Having the ability to draw (to a certain degree) in 8th grade was the spark of a new idea and opened an entirely new gate of opportunities for careers I could have in the future. Watching drawing tutorials slowly introduced the field of tattoos and that was what I wanted to do after high school, my parents weren't necessarily against it but they believed that being a tattoo artist should be a plan B. Majoring in Graphic Design rather than Studio Art was the best decision I could've made when planning for college. Graphic Design taught me that technology is advancing and traditional art isn't as reliable as it was a few years ago. As AI advances, I've learned to take AI into my own hands and use it to my advantage whether it is through Adobe programs, ProCreate, or even AI art websites. The biggest concern in the Art/Design field is AI taking over, and in my opinion, designers should learn to use AI to create something AI can't make without you. I don't mean without another brain in the mix, I mean your unique brain, your thought process, and your style that you've developed. Once I learned to apply all of that to an AI program like Adobe, it was undeniable that I had put my thoughts and style into it. The only difference is that I didn't apply more effort to the physical aspect of it. The physical aspect has become less important but still a priority in my classes relating to my major, especially the year-long course that I am going to take this following semester, which is "Senior Seminar". The whole idea of the class is to work on a series that you have thought out the year before and continue to work on the message of your art projects, whether it's creating a comic book, talking about mental health, creating a concept for a video game, art related to your religion, etc. My message is self-improvement, I started going to therapy in February and coming from a traditional Mexican household, I was always told to bottle it up and never show emotion. However, I found that there was a lot more to my past that resulted in how I was a year ago mentally. I was a lot more angry, unaware of my surroundings, and turning to focus on my thought process and thinking to myself why I think a certain way has put me on a strange journey and I love creating art relating to my findings.

Drawing became an outlet for me when I started to draw it in the eighth grade. With each drawing, there was an ongoing sense of serotonin gain. Even as my talents improved throughout high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue after graduation. I went on to look into several majors, including nursing, biology, criminal law, psychology, etc. I was instantly drawn to graphic design when it came time to make a decision (no pun intended). I can state with confidence that, as I approach my fourth year of college, I've learned much more than just how to create art. Since there isn't a "one size fits all," I've learned how to read a work from a variety of perspectives. This idea is supported by my favorite piece I made, titled "TH!NK." The artwork is part of a series that documents my journey through counseling and treatment that I'm now pursuing to support my mental health. Many people asked me why this particular artwork was purple since the others in the series were mostly red or black when I received the final print for it. It felt right, however, I wasn't sure why. Someone mentioned that the color shift may reflect a shift in perspective; for example, I see red or black, while my therapist may be recognized as purple in my eyes and the skeleton is maybe what he sees me as throughout our sessions. That understanding completely blew my mind away, and it allowed me to translate several other viewpoints and concepts. After a few months of working on this series, I would say that conversation gave me the push I needed to comprehend how other people saw my work. I wouldn't be able to build on the translation of what I'm trying to say without those other interpretations and ideas. I started to develop this obsession with finding new perspectives or different ideas. My idea of a positive impact is allowing others to apply their ideas and participate in the art in a certain form. Commissions are the primary thing that is feeding this drive. Being able to create what people think and what their minds are trying to communicate through my translation in art is something I love to do whether it's for a poster in their room, a gift for someone, etc.

Drawing became an outlet for me when I started to draw it in the eighth grade. With each drawing, there was an ongoing sense of serotonin gain. Even as my talents improved throughout high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue after graduation. I went on to look into several majors, including nursing, biology, criminal law, psychology, etc. I was instantly drawn to graphic design when it came time to make a decision (no pun intended). I can state with confidence that, as I approach my fourth year of college, I've learned much more than just how to create art. Since there isn't a "one size fits all," I've learned how to read a work from a variety of perspectives. This idea is supported by my favorite piece I made, titled "TH!NK." The artwork is a part of a series that documents my journey through counseling and treatment that I'm now pursuing to support my mental health. Many people asked me why this particular artwork was purple since the others in the series were mostly red or black when I received the final print for it. It felt right, however, I wasn't sure why. Someone mentioned that the color shift may reflect a shift in perspective; for example, I see red or black, while my therapist may be recognized as purple in my eyes and the skeleton is maybe what he sees me as throughout our sessions. My mind was completely blown away by that understanding, and it allowed me to translate several other viewpoints and concepts. After a few months of working on this series, I would say that conversation gave me the push I needed to comprehend how other people saw my work. I wouldn't be able to build on the translation of what I'm trying to say without those other interpretations and ideas. Since this is my fourth and potentially last year of college, I have very little concept of what I want to do when all of this is over. I'm not sure which direction I want to go in, but I have a few ideas. I came extremely close to joining the military after high school. Now that I think about it, I wish I had gone that route first and benefited from the free tuition. However, what keeps that door open in my mind are the potential experiences and benefits I could obtain to sustain my life in the fututre. I've wanted to become a tattoo artist since I was in the eighth grade. I learned a lot on what it takes to become an artist, and it takes a lot more than just being good at drawing. Also, getting my own designs professionally tattooed on me undoubtedly caused me a lot of suffering. Right now, the only thing I can be certain of is that whatever I do after college will purposefully be difficult because I think that if I don't enjoy a challenge, I won't enjoy the work I'm doing. This, in my opinion, is what makes me stronger. Knowing what you don't like is just as valuable as knowing what you do like.

