I was inspired by Mad Genius to tap into my inner mad scientist by combining colorful scraps and stickers onto a gauche painting. The photo I painted is of my friends and I wearing funky sunglasses which reminded me of lab goggles! Our mischievous expressions make for the perfect trio of mad geniuses. I was inspired by Mad Genius’s combinations of never before thought of flavors meddling together to create something new. Each piece of my collage is from a different place. From magazine clippings, to sticker books, to discarded medical textbooks, and miscellaneous clippings of mysterious origins, my inner mad potential told me that to make something truly special and one-of-a-kind, I had to get creative with my sources. Many people tend to shy away from bright colors and adventurous combinations. However, I believe the spirit of a mad mashup is doing something unexpected and wild, instead of something sensible and safe. I believe the vibrant variations of colors and subjects in my piece embody this idea. This piece is a step outside of my comfort zone of darker, moodier colors, and pushed me to a place that was unexpected, even for me! The use of colors that I am not comfortable with allowed me to broaden my horizons and opened more doors of creativity for me to unlock. Additionally, Mad Genius Snack Labs’s use of bright, punchy colors in their packaging graphics heavily influenced my color choices and pushed me outside my comfort zone. This was truly a great learning experience for me, and I am excited to see where these mad collaborations and experiments take me in the future and in my career as an artist. This piece is colorful and daring, combining objects, icons, people, and concepts into something fantastical, wonderful, and dare I say, mad.