open casket funeral ceremony. I walked to the casket and didn't believe that my aunt was dead. It felt like a dream. Though, she looked good in the dress. I sat down by my cousin and comforted her along with her friends. Everything has changed since then. My relationship with my cousin went downhill. Rage enveloped me because my cousin didn't react fast enough for the hospital to do an autopsy to dig deeper into the cause of her death. In addition, my aunt is a PCA who always worked overtime. She never took vacations or days off to take care of herself. She complained of having constant migraines, being exhausted, and not feeling well. Also, I felt my mom was partly responsible for my aunt's death. She listened to mom in taking herbal supplements instead of following her gut to go to a doctor. If she listened to herself, she probably still be alive. I didn't forgive mom for a long time. But I do now. In conclusion, my aunt's death taught me more about lost souls, and trusting ourselves is very important. Philosophy has been a part of my life and continues to be. Coming from a difficult childhood, I always searched to know the whys of everything, and this ambition of mine led me to compassion. My mom did what she thought was right by telling my aunt not to go to the doctor due to her past negative experiences. Aunty Jackie didn't trust herself enough and got hospitalized from ongoing symptoms. She listened to mom because she was lost, wanted comfort, and was afraid of her diagnosis. It is a tragedy. She was only in her early forties when she died. A lost soul was taken before she can find her purpose. I wept for her. As time passed, I learned that her death gave me a building block towards my career. I enjoy dissecting people and learning about humans. I wish to retrieve lost souls out of their holes to find their true purpose. I believe that this degree will help me. I want to help people find an activity to sort through their emotions and problems. Eventually, I would like to be an art therapist while creating comic books for all ages.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speak or act with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon…. If a man speak or act with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.” - Gautama Buddha Buddhism has been a part of my life for a very long time and continues to serve me well. Buddhism taught me to stay in the present and replace negative emotions with positive ones. In my senior year of high school, fencing got introduced. It is an enjoyable sport, and I loved the similarities it had with swordplay. On the first day of tryouts, I did not believe in myself. I did everything I was told and could tell the coach looked over me. Although I was athletic, healthy, and agile, negative thoughts of not being good enough eroded me. The times of how I failed to get into the track team hung over me. I shook off that feeling, and the second day of tryout turned out better. I was able to keep up with the trainees easily. I assured myself that I am athletic and can learn it like anything else. My past does not define me. The third day of tryout came and was tough, but not something I could not handle. I learned that my thoughts represent my body language, my confidence, and my self-esteem. A couple of days later, I looked at the bulletin board and saw my name on the sheet. I made the team! I could not believe it. All in all, this quote by Gautama Buddha helped me multiple times in my life and proved that my thoughts dictate my reality.

Mental illness has been a part of me and enabled me to be a better person. I grew up in a difficult home where my parents were not emotionally there for me. I learned how to take care of my emotions on my own and led me to a road of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The abusive relationship with my parents made me believe that everything that happened was always my fault. It led me to an obsession with personal development with constant shame and guilt. While the depression made me believe that I wasn't good enough for anything, even though I have gotten honor rolls in school consistently and excelled in sports, the shame was still there. But those thoughts of not being good enough drove me to improve in my art, cooking, and everything I do. I exercise almost every day and keep myself busy with tasks during winter. I learned it's all about handing it. And for anxiety, I use meditation and perform yoga every morning. Dealing with mental problems is an ongoing experience that taught me a lot about myself. From my experience of speaking to people online and in person, I learned that not everyone is like me. Experiencing depression is detrimental and can lead to suicide. I feel like that sometimes. I want to help people improve their lives and learn that their mental illness doesn't define them. I intend to enroll in art therapy to teach others that through sketching they can express themselves. I can help others learn how to cope with their mental illness and aim for their goals. My goal is to create a place of love and acceptance where people can share parts of themselves with no judgment and feel enlightened.

