In the future, I am a successful artist in the animation industry and my art is helping people realize the power of their imagination, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you.

My eyes grew bright and widened as they lingered on the plastic box my mother was holding. Could it be? I raised my chubby hands to my face and toddled clumsily across the room to where she was standing, a lemony smile spread across her face. She handed me the object, and I squealed. It was finally mine. My own DVD of Disney’s The Lion King. I didn’t know it then, but that seemingly insignificant childhood moment was where my current aspirations emerged from. I was enraptured by the visuals of magic carpets, singing animals, and girls with fish tails - none of which I ever saw in real life. The carpet on my floor clearly wasn’t going anywhere, and the fish in my aquarium just swam around monotonously. My screen had exposed me to a world of endless possibilities, leaving me unsatisfied. Reality just wasn’t doing it for me. Consequently, my desire to create was born. Through my art, I want to do to others what those films did for me. I want to increase the love and persistence present in our world. My art noticeably always includes the opposite of a harsh reality. I make stories of hope and love, stories where everything turns out alright at the end. Those were the stories that I needed the most growing up, and they were what kept me going when I felt like I couldn’t anymore. I want to put out art into the world showing that hardships can be overcome, and you will make it through. No matter how low that rock bottom surface seems, you can climb back up. A more personal impact I hope to make is breaking cultural barriers. I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When the world sees my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are. As a kid who got into animation in the mid 2010s, I have been drawing digitally and utilizing animation resources since a young age. Upon graduating, I intend to make full use of my industry. I plan to bring an animated superhero series I have been developing since childhood to full fruition. I want to feature Bangladeshi superheroes, something I have yet to see in the mainstream, on the screen and put my country on the pop culture map. Along with being an action-adventure animated series, I want the show to depict love, positive relationships and a major slice of Bengali culture. The show will draw from my personal experiences and relationships that myself and many other children missed out on seeing. I hope to put an end to the lack of Bengali representation in animation once and for all. In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

My eyes grew bright and widened as they lingered on the plastic box my mother was holding. Could it be? I raised my chubby hands to my face and toddled clumsily across the room to where she was standing, a lemony smile spread across her face. She handed me the object, and I squealed. It was finally mine. My own DVD of Disney’s The Lion King. I didn’t know it then, but that seemingly insignificant childhood moment was where my current aspirations emerged from. I was enraptured by the visuals of magic carpets, singing animals, and girls with fish tails - none of which I ever saw in real life. The carpet on my floor clearly wasn’t going anywhere, and the fish in my aquarium just swam around monotonously. My screen had exposed me to a world of endless possibilities, leaving me unsatisfied. Reality just wasn’t doing it for me. Consequently, my desire to create was born. Through my art, I want to do to others what those films did for me. I want to increase the love and persistence present in our world. My art noticeably always includes the opposite of a harsh reality. I make stories of hope and love, stories where everything turns out alright at the end. Those were the stories that I needed the most growing up, and they were what kept me going when I felt like I couldn’t anymore. I want to put out art into the world showing that hardships can be overcome, and you will make it through. No matter how low that rock bottom surface seems, you can climb back up. A more personal impact I hope to make is breaking cultural barriers. I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When the world sees my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are. As a kid who got into animation in the mid 2010s, I have been drawing digitally and utilizing animation resources since a young age. Upon graduating, I intend to make full use of my industry. I plan to bring an animated superhero series I have been developing since childhood to full fruition. I want to feature Bangladeshi superheroes, something I have yet to see in the mainstream, on the screen and put my country on the pop culture map. Along with being an action-adventure animated series, I want the show to depict love, positive relationships and a major slice of Bengali culture. The show will draw from my personal experiences and relationships that myself and many other children missed out on seeing. I hope to put an end to the lack of Bengali representation in animation once and for all. In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

