The books I have read have strengthened my sense of creativity and my want to use said creativity out in the world. I love fiction, and reading those books has helped me understand how I want to affect the world. I have read many books, from The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini to All Systems Red by Martha Wells. What I usually get from reading these stories is how much I want to write and present issues through writing to have people stop and think about what is being done in modern society and what has happened already, along with what possibilities lie in the future. A big goal of mine right now is to finish and publish a novel of my own writing, despite not being an English major. I have not seen enough representation of the horrific past of the people affected by slavery or colonization, so that is the topic I have decided to go with. And my own exposure may be because of the lack of books locally, not the lack of books totally, but I still think this topic is such a big deal to recognize and acknowledge. History I learn through books, whether the story is true or not it is how I learn. That point brings me back to the goal listed before, I want to teach others some history and have them dive into learning more on their own, too. Understanding history on a basic level is so important, and it builds the base for many novels and other style books. Another style book that has taught me a lot is cookbooks. I love learning how to cook and treat others to something nice. But reading cookbooks has made me realize how much I want to feed the public as well. Starting a cafe that donates extras to homeless shelters and soup kitchens sounds like a fantastic idea to me. And being an art major makes me want to hand-make the souvenir items and have the place be based on my own novel. It is an oddly specific goal, but a goal that makes me feel good inside thinking about it. Connecting that last goal to an unrelated goal, but still a goal nonetheless, is having a studio attached to the cafe. A career goal for me is to own my own glass shop, and if I could have that shop with the cafe related to books and teaching others, I would be the happiest person in the world. I want to teach and provide, and books helped me realize that.

The song with the most important message to me is "Loch Lomond" - sung by many artists with many different variations. Loch Lomond tells a story of a war. Some details aren't always agreed upon, such as some believe it is about 2 soldiers being captured while others believe it's about an army being captured. The main thing, despite the disagreements, is 50% have to be killed while the other 50% get to go home alive. Loch Lomond is saying "you go back alive, I'll take the knife for you", and I love the selflessness in the story told. "O you take the high road" is referencing the overworld, or the world of the living, while "I'll take the low road" references the underworld. "O you take the high road, and I'll take the low road" means "I will offer my life for you to be safe." Another important message is sacrifice. "But me and my true love will never meet again." Not only is the singer losing his life and his friend, but he is also losing his lover. He is willing to leave all of these things behind believing others are more deserving of life. A lesser message, or belief, is how the song hints the spirit was able to get its goodbyes in. "And I'll be in Scotland afore ye." The belief the spirit travels faster than the living, possibly hinting towards getting their closure and helping those at home get closure as well. "Though the woeful may cease from their grieving." This line helps me connect the closure aspect back to the traveling of the dead spirit. The version quoted: Loch Lomond by Peter Hollens

I have been struggling with depression and anxiety, and possibly ADHD, for a long time, and I have lost a lot of friendships over it as I struggle reaching out or keeping in contact with someone. I happen to have friends who are very understanding and willing to help me, but it has still caused strain in other friendships and relationships. My mental health also sent me down a large rabbit hole of figuring out my own religious beliefs. I was raised a Christian, but I could not grasp the idea of Christianity very well. That caused me to start researching other religions. The stress of having to figure out what religion I thought I agreed most with and thinking I needed to pick one and only one sent be down a long spiral, and I came out saying I believe every religion. Figuring out I am an omnist, or someone who believes in all religions, really opened up my mind to seeing how other people see something. Like what colors mean for different religions. In terms of career goals, my goals have never been clear cut. I have not had an exact goal for a career since I was a kid. A goal of mine now, even if it does not become a career and stays as a side hustle, is open up an art studio in a place that doesn’t have that medium studio. I’m leaning towards a glass blowing studio, like how John Moran did in Belgium, but I’m very open to creating different studios depending on what the area I choose to settle in needs. Not exactly listed in the prompt, but I would also like to add how I see mental illness affecting others. Some of my friends, favorite creators, and even family members have changed so drastically because as life becomes more demanding they shut themselves away and let their negativity stew and build up. I want to get help not only for myself, but for these people. If I can get help, I can encourage others, especially those close to me, to also get help. It’s why I think mental illness diagnoses and studies are so important in todays world and should not be withheld so often because of possible professional fears of other issues, like a drug issue. I know I personally do not care if I go on meds, I just want help in my day to day life and ways to work around what issues I have.