From Senior year in highschool to now, I am confident to say I have grew as an independent person in my own right. While I did have aid in certain aspects, there is one section in my process of growth no one was helping me with, and that is because I refused to reach out for help with it. As 2020 went into lockdown, of corse it took a toll on everyones mentality. As months passed by I was growing to be more and more obsessed with different psychedelics. As I grew more interested in them, my mental sate started to deteriorate, I felt as if I had no sense of morality nor a sense of purpose for the longest time. I knew it was wrong and knew it was a problem from the start of it all. It wasn't until, my family moved to another area just outside of Chicago to start fresh from the pandemic. Of course, it wasn't that simple to get away from. Moving to another are from what I am used to from living in the city gave me a different perspective in many subjects, especially on drugs. As I tried to leave that behind me, it was also taken as an opportunity to reinvent myself. I started to learn more on morality and philosophy on life. Before the pandemic this was nothing I took into consideration, although I was only 16 during the pandemic and was 18 when we moved. Regardless, Im happy with the mental state that I am at right now. As of right now, my mom and I believed that filing for FAFSA would help us avoid a financial predicament. But we were given precisely the opposite. My mother continued to work during the pandemic, according to her 2020 tax records, and as a result, her FAFSA indicated that she earned enough money to cover the majority of my tuition each semester. It went without saying that I didn't want to watch her endeavor to support me. Therefore, in addition to working in a restaurant on the days I'm not on university grounds, I also assist as a front desk employee at the St. Xavier Visual Art Center as a student worker. Every semester, when I receive an email stating that the billing statement for the semester is available for viewing, it's an anxious moment for me. Naturally, even though I usually wish for the greatest possible circumstance, the last few semesters haven't turned out to be quite as anticipated. Although loans do exist, we believe that we have sought for and been approved for as much as we can manage without going into further debt down the road. It won't just assist with tuition, in my view, if I enter our senior year only taking care of the loans we currently have and not worrying about finding the money right away for next semester. It will assist my mother and I in managing and refocusing our attention on the loans we owe so we can pay them off as soon as possible.

The world around me always has something new to give to us. Some are positive some are negative, and many of those happen without warning. However, it is up to you how you wish to interpret the scenario. I try my best to take in everything as a learning experience, whether I like the position I'm in or not. My ideas and pieces are what represent times of a certain emotion, obsession, and moment where I believed and said "This is worth documenting". My main and/or prime example is the grey piece shown called "Silence". A little after making this piece, a friend of mine passed and one thing that stuck with me was how blind I was to his behavior before his passing. I had known him for 4 years at the time and while he wasn't the most talkative one in the group there were still aspects of him that were just different looking back at it, and that's when I learned that Silence shouldn't be taken as an empty vessel, but the exact opposite. As I said before, I take everything the world gives me as a learning experience, and his passing was not an exception. I wanted to be more observant, not just towards people, but towards everything in life, everything I began to see, read, and hear, is a piece waiting to be applied to a canvas, sheet of paper, artboard, etc. As I learn more, I also see more than what I did before, allowing me to find my next piece.

'm currently a junior studying graphic design and can confidently say my work has evolved in such a way I did not think it would in a million years. I didn't necessarily have an influence in my life that didn't impact my passion for my craft, it was a hobby of mine that gradually shifted into something I know for sure I wanted to do long-term. However, I've had one person in my life that has helped me change as a person for the better, I've had this one friend since I've known all 4 years of high school, he's a year older so he began college a year before I did. Alex is a friend that has helped me change my life in a way he's not even aware of. Since we became close, he was always a person with no hate towards anyone. I was a person filled with hate and did bad things before meeting him, as we connected more in one class we had together, he would share his life with me and it seemed like my vision of what a "perfect life" is, and I've told him that's how I felt. From that point on he would comedically be the angel on my shoulder and tell me when something I did or said was wrong. He would tell me in a way that it always stuck with me and was glued to the back of my head. The better I've worked on myself mentally and socially with Alex guiding me also improved my craft and the ideas I've talked with myself about. As my passion for art continued to grow, I stumbled upon Adobe software during my senior year of high school. This discovery marked a turning point in my projects. With Adobe's tools, I spent countless hours on practice and experimentation. Each stroke of my digital pen fueled my desire to push the boundaries of my artistic abilities. In conclusion, my artistic journey remains an ever-evolving expedition, characterized by continuous growth and exploration. Each piece of art I produce is a milestone, a representation of my progress and dedication to my craft. Although I may be uncertain of the exact distance I have traveled on this path, I firmly believe that this is just the beginning of an incredible and lifelong project. As I move forward, driven by my passion for art and design, I am confident that my combined expertise in creativity and marketing will unlock boundless opportunities in the realm of advertisements. My dream of creating mesmerizing billboards and movie posters is more alive than ever, and I am excited to see where my artistic journey will lead me.

