Back in 2017, I was just a nervous kid starting out high school. I didn't have many close friends, so I spent a lot of time online researching video games. I had a habit of browsing Kickstarter for indie games in development and I'd try to pitch in here and there to help out. One day, I stumbled across a game called "Renaine", made by someone who goes by the username, "Squidly." I fell in love with the game's gorgeous painted key art and ZX Spectrum-inspired graphics, so I hopped into their Discord to talk with the developers. Squidly and everyone's passion made me feel right at home, and I wanted to show my support with more than just my wallet, so I made some fan art for the game. It was a significant piece for me since I had only ever doodled before, not thinking of art as much other than a fun distraction when I was bored in class. The resulting overwhelming positivity from Squidly, this person I admired, filled me with a drive to see how I can make them proud next. Ever since, I've been improving my art and now strive to make it my career. I'm currently studying to become a Game Designer and a Character Animator, hoping to make it into the video game industry that has such an impact on me. While the indie scene is a great place for innovation, I strive to make it to the AAA studios to make trailblazing titles that shake up how games can be designed. Many companies have been on a negative trend of releasing unfinished games and just patching them later. In order to enact a meaningful change in this behavior, I intend to tackle the issue from the inside to refocus teams on making just good games for the sake of fun, not for hooking people onto a (paid) service. Given the unique trajectory of my art journey, both from where I started and where I'm going, my artistic skills differ from my contemporaries since I'm almost completely self-taught. My regular academics were largely focused on getting ahead in other ways, like taking AP classes or seeking unique opportunities like a Senior Internship, so I had to carve out my free time to educate myself on art. Even with the "free curriculum," I still made sure to learn the fundamentals first before learning how to break them, all with my own style inspired by my favorite media like Shonen anime and cutesy indie games. My efforts resulted in becoming comparable or even surpassing my classmates who had been taught art the traditional way, and I'm one of the few who refuse to let that effort go to waste by making a career out of it. In a recent talk I've had with Squidly, he said "You've got a talent, man. Seriously, I've SEEN your growth which is kind of wild." His kindness started my art journey and continues to push me forward to new horizons, and I'm not planning on letting him or anyone else down.