If I had to choose, I’d say my sister is the person who’s closest to me. She has been that way all my life. For as long as I can remember, the only thing I ever did was hang around my sister, and the only thing she ever did was draw, so the only thing I ever did was draw with her. That’s why it hurt so much when she told me that I should consider pursuing something else. Back then, I had no concept of art fundamentals or learning the rules before I broke them. I just did whatever I wanted because I thought the rules didn’t apply to me. Of course, at the time, I didn’t think rationally. To be honest, there wasn't much thought behind my constant drawing. I simply assumed that I was supposed to draw, so I did it without thinking. Eventually, the time came when I had to decide if that was what I seriously wanted to do. My sister guided me through that decision. She asked me if I wanted to become a professional. I told her I did. She asked me if I was willing to put in the work to get there, and I had to tell her I wasn’t. She suggested that maybe I should find a different field. It broke my heart to hear her say that, and I think it broke hers too, but it made sense. The following two years were the worst of my life. I tried so hard to find something to fill the void that art had left. Nothing worked. I quickly fell into a deep depression that, from my perspective, seemed to come out of nowhere and from which I could not be lifted. I searched desperately for something to blame for how I felt. Nothing made sense. The day I finally picked the pencil back up, I had never felt better. As corny as it sounds, the dark clouds over my life lifted away. I learned the hard way that I need to create to live. From that point on, I truly realized the fragility of my passion. I understood that if I didn’t nurture my talents and lost sight of them, my life would lose its very essence. Maybe I’m putting all my eggs in one basket, but I truly doubt that I’ll ever find something I love doing half as much as I love drawing. My work is inspired by comic and manga artists such as Hirohiko Araki, Dave Gibbons, and Ethan Young. As an aspiring storyteller, I’m a fan of not only telling my own stories but also dissecting existing ones. What makes a good story? What are the hallmarks of good storytelling? I love to analyze what makes certain films or comic books successful and learn from them. The idea that one day, people might associate my work with an incredible story, or that I might be able to tell stories of my own, excites and drives me. That's why I aspire to become a comic book illustrator myself.