The great thing about influencers is to have the ability to inspire and demand the most out of the weak. During my difficult days in childhood, random pictures of art inspired me to be better and keep striving for a better future. Along with artists, fantasy authors that proclaimed most of my days took over my imagination. Authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Rick Riordan, George R.R. Martin, J. K. Rowling, and other fantasy authors inspired me to not only look at life in a better manner but also develop myself too. J.R.R. Tolkien's writing is phenomenal. The hook from the start of the book onward to character development and environment descriptions is unbelievable. He brought his writing to a whole new level. George R.R. Martin's books fantasized me on having many characters' stories intertwining with one another and still create a great adventure where the reader is drawn between whose side will you take at the end of the chapter. He developed all of his characters so well. On the other hand, Rick Riordan taught me how you can create a world from mythology and impact many children across the world positively. The list of other books gave me a pickle of hope somewhere within me. Books inspired me to create the images from my head and strive to improve in my art. Reading multiple books with different writing styles powered me to be more innovative with my art. Every one of these all has one thing in common: storytelling. It's always been my strong point when it came to drawing and writing stories. I am enabled to draw a picture and tell a story just from the details and colors. My future goal is to create a comic book series with capturing texts and enlightening photos to go along with it. Another influence of mine is Warner Brothers cartoons, such as Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry. Their cartoons made me laugh and showed me how emotions and characterization in one frame are possible. When I draw, I can use colors to signify a person's emotions and declare a short story. Furthermore, I can draw a person or an animal and capture the mood. If it's not apparent, I can change the hues and saturation, expressions, and details to administer the goal of my painting. To express. I want to create stories where it pertains to life. I want all of my stories to have a hidden gem. The authors listed above, J.K. Rowling and the rest, did very well in this part. As I like to be similar to the creators of Warner Bros. and the authors, I will continue to work towards my goals.

A sheltered childhood brings insights. I had limitations to my freedom growing up. My parents never allowed me to have sleepovers (unless it was family), go outside to the park, or hang out with friends. Along with limited freedom, I experienced abuse from them and never was heard when spoken. My only escape was my art. I drew when I was sad, angry, or any unsettling emotion that came by. I wondered why my parents were abusive and why they put a façade on their faces when in public. I know why now. Both of my parents were abused as kids and never healed from it. They were thrown into society, whether by age, job, or life continuing, thrown into the unknown. And did not know what to do. They could only react to everyone else only by their past treatment. Society taught people to hide their feelings and put their best face on and get noticeable successes, such as getting a college degree, getting married, and having kids. Western society versus other cultures doesn't have that space for weaknesses to be accepted and healing to occur. My parents fell into the path, and they weren't the only ones. As a child, I saw what their suffering was and saw how other people around me suffered. I had a healthy outlet while others didn't. I think I can offer that to people. It doesn't matter if you are good at art or not. A place of safety and acceptance where there is no judgment for your emotions is what is needed. This twisted world is lacking love. I want to finish my degree to show people that there is hope in the dark places. I've noticed that not many people are like me and can take themselves out of an abusive relationship. It's very hard. In this world where social media and technology rules most of our lives, we need to have a place where unsettling emotions can be handled and expressed in healthy methods. Also, I would like to make my comic book series where people of all ages can read and enjoy. I grew up with books, and reading was also an escape for me. I learned that everyone doesn't like reading, but everyone loves comics. Comics are enjoyable to read. When I complete my degree and meet other people with similar interests, my dream will easily be a reality. Art has always been my passion, and I want it to help others.

Some children are grown up with good parents, and some are not. I was one of the kids that weren't grown with good parents. I am originally from New Jersey and grew up in a suburban neighborhood where my parents never allowed me to do much. I was constantly given chores and small projects around the house and never gotten the opportunity to be a kid. Art was my escape from the abuse I dealt with as a child. When I draw, nothing matters. It was just me and the paper and pencil in front of me. It brought me joy and a sense of peace in my life. Eventually, I began posting my art online and received comments and likes for my hard work. I realized then that people loved my art. The small stories that are attached to my drawings brought a smile to someone's face. It comforted me. I always looked up to Walt Disney, Todd Lockwood, Bobby Chiu, and other artists that drew beautiful characters that brought happiness to people. And I want to be like them. I want to bring art to those who struggle to give them hope that life will get better.