I'm currently a junior studying graphic design and can confidently say my work has evolved in such a way I did not think it would in a million years. I didn't necessarily have an influence in my life that didn't impact my passion for my craft, it was a hobby of mine that gradually shifted into something I know for sure I wanted to do long-term. However, I've had one person in my life that has helped me change as a person for the better, I've had this one friend since I've known all 4 years of high school, he's a year older so he began college a year before I did. Alex is a friend that has helped me change my life in a way he's not even aware of. Since we became close, he was always a person with no hate towards anyone. I was a person filled with hate and did bad things before meeting him, as we connected more in one class we had together, he would share his life with me and it seemed like my vision of what a "perfect life" is, and I've told him that's how I felt. From that point on he would comedically be the angel on my shoulder and tell me when something I did or said was wrong. He would tell me in a way that it always stuck with me and was glued to the back of my head. The better I've worked on myself mentally and socially with Alex guiding me also improved my craft and the ideas I've talked with myself about. As my passion for art continued to grow, I stumbled upon Adobe software during my senior year of high school. This discovery marked a turning point in my projects. With Adobe's tools, I spent countless hours on practice and experimentation. Each stroke of my digital pen fueled my desire to push the boundaries of my artistic abilities. In conclusion, my artistic journey remains an ever-evolving expedition, characterized by continuous growth and exploration. Each piece of art I produce is a milestone, a representation of my progress and dedication to my craft. Although I may be uncertain of the exact distance I have traveled on this path, I firmly believe that this is just the beginning of an incredible and lifelong project. As I move forward, driven by my passion for art and design, I am confident that my combined expertise in creativity and marketing will unlock boundless opportunities in the realm of advertisements. My dream of creating mesmerizing billboards and movie posters is more alive than ever, and I am excited to see where my artistic journey will lead me.

have always been passionate about art and design, and that's why I decided to pursue a major in Graphic Design with a minor in marketing. My ultimate goal is to unleash my creativity in the field of advertisements, crafting billboards, and eye-catching movie posters. This journey began during high school when I first picked up a pencil to draw, attempting to discover what my future path might hold. Little did I know that this hobby would spark a determination to pursue my passion wholeheartedly. In those early artworks, the world of tattoo art caught my attention. The idea of creating art that would leave a lasting impression on someone's skin impressed me. The idea that individuals would trust me to permanently etch my artwork on their bodies filled me with excitement. When I shared my plans with my parents, they were supportive but also wise in encouraging me to consider a backup plan. They believed that being a tattoo artist was an admirable choice, but it wouldn't hurt to explore other art-related career paths. In the midst of perfecting my graphic design skills, an exciting new interest began to take shape – photography. My involvement with media crews at music festivals exposed me to the world of capturing moments through the lens. The art of visual storytelling captivated me deeply, as I witnessed photographers immortalizing emotions and experiences through their photographs. The images they shared on social media platforms resonated with people from all walks of life, leaving a lasting impact on their viewers. Inspired by the idea of freezing moments in time and creating meaningful visual narratives. My artistic journey remains an ever-evolving expedition, characterized by continuous growth and exploration. Each piece of art I produce is a milestone, a tangible representation of my progress and dedication to my craft. Although I may be uncertain of the precise distance I have traveled on this path, I firmly believe that this is merely the beginning of an incredible and lifelong project. As I move forward, driven by my passion for art and design, I am confident that my combined expertise in creativity and marketing will unlock boundless opportunities in the realm of advertisements. My dream of creating mesmerizing billboards and movie posters is more alive than ever, and I am excited to see where my artistic journey will lead me.

