Roses are red, Violets are blue, Creativity throws out the window All I ever knew. You decided to ask, “What is your Best skill?” See, I don’t know the Answer to that question. I have many skills But if I had to choose one That I couldn’t live without, It’s my creativity. In the classroom, In the workplace, During research, During life; Creativity has its place Everywhere. My creativity allows me To come up with solutions Others can’t think of. My creativity gives me Opportunities that no one can Reach unless they have the Spark of imagination, the Spark of creativity, one Similar to the one I’ve had When I became a Different person, A creative person, An imaginative person. There is nothing that could Keep me away from using My creativity. It’s in my DNA. It’s running through the Blood coursing through my Veins. Do you know how to train Creativity? It may seem contrary, But nonetheless necessary. Creativity goes to waste Unless it is properly Nurtured and cared for And used on a daily basis. I make sure to take my Creativity for a walk Every single day, Thinking creatively about Things that may not Seem to need it. So why is creativity my Best skill, and what do I Do to nurture it? Creativity is essential To my being; I don’t really know if I can find any better words To explain my relationship With creativity. I nurture it every day By keeping in mind That everything can involve Imagination, you just Have to know where to start. You start with Imagination, and you Play with imagination Until it does what you want. You play with reality In your imagination, Until what you’ve imagined Becomes a very real reality.

In the mirror I search For a face I recognize, But I don’t recognize The girl staring back at me In the mirror; Why? She seems to be full of hope But inside, she’s such a mess. If you took her before a court, She’d plead “under duress.” She knows that everything she does Is not the real her. I am not the real me. But why? Someone is controlling me But I don’t know who. Someone is persuading me, Making me do things I don’t want to do. But I don’t know who it is So I can’t stop them, I can’t save myself, Will someone save me? I’m held captive by myself, I’m held captive by the face That looks back at me In the mirror. I can’t control who I am, But I’m not who I want to be. Can even I change me? I want to be someone Who is good to those around me, But instead I seem to hurt Those closest to me. Why? Why? Why? I don’t want to hurt them; In fact, I cry because I do. Can’t there be a little love Between me and you? But who are you? And who am I? And where did we come from? Was it from a big, big, bang, Or does life at least have some Purpose that gives me a reason To get up in the morning? Jingle, jingle, keys in lock, Sorrow, sorrow, I’m in shock, What is it that I have to do To get my enemies slew? Why can’t I understand just how, To stop wanting to give a bow, To humble myself before my pride, But suppress the desire to run and hide All at the same time? Perseverance; What a word! That is the key to Healing.

I can hear you But you don’t know I’m here. In fact, you don’t even realize That you’re calling out to me; And indeed, you’re not… But your soul is. Your soul is in pain And it desperately needs help It is screaming and crying out Begging me to heal it I try to ignore it But I can’t, no, I can’t It’s too loud, too desperate “No,” I say. “I have to focus on myself right now. I’m in pain too, Can’t you see?” So finally I walk up to you And introduce myself But not as “Layla, empath.” No, instead, I want to be your friend.

The caterpillar inches around Feeding on leaves Almost seeming like a leech. Too many can destroy a plant But they always leave their mark. When a caterpillar gets grown They hide themselves In a chrysalis for months Until finally they emerge as Completely new beings. Now that disgusting caterpillar Has become a butterfly. The disgusting bug that people Used to squash Has now surpassed them all in beauty, In elegance, in complexity, All they had to do was give it time. Aren’t we all caterpillars, As young ones, leeching off of others, But nonetheless leaving our mark. Then, as we grow up, we hide ourselves Even from ourselves In our chrysalises, just wondering What we’ll become, Feeling like a caterpillar wondering What it’ll turn into But not realizing that as much As we hate the isolation And the uncomfortableness Of the chrysalis, We’ll come out of it stronger, More alive, more beautiful, More, well, everything. And when we finally wake up On that amazing day And break free of the walls We feel have kept us trapped, We realize that we’re now butterflies And that the walls we felt Had kept us trapped Were actually the keys to Our freedom. Welcome to the real world, Little butterfly.