My eyes grew bright and widened as they lingered on the plastic box my mother was holding. Could it be? I raised my chubby hands to my face and toddled clumsily across the room to where she was standing, a lemony smile spread across her face. She handed me the object, and I squealed. It was finally mine. My own DVD of Disney’s The Lion King. My art journey’s biggest influence has been Walt Disney. I didn’t know it then, but that seemingly insignificant childhood moment was where my current aspirations emerged from. I was enraptured by the visuals of magic carpets, singing animals, and girls with fish tails - none of which I ever saw in real life. The carpet on my floor clearly wasn’t going anywhere, and the fish in my aquarium just swam around monotonously. My screen had exposed me to a world of endless possibilities, leaving me unsatisfied. Reality just wasn’t doing it for me. Consequently, my desire to create was born. Other children had gone through a similar phase. What kid hadn’t imagined themselves being a Disney princess and the like? The difference in my case was that the spark of imagination remains ingrained in me today. Walt Disney’s work made me realize how underrated the concept of creativity was. I learned that nothing was unattainable - that with some thinking outside the box you could solve any problem thrown at you. Creativity is my friend now; it allows me to view my surroundings in ways no one else can, and it acts as an escape route whenever I need one. Having a bad day in this universe? Just go to a different one. To quote one of my favorite things Walt has ever said, it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Today I am an animation student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and upon graduating, I aspire to make an impact on the way people view my people and my culture. Being from a first-world, lesser-known country, I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. It is simultaneously overwhelming and flattering that I get to be the one who introduces my classmates to a new language and new culture. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When the world sees my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are. One can dream, right? In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my art is helping someone else realize the power of their imagination. My work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

In my seven years of creating art, I have learned one major life lesson. The power of one’s imagination is often underestimated. It is, after all, one of the few things no one can take away from you. After a hard day at work, you can go back to your room, think about daisies fluttering in a meadow, and smile to yourself. Another aspect a lot of people don’t realize is how you can use such a power to improve the world. For me, that involves giving people hope. I want to increase the love and persistence present in our world. Growing up, I was rather misunderstood in my adolescent years and I went through a tough time in both home and school. Relentlessly bullied by classmates and deemed the “stupid” kid, I struggled with making friends. My teachers were unsupportive and cold towards me, a few being downright cruel and shaming me publicly. My parents were not happy with my progress in school or my unconventional interests. I was believed to be “broken” somehow; I needed to be fixed or made normal by society’s standards. Eventually I began believing I was broken too. If I had to sum up the above, it would be hopelessness. The feeling of being unworthy, that nothing will ever be okay and that it was a given I would fail at life. It took me a long time to climb out of that hole, and my passion for art was a major factor. I started drawing as a coping mechanism, and my art noticeably always included, and still includes, the opposite. I make stories of hope and love, stories where everything turns out alright at the end. Those were the stories that I needed the most growing up, and they were what kept me going when I felt like I couldn’t anymore. I want to put out art into the world showing that hardships can be overcome, and you will make it through. No matter how low that rock bottom surface seems, you can climb back up. A more personal impact I hope to make is one dedicated to my roots. Being from a first-world, lesser-known country, I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. It is simultaneously overwhelming and flattering that I get to be the one who introduces my classmates to a new language and new culture. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When people see my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are; we are not a homogenous group of people where everybody neatly fits in a stereotype box, we all have our own lived experiences and mindsets and our way of life is as unique and beautiful as any other country’s. Today I am an animation student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. As a kid who got into art in the mid 2010s, I have been drawing digitally and utilizing animation resources since a young age. Upon graduating, I intend to make full use of my industry. I plan to bring an animated superhero series I have been developing since childhood to full fruition. I want to feature Bangladeshi superheroes, something I have yet to see in the mainstream, on the screen and put my country on the pop culture map. “Spirit Mask”, titled by yours truly as a teenager, will tell the story of main character Mashrif and his younger brother and cousin, who gain superpowers through a chemical reaction and take on the responsibility of protecting the world. Along with being an action-adventure animated series, I want the show to depict love, positive relationships and a major slice of Bengali culture. The show will draw from my personal experiences and relationships that myself and many other children missed out on seeing. I hope to put an end to the lack of Bengali representation in animation once and for all. In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my art is helping someone else realize the power of their imagination. My work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

