Almost everything I do is touched by art. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always looked forward to my art classes in elementary school, and was always the first to rush out of my seat to get started once the teacher finished giving directions. Of all my numerous random interests I’ve accumulated over the years, art seems to be the one that has stuck around the longest— and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. It’s influenced how I look at the world and shaped my personality in a way no other hobby of mine has. To me, art has always been the binding agent for all of my interests– and I have quite a lot of random interests. I’m basically the definition of maximalism; I spend my free time writing, hiking, swimming, gardening, reading— the list could go on. While I like being a jack of all trades, sometimes I feel as if I’ll always end up being a master of none, doomed to only have a surface level understanding of each topic. I often feel overwhelmed with the amount of coursework and pressure I put on myself to do well in everything. But that’s the thing about art’s definition of maximalism– seemingly mismatched, tiny details are combined and layered in a way that makes it look unifying, not chaotic. I can pull all my interests together into one big, messy frame and don’t have to worry if it’s not perfect. It’s the fullness and emotion of the piece that makes it so great. For me, art is the glue of my maximalist collage. Art somehow ends up working its way into all my other activities. I’ll illustrate my short stories, doodle zentangle designs in the margins of my sheet music, embroider tiny fireflies onto my hiking pack, or sketch the first budding flower from my garden in spring. That’s how I try to live my life– with as much passion and substance as I can, and art is how I organize it all. It will continue to be the scaffolding connecting all my loves. With everything I do, I want to leave my mark on the world in as many places as possible. Not just with the things I had, but with the things I’ve created and the impacts I’ve made. If I can contribute even one stroke of paint to the canvas of the universe, I will be happy.