Optimism. It's a word that I would have identified myself as when I was younger, but when the COVID pandemic hit, it's a word I used very rarely. I would have even identified myself as the opposite of optimism. But see, the thing about optimism is that it creeps into your soul, lighting up the darkest places even in hours of hopelessness. The COVID pandemic was difficult for me because I became isolated from the world around me, something that I used to hate more than anything else in the world. I struggled with depression as seeds of doubt, anger, and loneliness were sewn into my soul. I didn't realize that all I had to do was just turn on the light, the naturally burning lamp of optimism inside me, and all of that would go away. I did eventually figure that out, though, and that's what brought me back. I realized that instead of being pessimistic about the situation at hand, I could start looking for the good in what had happened. Because of the COVID pandemic, I was given the opportunity to focus more on figuring out who I was without the pressure of fitting in with everyone else around me. I realized that I only had to look around and I would see that who I was was staring me in the face every time I looked into the mirror with a smile. I learned that you can find opportunities in every situation in life; even the "bad" situations can bring on good results if you know how to deal with them properly with a growth mindset. I learned that being optimistic actually improves your mental health and overall wellbeing, unlike what I used to believe, which was that having optimism could only lead you to disappointment.

This piece may just look like a baseball sitting on a baseball field, but it has a much deeper story behind it. When I created this piece, I felt extremely alone and isolated, and different from everyone and everything else around me. In the same way, this ball is standing alone in the middle of a baseball field. The only objects nearby are the bases, and these create a contrast with the circular ball and its shadow. The ball's only companion is its shadow, just as I felt my only companion was myself. The ball is also old and worn, with dome dents and blemishes, just as I felt myself to be flawed and damaged. I carefully drew every single piece of sand surrounding the ball as a reminder that although I and everyone around me are different, and that I may stand out, we all exist on the same earth, and at least we had that in common. I also purposely drew the ball out of proportion with the field around it, making it bigger than you would expect of a typical baseball. I did this to show that even though I was having a hard time and saw myself as seriously flawed, I can still rise above the obstacles in my life. I want to inspire others through this piece in that the same can be true of them.

There was a time in my life when I had no patience. I was the most impatient person you would ever meet. It was horrible. Looking back on that time in my life, I realize that my impatience back then really hurt those around me. Though I never intended to hurt them, I did. And it broke my heart. Patience is important to me because to love others means to be patient with them. I want to show love to everyone I meet, and to do that, I build up my patience day by day. Patience is also a virtue and a strength that a lot of people don't possess. Being patient means breaking that barrier and showing that patience is something that should be valued. I've had my experiences with impatient people, and they aren't fun to be around. I'm actually appalled that I used to be one of those people. One of those people who doesn't care about who they hurt as long as they can have what they want when they want it. People who can't wait for anything. My Creator tells me to be patient, and I am determined to do what He says because I love Him. If having patience means I get to honor him in a new way, then I am more than happy to do so. Patience has many implications for everyone in every setting, and I am happy to have finally learned the value of it in my own life.

One of my biggest aspirations in middle school that made its way onto my bucket list was to graduate early. Not only is this on my bucket list, but it is about to be named one of my greatest achievements. I am so honored that I will be able to graduate early this year and fulfill this item on my bucket list. I know it sounds a little weird that I would say it's on my bucket list. I prefer to think of it as unique. Another thing that's been on my bucket list since I was really little is to learn how to horseback ride. I've been obsessed with horses ever since I was five and six living next to two horse ranches and going up to my great-aunt's ranch in Iowa. I remember riding once maybe when I was four with my mom, and at that time I was so little I was afraid of them. But now it would be one of the greatest things if I could be able to learn horseback riding, which I may learn if I am accepted into my college of choice. I love adventure, and this would definitely be a big adventure. Other things on my bucket list include publishing a book that I've been working on for almost two years and possibly producing the songs that I write. These would be big accomplishments because they would begin to fulfill some of the dreams that I've had since I was really young: being a writer and/or a singer/songwriter. These are only a couple of the things on my bucket list, and I would be ecstatic if one day I was able to do and accomplish all of these things.

