My name is Jenna Davis. I grew up in a small town in Illinois where I was surrounded by cornfields. The "typical" thing for kids to do was to play sports, which I did, but I never felt like myself. I have been creating for as long as I can remember. It is what I was always good at in school, but I told myself it was just a hobby. On the first day of high school softball tryouts freshman year, I knew I didn't belong. I would not have the time for art, and that didn't sit right with me. So I stopped playing softball and focused all my time and energy on art. I have explored a large variety of mediums in my creative practice. Through high school, I was surrounded by so many opportunities that my creativity was overflowing. I focused on photography in my sophomore year which led to life-changing experiences. My photograph titled "Vulnerability" was entered into the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition and received a Golden Key, which meant it went to New York to be judged, where I then received a Golden Medal. It still does not feel real. I was interviewed live on FOX 32 News about my photograph. The most surreal moment of all was having my photo displayed in the Bronx Documentary Center, New York. I was fortunate enough to go see it in person. My photo "Vulnerability" was a large stepping stone in proving not only to everyone around me that I take art very seriously, but to myself. "Vulnerability" aims to spark the conversation about the strength it takes to be vulnerable. My artwork is a reflection of my thoughts, feelings, and ideas, yet, I want to share it with everyone. My creative practice embodies heavy emotions, which I hope will make someone feel less alone. The success of my art in high school gave me the confidence to study art in college I am a current student at Columbia College Chicago. I major in Fine Arts and a minor in Arts in Healthcare. Through my studies in Fine Arts, I am expanding my creative practices more than I could have ever imagined. I have created a solo collection that depicts heavy emotions through bold words and colors. My piece "RAGE" feels like a revolution in my style. I have begun to find my voice in expressing emotions and I am overfilled with joy because of it. My independent practice helps elevate creativity in my Arts in Healthcare Minor. I have been able to explore all of the Creative Art Therapies and see the impact it has on adolescents. After receiving my Bachelor's degree I plan to gain my Masters in Art Therapy. I hope to help others express complex emotions in a more accessible way. I hope to eliminate the stigma of going to therapy, just by the effects of something as simple as creating artwork. I have, in a sense, been my Art Therapist for my entire life. When I would be stressed, angry, sad, or just needed a space to not think, art was there for me. I hope to help those struggling to find peace in this creative outlet like I did.

There is no feeling like the one I get when I see the impact of my artwork on others. Growing up my art was my escape, a place for me to somehow manage the heaviness inside me. Through the years of my mother's cancer diagnosis, my mental health plummeted. I had never felt so low until the day I could no longer carry it on my own. I went to therapy. Although it took far too many days and far too many therapists, I finally found the one that helped me work through so much darkness. Through my healing journey, I became fascinated with the mind, mental health, and how it all worked. I loved to help people and to be the person to make others feel less alone. I wanted to be a therapist, but I loved art so much. I could not imagine a world where I did not have art in it. In a therapy session in high school, I explained this dilemma to my therapist, and she then introduced me to Art Therapy. All at once it made sense, the integration of two things I was so passionate about: Art and Psychology. From that point on I wanted to be an Art Therapist. I currently attend Columbia College Chicago. I major in Fine Arts and a minor in Arts in Healthcare. Through my studies in Fine Arts, I am expanding my creative practices more than I could have ever imagined. I have created full collections that start the conversation about mental health through bold words and colors. My independent practice helps elevate creativity in my Arts in Healthcare Minor. I have been able to explore all of the Creative Art Therapies and see the impact it has on adolescents. These experiences have just confirmed the magic that is Creative Art Therapies. Therapy is not for everyone, but everyone deserves mental health care; however, talking about emotions and feelings can be hard. That is why through my education in Art Therapy, I hope to help others express complex emotions in a more accessible way. I hope to eliminate the stigma of going to therapy, just by the effects of something as simple as creating artwork. I have, in a sense, been my Art Therapist for my entire life. When I would be stressed, angry, sad, or just needed a space to not think, art was there for me. I hope to help those struggling to find peace in this creative outlet like I did.