All my life I have been obsessed with animated movies. The way pixels of multiple colors could make you feel so many different emotions, and tell so many stories in the most beautiful ways was the thing that made me love art since I was a kid. I wanted toys from multiple movies like barbies, Legos and dolls from Disney movies, but my parents didn't have enough money to buy them. My solution? Draw them. I would get paper, sharpies and scissors to draw the characters and cut them to make paper figurines. I spent most of my childhood in my bedroom recreating the characters of movies like wreck-it Ralph, Barbie, my little pony and many more. Playing everyday with them, recreating my favorite scenes or inventing a new story. As time passed, it wasn't about scarcity anymore, but about the affection that grew in me for spending my time and care for my little pieces of art. As I grew up, I don't know why I stopped doing it. I still loved animated movies, but I guess the teenager in me didn't want to play with paper figurines anymore. The one thing I remember is feeling a bit lost about what I wanted to do for my life and my future. Then the pandemic happened. For me, it wasn't that bad being at home all the time, but I had to find a way to spend that time. That was when I decided to learn how to draw properly, I was worried that the time I had would slip out of my hands and that pursuing art would become impossible. After all, Colombia is not a country that respects art as a professional career that much, but even so, I still chose to pursue art in any way that I could find. Time passed and I began to learn more about anatomy, color theory, composition, techniques and immersed myself in a bigger artistic world that I never thought existed. Due to issues in Colombia, my family decided to move to the US in hopes that my sister and I would get the opportunities that could improve our lives. Here, I was able to get better art supplies and be more involved in art programs. Being able to express myself artistically in a place where any idea was welcomed was the thing my child self dreamed of. Even though my relationship with art had its highs and lows, I will always keep pursuing it because it has taught me many things. Being able to observe objects: its shape, color, texture. Makes me aware of the essence of that object, as well as people. Watching others makes me aware of the many different phases of people. When people cry, laugh. When they are bored or angry. It all makes me wonder, why.? What are the things that we want to maintain hidden inside a tough looking exterior? What are our hopes and dreams? What are the emotions or thoughts that words will never be able to explain? Observation is one of the most important skills, because we understand how the subject works while also appreciating its beauty. What I plan to accomplish through my art is simple: Gain a better understanding of our world. For me art, in any form, is the way to reflect our souls and share our joys, sorrows or thoughts with others. The same way animated movies let me see a representation of our shared experiences as humans, I hope to achieve the same by creating beautiful stories that people can feel connected with.