In 2020 I had a bad bout with depression. It wasn't until after I recovered that I understood what had caused that depression. I had left behind the one thing that has fueled my life since I was very young: my love for God. All of my motivation, drive, and persistence came from that one source: the one who created me. You know that feeling after you've just gone through a bad breakup with someone who meant everything to you, professed to hate them, but the one thing that is truly driving your pain is the love you have for that person? That is my experience. God motivates me to become all that I can be. He motivates me to be like him. He is creative, and I have explored my own creativity in honor of him. My creativity has had a huge part in my life since I was young, especially in writing and music. God's creativity inspires me to be creative in my own way. Even some of my creative writing I thought to be completely separate from Him turned out to be a way to showcase his nature. In the same way, He desires justice. I can see the same quality in myself. I want to see justice done, and am interested in going into the justice and legal fields to try to set right many of the injustices in the world. Most people would never admit this, but many of the justice laws that we have come from the Bible. The things that we consider to be right and wrong have roots in those ancient "commands." It's interesting to think about. So what is the thing that fuels my life, you ask? Not a thing, but a person. The most wonderful person I've ever known.

"The grass isn't greener on the other side. It's green where you water it." I don't remember where I heard this from (although I believe it was a lyric in Justin Bieber's "As Long as You Love Me"), but this is the wisest thing I've ever heard. There is a saying that the grass always looks greener on the other side until you get there. If you take it into context with the quote I just shared, this seems to mean that once you get to the other side, the grass won't stay green if you don't nurture it. The same is true for the side you were originally on. I resonate with this quote because it speaks to me in my everyday life. College used to be my "other side." It looked better and I couldn't wait to get there so that I could be free of the challenges of high school. What I didn't realize was that this kind of thinking kept me from making the most of my high school life. I was so focused on where I hadn't yet gone that I forgot to look around me and didn't realize that if I nurtured my experience, the "grass" on this side would be green as well. Hearing this piece of wisdom has helped me to be sure that I am making the most of what I have right here, right now. After all, I live in the present, not the future. I'm not saying that looking forward to something appealing isn't good, I'm just saying that you can't spend so much time focusing on that that you forget the good things on your side of the spectrum, or the good things that could be on your side if you only nurtured them.

Wow. This is a difficult question because frankly, I don't know where to start. I've always viewed creativity as kind of "my thing," and those who know me would probably say the same. The two biggest areas where I use this creativity are writing and singing/songwriting. My grandma tells me that I've been telling stories since I was eleven months old. Although I can't remember that far back, I do remember telling stories at random when I was four and five. I grew up in an environment that nurtured this creativity and I feel very lucky to have that. I fell in love with writing when I was in third grade because that is when we started writing stories in class. I nurtured this in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade as I wrote a series of three books(none of which are published, but I did get a printed copy of the first one). For the last two years, I've taken AP English courses to develop my writing more as I began to write another book. I'm not yet finished with this one, but I work on it each day and even share it with my school's Creative Writing Club. My mom tells me that I've been singing(with real words) since was about ten months old. Music has always been "my thing," as I took piano and voice lessons through my school choir and music class. I always have lyrics in my brain and a song in my heart, and it's very rare to find a time when I'm not singing or humming some new song I've just begun to write or a song I recently got stuck in my head. I allow my creativity to flourish and I am excited to see where it takes me.

Nature is the most beautiful thing that can be perceived by the senses. If you only take a minute to look around you, you'll notice all the beautiful and intricately detailed work that is this beautiful world of ours. You could spend your entire life trying to see as much of it as you can, but no one can truly and fully explore all of it. I love nature because of its intricate beauty. But the main reason is that everywhere I look in nature, I see the Creator of it all. A painting projects the image of the painter. After a while of looking at a painting, you begin to see the artist and who they are through it. So when I look at this beautiful painting of the Creator, I see Him in every little detail. As Dante Alighieri says, "Nature is the art of God." It angers me that people are carelessly ruining nature. They tear down trees and destroy wildlife habitats all in the name of making us as humans more comfortable. But what about the trees? What about the wildlife in those habitats? We need to be careful to take notice of these valuable things, or we may end up completely destroying our wonderful blue-and-green-marbled planet. Nature is one of the most precious things we have. I always try to make sure that I am appreciating all that it has to offer by spending time in it and examining it and the way it does things. I am often taken aback by how peaceful nature is at the times when I am most stressed. Nature doesn't seem to be stressed out about anything, and it always does what it was created for with pleasure and peace. Nature makes me what to be more like it.

