Art encapsulates me. Whether I’m painting, crocheting, or doodling to my heart's content, art always manages to take hold of every splatter, fiber, or sketch of my being. My love for art, and the aura of whimsy that comes with it, is something I wouldn’t trade for a million bucks. From the moment I pick up my brush, hook, or pencil, I’m transported into a world unlike any other. A world without walls—whether structural or instructional—where the stressors of daily life melt away like oil paint in turpentine. No matter the medium, my brain relies on art to decompress; for me, crochet works best. With yarn and hook in hand, reflex takes over, and in a matter of seconds, the repetitive motions quiet my mind until nothing but a clean slate remains. In my creative state, I feel like Alice from Alice in Wonderland, slowly spiraling down a whirlpool of explosive color until I can’t imagine myself anywhere else. In my rabbit hole of creative expression, I feel as light as a feather drifting through windy winds as my brain takes its course, comforted by the opportunity to let my creativity soar.  Studio art is my rabbit hole. Like Alice, my first experience caught me off guard. The colors alone were enough to entice me, and overtime, studio class taught me to follow the motion of my own brain waves. The class plopped me in the open ocean, free to chart my own course without constricting maps of step-by-step direction. Studio meant I could pursue anything and everything. I tried it all and eventually settled on my largest project to date, a crochet blanket. Not a big deal, right? Not exactly. I started with nothing but an idea; I didn’t even have a pattern because, to me, patterns take all of the fun out of it. I create to do something new and unique to my brain’s abilities; otherwise, I’d be bored out of my mind. Months later, I had nearly four hundred miniature five-petal flowers! And while each took about 5 minutes to make, time doesn’t seem to matter once I’ve jumped headfirst into the rabbit hole.  Once the flowers were done, I painstakingly sewed each flower petal-to-petal to form what looked like a blanket, but it was only after the entire thing was done that I decided I could do better, and I did. I took the whole thing apart and started from square one, or rather, flower one. Now, two years later, almost all four-hundred flowers have a four-row pentagonal border of either blue, red, green, or yellow! And while I could attach them once more, I know myself too well, and I’ve opted to overcomplicate yet again by adding another border of various hues. Over the past four years, this blanket has learned with me, fallen apart with me, and grown with me. In that time, I've tried more art forms than I could've ever imagined, and through it all, I’ve realized one thing: art will always be there for me, and no matter what I do in or after college, I will always return to my wonderland. Knowing how much art has helped me, I’ve taught family and friends how to crochet and worked with kids to harness their creativity. When I think of my future with art, I imagine sharing my passion with others. After college, whether through classes, commissions, or community projects, I plan to share my love for art as my passion evolves so more people can experience the wonderful world of creativity and limitless imagination.

As an artist, I create any and all art as an outlet to express that which is indescribable. While I crave the unique process that comes with it, my artistic desire stems from the concept of creating something truly unique out of thin air. Whatever it may be, I can’t help but imagine the possibilities of a blank canvas. Typically, I approach my work as if it were a deconstructed puzzle—one with a million different shapes and colors, just waiting to be constructed. Without hesitation, I find my “corners and edges” by sketching, either digitally or traditionally. After which, I dabble in any medium I see fit and consider each shape, working piece by piece. Though the art of creation is a meticulous process, my muse, Robert Henri, describes it best: “The object isn't to make art; it's to be in that wonderful state that makes art inevitable.” I often return to this quote as a reminder to enjoy the process despite its challenges and to relish the freedom that comes with it. In doing so, I let the materials choose me and sit back as each piece of the puzzle eventually fits into place. While I often struggle to describe difficult experiences and emotions through typical means, my art never fails to paint a perfect picture. Though the process itself always comes with its highs and lows, my work wouldn’t be the same without bumps along the road. Ultimately, problem solving enables me to develop imaginative methods and endless layers through perseverance and a hint of perfectionism. Despite its challenges, my favorite pieces are often those that I contemplated restarting or nearly gave up on. I’ve worked with clay, found materials, graphite, charcoal, pastels, gouache, acrylic, oil, and much more. I love mixed media the most since it has such immediate possibilities, which I can’t wait to explore further in more advanced studio classes. All things considered, I feel that life would be dreadfully dull if I weren’t able to see and create the things I do the way I do, and I hope others recognize the strokes of effort, patience, and effervescence in my completed "puzzles," not just the final result. For this reason, I would like to continue making art as much as possible after college. Though I plan to pursue graphic design to support myself, studio art is my true passion. I’ve made art from such a young age, and I can’t imagine stopping once I get out of college. Even if artists aren’t always rewarded monetarily, the process itself is rewarding enough.