Since I was a child, art has been a way to convey my emotions when words could not. My dad was abusive to both me and my mother until my parents divorced when I was 4. So, I spent my childhood filled with nightmares and repressed trauma. My grandfather, or Papa, wanted to help me; he began to teach me how to draw. He taught me how to shade and sketch from observation. Most of my fondest memories as a kid, and even now, are drawing with my Papa. Similarly, my play therapist quickly figured out that art was my form of expressing my constrained emotions. After, I drew as much as I could about my feelings, trauma, or just for fun. Art gave me a way to heal from the horrors I faced and not think about what was going on in my life. I often drew fantastical creatures and stories of other children to pass the time. Art became my safe space. As a teenager, emotions are often running on high as adolescents figure out where they belong in society. I was, and am still not, an exception. Throughout high school, I learned more about myself by creating works of art that involuntarily showed who I am. I did not even realize that my art had begun leaking my personality, one that had partially hidden itself through my own mental struggles, until I was required to create a series of art pieces that had a theme for a competition. I chose the theme: color blooms inside of each of us through our darkness. It didn't stop there. I noticed how my other art pieces, ones not even included in the series, showcased an individual who was covered in color and fighting battles of misunderstood uniqueness. Art revealed to me that I am similar to my works; I hid myself because I thought I had to fit in and hide from my past. Instead, I should embrace myself and continue to fight the darkness with colorful optimism. I want to continue to hone my artistic skills to help others like myself. I want to show the raw parts of humanity that everyone refuses to talk about. Art can bring out emotions that a person had long buried or refused to admit to. Showing others that choosing joy can make a big difference in both their lives and other's lives can be done through a spread of art, an international language. Art's reach has no limit to certain countries or political standing. Then, A further education in art will reveal new techniques and opportunities to accomplish my goal of making people smile. Smiling, even for a second, can bring contentment to people in the hectic world. My artistic journey has led to a realization that the world may hurt you over and over again, but art is a permanent solace that everyone, whether you are an artist or an observer, can partake in. And that is a realization that I want everyone to have.