My best skill is writing in all forms, but particularly fiction novels and short stories. My grandma tells me that I've been telling stories since I was eleven months old and seemed to have a love for it, which I am now able to confirm as I reread over some of the things I've written. My journey to becoming the kind of writer I am today has been a long and laborious one, and my journey to being the best I can be is by no means anywhere near over. When I was in third grade, I was animated when my teacher taught us how to structure stories. I excelled in this and was ecstatic whenever she let us write our own stories. I practiced my writing in school and at home. I strove to improve and make my writing the best I could, leading me to take a book writing class as an elective in fourth grade. I finished my very first book (and even got a printed copy of it) by the end of that school year. I read it continually, never tiring of it, for about a month. I wrote another book (a sequel to the first one) in fifth grade for the final project of English as I learned how to better improve my writing. It's almost hard to believe that was so long ago. For the last two years, I've been taking AP Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition to better improve my language and literature writing skills. I've watched as my writing gets better and better as I've started to write another book. I plan to continue learning all I can to improve my writing, and I believe that when it comes to writing, there's always something new to learn.

Nikki Banas once said, "You never really know the true impact you have on those around you. You never know how much someone needed that smile you gave them. You never know how much your kindness turned someone's entire life around. You never know how much someone needed that long hug or deep talk. So don't wait to be kind. Don't wait for someone else to be kind first. Don't wait for better circumstances or for someone to change. Just be kind, because you never know how much someone needs it." Truer words were never spoken. I sit down at lunch with a kid who normally sits alone. I want to make sure that this person knows they are valued. I want to be this person's friend, trying to spread the joy and kindness within me to all those around me. Little do I know that this very person has no friends. They were always shunned by those around them, and they were depressed and considering suicide. And I didn't find out how much I had positively impacted this person until much later. Impact is something we all wish to give to the world, and we all go about it in different ways. One person may seek to end world hunger, while another may want to end global warming. But for me, I want to have an impact on people. I want to spend my days making someone else smile, making someone else laugh, making someone else happy because that is where true change starts. Of course, as Banas says, we can never truly know how much something we said or did impacted another person in any way. But what I can do is make sure that those impacts, no matter how small or how large, are all positive.

My ultimate goal in life is to show others the love of God through everything I do. My career, academics, and personal goals all center around this one thing. Loving others means helping them, showing them compassion, being there for them. People have it all wrong when they assume that Christians just aim to force their religion on you. Religion isn't something that can be forced, and those who attempt to force it don't truly know the Lord. My ultimate career goal is to become a writer, an actress, something with CAD, or something concerning music. All these are things that make people smile, things that can have a true impact on others. Throughout my life, I have been shaped and impacted by the things I watch, the songs I listen to, the books I read, and the images I see. These things can make you laugh or make you cry, and some can even change your life if you keep an open mind. And God can use all of it to do good in the world. I believe that life itself is a learning experience, and education extends far beyond the classroom and traditional academics. Of course, the things you learn in the classroom or from traditional academics can be invaluable when starting a career in virtually anything. You can learn from the world around you, and I personally value the things I learn from God. I am taught how to show my love to others in whatever way they need it. I am taught to love even those who hate me, and I have developed many friendships using this technique. So ultimately, no matter what I say or what I do, I seek to show God's love to everyone around me. That is my true goal in life.

I sat down at the piano and tried to copy my grandma as she showed me a song on the piano. I was five years old. Every since I was very little, music has always been a part of my life. My mom tells me that I was singing (real words) by the time I was ten months old. For as long as I can remember there have always been lyrics in my brain, a song on my heart, and music in my soul. And that is one of my biggest passions. I searched through all genres of music looking for the one that fit, but I couldn't find it because I loved all of it. I've written songs in almost every genre, and am genuinely psyched to discover new music, new sounds that I enjoy, new cultures that I can explore. Every culture has its unique type of music that is common to their culture, and I love it all. Music has a unique ability to make a difference in the hearts and minds of those exposed to it. I love it when the lyrics of a song pierce through to my very soul and relate to my experiences. I'm in love with the feeling I get when I experience the catharsis that comes from getting my thoughts down on paper in the form of song lyrics. Music is relatable, integral, cultural, and accessible. And that's what makes it so amazing. I hope that someday my music will make a difference in someone else's life the way that other people's music has made a difference in my life. I know that music has that kind of power, and I want everyone to realize just how essential music truly is in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not.