My eyes grew bright and widened as they lingered on the plastic box my mother was holding. Could it be? I raised my chubby hands to my face and toddled clumsily across the room to where she was standing, a lemony smile spread across her face. She handed me the object, and I squealed. It was finally mine. My own DVD of Disney’s The Lion King. My art journey’s biggest influence has been Walt Disney. I didn’t know it then, but that seemingly insignificant childhood moment was where my current aspirations emerged from. I was enraptured by the visuals of magic carpets, singing animals, and girls with fish tails - none of which I ever saw in real life. The carpet on my floor clearly wasn’t going anywhere, and the fish in my aquarium just swam around monotonously. My screen had exposed me to a world of endless possibilities, leaving me unsatisfied. Reality just wasn’t doing it for me. Consequently, my desire to create was born. Other children had gone through a similar phase. What kid hadn’t imagined themselves being a Disney princess and the like? The difference in my case was that the spark of imagination remains ingrained in me today. Walt Disney’s work made me realize how underrated the concept of creativity was. I learned that nothing was unattainable - that with some thinking outside the box you could solve any problem thrown at you. Creativity is my friend now; it allows me to view my surroundings in ways no one else can, and it acts as an escape route whenever I need one. Having a bad day in this universe? Just go to a different one. To quote one of my favorite things Walt has ever said, it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Today I am an animation student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and upon graduating, I aspire to make an impact on the way people view my people and my culture. Being from a first-world, lesser-known country, I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. It is simultaneously overwhelming and flattering that I get to be the one who introduces my classmates to a new language and new culture. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When the world sees my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are. One can dream, right? In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my art is helping someone else realize the power of their imagination. My work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

My eyes grew bright and widened as they lingered on the plastic box my mother was holding. Could it be? I raised my chubby hands to my face and toddled clumsily across the room to where she was standing, a lemony smile spread across her face. She handed me the object, and I squealed. It was finally mine. My own DVD of Disney’s The Lion King. My art journey’s biggest influence has been Walt Disney. I didn’t know it then, but that seemingly insignificant childhood moment was where my current aspirations emerged from. I was enraptured by the visuals of magic carpets, singing animals, and girls with fish tails - none of which I ever saw in real life. The carpet on my floor clearly wasn’t going anywhere, and the fish in my aquarium just swam around monotonously. My screen had exposed me to a world of endless possibilities, leaving me unsatisfied. Reality just wasn’t doing it for me. Consequently, my desire to create was born. Other children had gone through a similar phase. What kid hadn’t imagined themselves being a Disney princess and the like? The difference in my case was that the spark of imagination remains ingrained in me today. Walt Disney’s work made me realize how underrated the concept of creativity was. I learned that nothing was unattainable - that with some thinking outside the box you could solve any problem thrown at you. Creativity is my friend now; it allows me to view my surroundings in ways no one else can, and it acts as an escape route whenever I need one. Having a bad day in this universe? Just go to a different one. To quote one of my favorite things Walt has ever said, it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Today I am an animation student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and upon graduating, I aspire to make an impact on the way people view my people and my culture. Being from a first-world, lesser-known country, I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. It is simultaneously overwhelming and flattering that I get to be the one who introduces my classmates to a new language and new culture. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When the world sees my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are. One can dream, right? In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my art is helping someone else realize the power of their imagination. My work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

My eyes grew bright as they lingered on the plastic box my mother was holding. Could it be? I raised my chubby hands to my face and toddled clumsily across the room to her, a lemony smile spread across her face. She handed me the object, and I squealed. It was finally mine. My own DVD of Disney’s The Lion King. I didn’t know it then, but that seemingly insignificant childhood moment was where my current aspirations emerged from. The Lion King was just the beginning of a never-ending rabbit hole for me. I was enraptured by the visuals of magic carpets, singing animals, and girls with fish tails - none of which I ever saw in real life. The carpet on my floor clearly wasn’t going anywhere, and the fish in my aquarium just swam around monotonously. My screen had exposed me to a world of endless possibilities, leaving me dissatisfied. Reality just wasn’t doing it for me. Consequently, my desire to create was born. “Create” is a broad term. I never succeeded in conjuring up a unicorn with a magic spell (though my four-year-old self had tried very hard to do so). I didn’t sprout fairy wings by waving a wand. No, when viewed from the outside, I was an ordinary little girl, playing with toys and watching cartoons. Inside, it was a completely different story. The gears inside my head were constantly twisting and turning, synced like clockwork. Hey, what if my bookshelf had a secret passage hidden behind it? What would I find there? The one source I always had available to me was my imagination, so I started dreaming up my own mermaids, superpowers, and hidden stairways. My thoughts ran free in the form of a drawing or story, and that was sufficient to fulfill my desire of living in a more breathtaking and incredible universe. Other children had gone through a similar phase. What kid hadn’t imagined themselves being a Disney princess and the like? The difference in my case was that the spark of imagination remains ingrained in me today. Walt Disney’s work made me realize how underrated the concept of creativity was. I learned that nothing was unattainable - that with some thinking outside the box you could solve any problem thrown at you. Creativity is my friend now; it allows me to view my surroundings in ways no one else can, and it acts as an escape route whenever I need one. Having a bad day in this universe? Just go to a different one. To quote one of my favorite things Walt has ever said, it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Today I am an animation student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and Disney has been the biggest influence in getting me here. Disney films have turned me into a more open-minded person and taught me to see the world from different points of view. I hunt down new ideas that intrigue me, and I explore them from every angle. Disney has shown me that any concept could offer limitless opportunities, and any problem could have a unique solution no one has thought of yet. I now strive to be the person who dissects every possibility and informs the world of new ideas. I subsist on asking “What if?” and, in doing so, I learn more about myself and the universe. The world we reside in is already full of wonders. Walt Disney inspired me to take that one step further. All I need is faith, trust, and pixie dust.

