“Creativity takes courage.” This simple quote by Henri Matisse, a visual artist who paved the way for our understanding of bright visuals and intricate form, encapsulates the very difficulty modern artists face in finding the path to their creative pursuit. Our present-day society promotes a strict, 9-to-5 workplace structure, emphasizing conformity rather than freedom of self-expression. This means being an artist is rather unconventional, and oftentimes difficult to find success in. While I believe a person’s humanity is defined by their creativity-- not wealth and status from said workplaces-- the real world is shaped to support the opposite of that. Despite this, I wish to pursue a life in the arts, something I’ve known I’ve wanted to do since middle school, but the way to achieve this always seemed out of reach to me. My Art teacher, Ms. Wood, is the one that helped me see an attainable path to reach that goal. Professional art isn’t a fantasy, but rather a career that is difficult to attain, and opens endless doors (not just in my career, but in my lifestyle as well). She understands the courage needed to enter the very competitive world of visual arts. Courage is creativity. Ms. Wood has taught me that to stand out, it’s not about conforming by following what’s already been done-- it’s carving your own path by taking inspiration from the artists and environment around you and remixing it into your own product. Throughout my 4-year high school journey in visual arts, she’s laid the foundations, the skills, and the insight I need to succeed. Beyond learning those necessary aspects of generating art, however, she’s simultaneously challenged my thinking and what inspires my art-- for most projects, she’s pushed me to have the courage to be innovative, to try, and to fail. Creativity takes courage. The courage to try and mess up, to find a technique that works better, to scrap an idea because you found a better one in the process of making. Ms. Wood puts the reality of creating art in perspective, having taught me that art isn’t defined by a deadline but is consistently about unpredictable cycles of motivation, persistence, and trial-and-error. While eventually, the post-modern, 9-to-5 workplace structure has to be taken into account, she has brought the reality of creating for a living to the studio space so I can prepare to enter that very heterodox workspace. Everyone has courage to create. A fond memory relating to art resides in my childhood, where that very courage led me to become the artist that I am today. Having arrived in the U.S. armed only with the words “bathroom” and “spoon,” drawing was my tool for communication. I would use my drawing skills to express my ideas. Even after I picked up the language and could speak English fluently, this concept of letting images portray the fantastical worlds and creations of my mind stuck with me. The courage required to express my basic needs then is the same courage I draw on today to tell and share stories through my artwork. Knowing that’s what I want to do professionally, finding the right path became my real barrier, but Ms. Wood helped me find my courage to succeed. That courage is something everyone has-- Ms. Wood has shown me its importance in not just visual art, but also every creative outlet. Having the bravery to pursue creativity is something I now value immensely, and something I hope I can inspire in others through my art as I pursue my career in illustration with college.