If I'm being completely honest, I have more than one dream for my future career. Each is difficult in its own way, and each one will bring challenges that I will have to persevere through. My top three career dreams right now are to be an actress, writer, and computer programmer/animator/designer. I sincerely hope I can achieve one — or possibly all — of these dreams and goals. I've been a storyteller ever since I was little. Writing gave me an outlet that fostered that creativity, and now I write constantly. I also know that reading one of your favorite books is a great way to make you smile, and that is something I want to pursue. I want to foster my creativity and at the same time work on developing something to make someone else smile. These reasons also play a part in why I want to be an actress. I've always been fascinated with the concentration and utter devotion it must take for actors to play a convincing role. Seeing them in a variety of different genres has also really shaped the way I think about acting. Sometimes coming home from a long, laborious day at school, watching my favorite tv shows was one of the only things that made me smile, and I want to provide that to others. Now for computer programming, animation, and design. I love all of it. I started coding a little when I was ten, and to be honest, I loved learning new languages, which made this feel right up my alley. Now I'm taking a 3D computer modeling class which I just absolutely love, and I hope I can use the things I am learning in my future career, whatever that may be. These are my dreams for my future career.

I roll out of bed on Monday morning feeling that all too familiar feeling of hating the world. A copy of Almost Home by Joan Bauer is sitting on the table next to my bed, and as the lamp flickers on I pick it up and begin to read. As I read I am reminded of how I felt when my father left, and the story of the girl named Sugar and her dog Shush uplifts me and shows me how to make the best out of a bad situation. Sugar's father left when she was young. For a long time, she and her mother relied on her grandparents for support, reminding me of when I was a child and my father left. I was able to relate with the way Sugar felt about her father, and the way her father's actions shaped who she wanted to be. Her father lied and could never be trusted, and she desired to be someone who could help others, someone who other people knew they could trust, and I've realized by going through a similar situation that that is also what inspires me to be a good person. Sugar voices the perspective that persuasion is powerful, and can affect how you view the world and other people. She realizes that persuasion is a tool that is used to mislead people, and she desires to make sure that she doesn't mislead anyone she knows. Instead, she shows them kindness, love, and generosity through the choices she makes and the actions she takes. She shows how one little detail, even a dog, can make a positive impact on someone's life, and how kindness, truth, and determination can change everything, no matter what. The book inspires me to be like Sugar, spreading sweetness everywhere I go.

My grandma once told me that I've been telling stories since I was 11 months old, and although I don't remember that far back, I believe it to be true from the rest of my experiences as a child. I remember when I was younger and all I cared about was reading and writing. Every book I read made an impression on my mind and helped to develop the creativity that soon began to almost burst inside me. I began to write shortly after and loved the outlet that it gave me. I wrote my first book when I was 9 (just for fun) and fell in love. Writing is one of those things that people take for granted. When most people read a news article, a blog, a book, or a poem, they don't realize the effort it takes to make. They don't realize the impact that it can have on people. Writing can be used to expose the issues in our society today. It can be used to make people smile; it can be used to make people cry. Writing can inspire and encourage and bring attention to issues in society that most overlook or ignore. Writing can make a difference in the world because it by nature creates communities. Every book has its community of people who love and share in the perspectives and messages of that book. Writing can also be a collaborative process. Writers inspire each other through their works, editors perfect the works, and after all of that, they are released for the world to enjoy. Writers give a voice to unpopular and uncommon opinions, shed light on avoided topics, and seek to inspire society to do better, to be better. Authors show people what happens when you work hard for something you believe in. Every life-changing speech that has ever been made started with the author who wrote it. Every perspective-altering article started with someone who wanted to make a difference. Every intriguing poem began with someone who realized that life and its many wonders are to be celebrated. Every mind-blowing book began with a person who had a vision for what the world could be and believed that people in the real world could make it true. And I believe in that vision. I know I have been inspired to make a change in the world through writing by observing other authors' work, and I know that others can be changed by the products of writing as well. I want to make a difference in the world through writing. I want to inspire people to be the best version of themselves through my writing. I seek to show how writing can make a positive change in the world by writing to inspire, writing to encourage, writing to inform, writing for change, writing for love, and writing to imagine, imagine a better world. In this, I agree with Martin Luther King, Jr. when he says, "If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write."

I'm sitting on the back porch as my family is gathered around me. I am so happy that they are there with me as I breathe in the cool day air, looking around at all of their faces as we discuss the one thing that unites us all. I love the feeling of just being able to be with my family, and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be surrounded by people I am close to. The thing is, most of these people are not biologically related to me, but they are the ones who have been there, who have shown me what it means to live life to the fullest and to have unity. I am so thankful to have them in my life as they have shown me what it truly means to belong. It makes me immensely happy to know that there are people around me, my family, who accept me and love me and make me feel that I am home whenever I am with them. It is a very simple pleasure, but I am very lucky to be able to have this wonderful experience that has helped to shape the person that I am today.

