I suppose our parents are the first one we think should be our biggest influencers in our lives, but I actually questioned that; yet I am so sure of who really has had the biggest influence in my life and that is my best friend Hellen. I ironically met her in the last year of highschool so our friendship actually grew after highschool. I am beyond grateful for her, not just for her endless support as a friend but due to her loyalty and love for me. I am what some label as “someone who has a lot of baggage”. I am the typical kid who has no father figure, even after my mom got remarried as well. I have had many emotions and obstacles that have made me so ugly and broken, yet my best friend still sticks with me. She is the most supportive person in my life that I can say has truly been there for me. I admit I don’t know where I would be today without her, if I would even be here at all. She has helped me believe not only in myself but my aspirations and dreams to become an animator. Thus I have decided to go back to school for Digital Arts to pursue my actual dreams. She has told me for years that I still have a chance as long as I give myself a chance. After going through years of trauma and quitting my first ever full time job, I decided life is too short to not give my dream a shot, especially when I have someone believing in me so much. Not only am I doing this for myself and my dreams, but for my best friend Hellen who has believed in me long before I ever believed in myself. I would love to work with multiple studios and have my art be viewed by children and those in need of hope. Art has been a constant in my life even though I mainly view art just from social media. There are so many artists out there who have created masterpieces and given me breaths of hope and motivation. Some art pieces have actually helped me with my anxiety and PTSD just by looking at them. I just hope one day I can create an art piece that gives someone those feelings, as it did me. Truthfully my art skills are indifferent if not below standards compared to many artists. As much as I have loved art my entire life, I was never that kid who had tons of doodles in a notebook or on the side of my homework. I never really invested in myself or my art skills, thus I literally need and am learning the basics today at 23 years old. I do feel behind as I’m sure people who want to pursue the arts have had a lifetime of experience. I do not have a lot of experience, but I hope that the passion I have inside begins to pour out into my art. I want to create art with my love of this world and to create the feeling of happiness that life has, even if forgotten by many.