When I was a kid, I used to volunteer at a 4-H food booth every year up until about 2018 or 2019, getting food out to the fair workers and 4-H kids before the big, busy days of the county fair. Cleaning was also a huge role in the food booth, and I would be the first one to grab a broom or a hand-held broom to help clean the floors and tables. I, also, used to help clean up trash on the roads, and that also led me to volunteering to cleaning up my campus twice, once as a high school student and once as a college student, and gathering seeds for next years community and economic sustainability gardens. Some other smaller volunteering times of mine would be when I helped teach every once in a while during 4-H lessons, horseback and the study of horses. When I graduate, I want to be able to do something like John Moran, opening up a studio in a place where there might not be any other studio, in that medium, and bring the joy of creation and learning how to create to some place that may not have had access before. John Moran made a glass blowing studio, in Belgium, which is what I am leaning towards in terms of my own studio but I would be willing to open up any other type of studio as well. Learning about art is such an important thing to me, and I am blessed enough to be on a campus with a glass blowing studio. Learning in this studio has made me want to open up a shop, and it was not a goal of mine before entering this class. Me setting up an art studio may not be giving back to my current community, but it sure will create a new community in a place where that community is needed, or wanted. I would be honored to create a new community and teach others how to be active in said community, as I believe art communities are one of the purest forms of community, and the art community will help out a larger, more diverse community. Before I graduate, I want to continue helping out in the sustainability offices on campus and maybe even tutoring. I do not want anyone else to struggle quite like have, and I want to help people stay chasing whatever possible dream they may have.

I chose to pursue a degree in art because I come from a family of cattle and horse farmers and seemingly out of nowhere I had this ability to be creative and put my ideas and thoughts into an image on paper. Nobody else in my family can keep up with me in artistic ability. I can draw, paint with watercolor, crochet, knit, work on looms, make clothes, do pottery, blow glass, do digital art, and even write stories. Before I started college, I didn't think I could blow glass. I had hardly heard of it, even. But after working through anxiety and a really bad negative spot, I’m active in my glass blowing class and am actively trying to teach myself new things in that medium outside of class. Originally, I thought I’d maybe get a job doing digital art, as I am known for my digital art within my family and friend group. Now that I’m in college, I realize I have more potential than I originally thought. Never knew I could handle glass blowing, but now I’m planning on making a music box to either sell or gift to someone. I think I might take a photography course and other courses with more movement to really see what I can handle. I am so unsure of my career goals, but that’s because I’ve learned I can do so much more than I anticipated. I’m confident I can easily find something to do, maybe even have multiple jobs or side hustles involving art. Like selling photo prints and digital art online and glass in person. But even if I don’t do that, I know I have access to many things with my skill set. Another thing with my studies that hasn’t happened yet, but I am excited for, is the fact I am going abroad on a program geared for art students. I get to see all these museums and European works, and that could narrow my career goals even more. I’m taking an Art and Power course and a hands-on art and English workshop, and I also have a week to myself where I choose my own lessons and labs, what I want learn. It’ll be a great way to boost confidence, which can never hurt when figuring out career goals, especially with an art degree. Raised by horse farmers and learning how to apply myself in every way possible, that’s who I am.

The everyday world inspires me as an artist through people. I mainly draw and make characters of humans, and each person I meet gives me insight on how to make new or better art pieces. Once I found a video of a person with vitiligo, and then lasted that week I started drawing someone with vitiligo. I’ve started trying to portray ptsd into art pieces, as that’s something a character of mine has. I would say my art can be awareness raising. I also try to promote body positivity, I have struggles with different body types but I am still learning. I have done things like scars, stretch marks, body hair, and vitiligo so far. My next goal is to learn how to draw thicker bodies. The world inspires me through the people around me, and it gives me motivation to learn more.