I stared out the window of the school bus, longing to be back in the classroom where I felt at home. So many opportunities to explore! So many new things to learn! So many books to read! I was always excited every time I stepped foot inside the school building because the idea of all that knowledge being right at my fingertips thrilled me. But I failed to realize that I can learn anywhere I am, in every situation. In every moment there is always something new to learn. It wasn't until I became homeschooled in fourth grade that I came to this realization. Homeschooling forced me to think about education as a continual journey, one that wouldn't end even long after I finished school. I could learn from experiences; I could learn from new people I encountered. I could learn things about the world by actively living in it, rather than looking at it from a third-person point of view. There was something to learn from looking at information from another person's perspective; there was something to learn from imagining experiencing a situation from another's point of view. There was an opportunity to learn something everywhere I turned. I no longer felt as if I had to be in a classroom to learn something. Of course, the learning that I did in my classes is valuable to me now, but the learning that I did outside of the classroom may just be what will help me be successful in life. I do not mean to say that school and success are independent of each other; no, that would be stupid, as my education from school will help me on my journey to achieve my goals. I am, however, saying that life in and of itself is a learning experience, and it took me being homeschooled to finally understand that. Through this experience, I have learned to view the world differently. I have learned to be actively involved in the world around me, to pay attention to the little things, because even the little things can have tremendous value. A piece of information that one person discards can be an epiphany to another. An experience that some may think of as purely negative can teach a valuable lesson to someone who keeps their mind open to the possibility of learning. In this way, education has profoundly shaped and changed my view of the world. I believe I have discovered the true meaning of education. Education is a continuous, life-long journey that doesn't stop when you get out of school. And the only thing to do is to take advantage of all those educational opportunities that life presents us with and always be looking for ways to learn something new.

The quality that I value most in myself is my determination and commitment. When I start something, I see it all the way through, and I never give up until I achieve what I set out to do. I value this trait because it motivates me to take advantage of every opportunity I come across in life. It enables me to drink thoroughly of all that life has to offer. This quality will help me in my life journey because it will ensure that I will never pass up an attainable opportunity. Especially since I aspire to make a career in the performing arts, determination and commitment are some things I will need to be able to achieve this goal. Making a living in one of the most competitive markets out there will be a serious challenge, but using my whole-hearted determination and commitment, I won't stop until that career is something that I have attained, and I will aspire to become better at it every day. Having determination and commitment also means that I seek out any opportunity to learn. I love to learn, and I am determined to learn all that I can in as much time as I have. Determination means that I will never give up on anything, which is truly a necessary quality in anyone who wishes to make a difference in the world. I also want others to be able to depend on me; having someone like me around who is determined to never give up shows other people that they can rely on me to get something done, no matter what it is. Determination is also necessary for any pursuit of education. When classes and assignments get tough, having determination means that I will push through them and set my mind to learning whatever it is I need to learn. Being determined and committed means I will do my best possible work and never skimp or try half-heartedly on anything. I always see everything through to the end, and even when the going gets tough, I will still keep going, and this trait will benefit me in every area of my life as I continue to pursue my goals, dreams, and educational intent.

My whole life, the world has constantly tried to force me to be someone I'm not. People set expectations, and if I don't conform to them, they ridicule me or look down on me because they don't understand the value of who I truly am. Staying true to myself in a world that doesn't see that as a virtue is very difficult, and it takes all of my courage not to just become a chameleon, fitting in with whatever expectations people throw at me and never standing out. Sure, that would be easier, but it's just not who I am. I stay true to myself in my daily life by reminding myself that I am perfect just the way I am and that no one else gets to tell me who I'm allowed to be. I voice my opinions, even if they are unpopular, and stand my ground when someone challenges my values. When someone makes fun of my hobbies or interests and says that I'm weird, I tell them I prefer to call it unique. I always try to make sure that I'm not letting anyone but me decide who I am. I look at the way I act and I ask myself, "Is this who I want to be, or is this who everyone else wants me to be?" I'm not a chameleon, so I don't act like one, because staying true to myself is the only thing that can make me truly happy.