In my seven years of creating art, I have learned one major life lesson. The power of one’s imagination is often underestimated. It is, after all, one of the few things no one can take away from you. After a hard day at work, you can go back to your room, think about daisies fluttering in a meadow, and smile to yourself. Another aspect a lot of people don’t realize is how you can use such a power to improve the world. Being from a first-world, lesser-known country, I did not feel represented growing up. Bangladesh is not very well-known as a part of Asia and South Asians are often subjected to hurtful stereotypes. I have always been the only Bangladeshi in the classroom, and my art pieces are the only ones that include slices of my country. It is simultaneously overwhelming and flattering that I get to be the one who introduces my classmates to a new language and new culture. I commit myself to creating characters that better represent people from my culture. I tell diverse stories in my projects, in a manner that is authentic and derives from my lived experiences. Something that is crucial to me is breaking people’s preconceived notions and stereotypes they may have ingrained in them. When the world sees my work, I want them to see me and my culture for who and what we are. A second impact I aspire to make is one of love and persistence. My art noticeably always includes the opposite of a harsh reality. I make stories of hope and love, stories where everything turns out alright at the end. Those were the stories that I needed the most growing up, and they were what kept me going when I felt like I couldn’t anymore. Along with breaking barriers for my country, I want to put out art into the world showing that hardships can be overcome, and you will make it through. No matter how low that rock bottom surface seems, you can climb back up. One can dream, right? In the future, I am an accomplished artist, and my art is helping someone else realize the power of their imagination. My work is educating people, shattering stereotypes and pushing forth the notion that someone out there is rooting for you. You are not alone.

Nobody can take away your imagination. They can take away your self esteem. They could cause you to feel undeserving. Unworthy. But what nobody can ever take from you is your imagination. Your creativity. I should elaborate. Think of the age eleven. When you picture eleven, you might picture bike rides and sharing a popsicle with friends. I picture a lonely little girl, ridiculed and feeling unaccepted by her peers and by the world. The weird kid who still liked cartoons. The kid who would never get anywhere with her unconventional interests. The girl sought comfort in watching Disney movies about mermaids, dragons and magic. It’s no wonder she was inspired to imagine her own stories! Let’s fast-forward a bit. Age twelve. The girl started drawing. She put her imagination on paper, and was whisked away somewhere else. She escaped her harsh reality using art! Of course, she had to return to the real world again. But that escape was all she needed to regain the courage to face life. That’s the message I want to convey through my artwork. Escaping into a different world, and the power it can have. I draw because art gives me a gateway to universes beyond our own. It lets my imagination become reality. Had I the ability to see the future, I would hopefully see myself in the animation industry. Leaving the same impact those movies did for me. Another lonely child, ridiculed and feeling unaccepted, watching an animated movie I contributed to. They escape too, and they return to reality with the courage to face it. One can dream, right? So let’s fast-forward again. To the unforeseen. I am an accomplished artist, and my art is helping someone else realize the power of their imagination. Nobody can take it away from them.