To explore what it truly means to listen, it is necessary to explore what listening is not. Listening is not sitting there zoning out and pretending to listen while someone is talking to you. Listening is not interrupting someone or invalidating what they are saying. Listening is not telling someone they are wrong before you have fully heard them out. And now that we've explored what listening is not, I can delve into what listening truly is. Listening means paying close attention to what someone is telling you. If you don't understand something they are trying to say, you ask questions. If you're not sure if you are fully understanding, repeat what they are saying back to them so they can correct you if necessary. Listening means trying to comprehend what another person is saying and hearing them out completely before voicing your own opinion. And if you are truly listening to another person with the right mindset, they will not be invalidated by whatever you say next because you have fully tried to understand their point of view. I find that when I show someone my full attention and make sure they know I am listening to them, they are less likely to get offended in conversation and we are less likely to argue. For instance, one of the biggest issues I used to face was always arguing with my stepdad. We were always interrupting each other and neither of us truly listened. But I found that when both of us made the effort to actively listen to one another and show our full attention, we clashed less and less. Now I try to always sincerely listen to those around me. Every voice matters and every opinion has a place, and listening means knowing how to respect that.

I originally fell in love with the arts by observing how it impacted me. Some days, coming home and listening to music, or watching a tv show, or reading my favorite book was the only thing that made me smile throughout the day. And I want to give that to others. Finding the arts and beginning to explore them helped me overcome my struggles with mental health. I had lost interest in everything that had once given me joy, and the arts helped me out of that dark place. As I explored music, acting, and creative writing further, I fell in love with every part of it and developed a true passion for them. They gave me an outlet for all the emotion pent up inside that was causing my mental health to rapidly decline. Simply having a passion for something again built up my confidence and gave me the boost I needed to prevail against my struggles with mental health. Practicing some arts, such as acting and music, are team efforts, and can influence the way a person deals with other people in their everyday lives. It teaches one how to collaborate, how to work with others to produce something that makes people smile. I also believe that this can help people strengthen their relationships in their everyday lives, and strong relationships with those around them are key to helping those struggling with mental health. The arts are comforting to me, even if I am only viewing them and not participating. I aspire to provide that same joy and comfort to others through my pursuit of the arts. I want to make music that inspires people, I want to write books that will give people joy, and I want to act in films that provide others with the same comfort and catharsis that I experience. I firmly believe that the arts can have a positive impact on those struggling with their mental health. Whether someone is involved in the process or simply just viewing the finished product, the arts in any form — be that painting, drawing, sculpting, acting, music, writing, or any other — can be used to create a lasting positive effect in any one person's life. And ultimately, that is what I strive to do. I want to help others who have struggled with mental health through the arts and to hopefully make a difference in at least one of their lives.

The song that most inspires me is Born To Be Somebody by Justin Bieber. I know it's ten years old, but this song motivates me to become the best possible version of myself and not to settle for anything less. It has encouraged me to follow my dreams wholeheartedly and to never give up. Simply just listening to the song raises my confidence and inspires me to let the real me shine. When it says, "This life may kick you around, this world can make you feel small, but they will not keep me down, 'cause I was born to stand tall," I am encouraged to always make the best of every situation and to never let life get the best of me. Justin's lyrics show me that I should never let anything stop me in the pursuit of my dreams and that as long as I keep a confident and dedicated attitude, I can do anything, be anything. This song shows me what it means to be bold, brave, dedicated, and confident, and inspires me to do the best I can to attain these traits as I continue on my journey to achieve all that I aspire to do.

One way in which I try to have a positive impact on the world is by always looking for ways to make others smile and helping them out in any way I can. I want others to feel the love, respect, and kindness that everyone deserves, no matter who they are or what they have done. One encounter that makes one person smile can change everything for that person, and then they can go on and do the same for another, and that love, respect, kindness, and compassion gets passed on through multiple people until all of their lives are changed for the better. My way of having a positive impact on the world means that I try to have a positive impact on every single person I meet because you can't change the world if everyone is distanced from both the world and each other. To make a lasting impact, you need to open others up to trusting each other, loving each other, and respecting each other. Not in a fake way, but in a real, meaningful way. That is how we make an impact. I strive to show others the love and respect that they deserve because then there is at least the possibility that those actions will be passed on to the next person, and the next, and thus positively impact the world.