I'm currently a junior studying graphic design and can confidently say my work has evolved in such a way I did not think it would in a million years. I didn't necessarily have an influence in my life that didn't impact my passion for my craft, it was a hobby of mine that gradually shifted into something I know for sure I wanted to do long-term. However, I've had one person in my life that has helped me change as a person for the better, I've had this one friend since I've known all 4 years of high school, he's a year older so he began college a year before I did. Alex is a friend that has helped me change my life in a way he's not even aware of. Since we became close, he was always a person with no hate towards anyone. I was a person filled with hate and did bad things before meeting him, as we connected more in one class we had together, he would share his life with me and it seemed like my vision of what a "perfect life" is, and I've told him that's how I felt. From that point on he would comedically be the angel on my shoulder and tell me when something I did or said was wrong. He would tell me in a way that it always stuck with me and was glued to the back of my head. The better I've worked on myself mentally and socially with Alex guiding me also improved my craft and the ideas I've talked with myself about. As my passion for art continued to grow, I stumbled upon Adobe software during my senior year of high school. This discovery marked a turning point in my projects. With Adobe's tools, I spent countless hours on practice and experimentation. Each stroke of my digital pen fueled my desire to push the boundaries of my artistic abilities. In conclusion, my artistic journey remains an ever-evolving expedition, characterized by continuous growth and exploration. Each piece of art I produce is a milestone, a representation of my progress and dedication to my craft. Although I may be uncertain of the exact distance I have traveled on this path, I firmly believe that this is just the beginning of an incredible and lifelong project. As I move forward, driven by my passion for art and design, I am confident that my combined expertise in creativity and marketing will unlock boundless opportunities in the realm of advertisements. My dream of creating mesmerizing billboards and movie posters is more alive than ever, and I am excited to see where my artistic journey will lead me.

One of my biggest influencers growing up would be one of my oldest cousins named Jose. He's this energetic and kind person, with a soul belonging to a person from the 80's. He's always living his best life as if the Beatles were still relevant. Aside from his soul, he was just someone that nobody show hatred for. I never met someone who said that they didn't like Jose, He has a good way of communicating with people and that is something that I wish to develop because I didn't have many friends growing up, and seeing him get along with really anyone was incredible for me to see. He taught me a lot of things about communicating and I'd like to say my skills have improved I want to be that person just like my cousin that nobody hates because they're just too nice. However, his interest in The Beatles can be his own thing, I don't think that old-style fits me necessarily. As for my artistic skills, I am majoring in graphic design and minoring in marketing. I chose these two because I think these go hand and hand, if you want to promote something through visual aid, you got to make it visually appealing. That's where graphic design comes in; space, typography, illustration, etc. All these things are to be kept in mind, when I graduate from college, I want to be able to put all my skills into digital art and help companies or small businesses promote their sales and a mix of graphic design and marketing skills can be a huge advantage in my opinion. I grew up drawing for the majority of years that I've been into art. However, when I got to college and started playing around with digital platforms such as adobe photoshop and Illustrator. I learned that I now have limitless opportunities to create something. So when I was still doing drawings, I would finish the art piece and think "How would this look on this platform? Or what about this platform?". I just want to find ways to make my pieces better. Granted, some drawings do look more appealing when just hand-drawn, but I can say that I tried to find improvements in every drawing.

This art piece I have titled "Dead on Time". There are multiple aspects to how I came up with this name for this piece. The biggest reason was for my 2 friends in high school who sadly passed away months after their graduation. The eye in the drawing is actually meant to interpret my own eye and the skull symbolizes a sight that I had to see. I was in the hospital room when one of my friends passed and it was simply a terrible sight seeing them slowly fade. However, they were both great friends nontheless and have supported me through everything and this is my favorite piece to show any audience when I have the opportunity to do so. Art is something that will always connect to me and I can never imagine letting it all go. I don't see how I directly help my community through art at the moment, I keep my drawings to myself for the most part. However, I thought of a variety of careers I was interested in that give to my community in different ways. Two careers I have in mind are becoming a tattoo artist or a graphic designer. Being a tattoo artist gives me the chance to help people when choosing art to permanently go on their bodies. On the other hand, being a graphic designer gives to the community in millions of ways; Advertising, movie posters, book covers, etc. Computer graphics are everywhere and it's simply impossible to avoid even one. Being a tattoo artist was something I always wanted to be as a kid ever since I got into drawing. When I learned that people can get drawings on their bodies, first I wanted to get one as soon as I was old enough. Second, I wanted to become the person who does the drawing. I learned how special it could be to become a tattoo artist, you meet thousands of people that get different tattoos for different reasons. I liked hearing peoples stories about their tattoos growing up, even if they got it just because they thought it looked cool I still found myself jumping up and down like a toddler about them. When I met my stepdad who used to be a tattoo artist, he taught me how important it was to be open with people, because when you have a tattoo that's going to take a process of 6 hours conversations is all that you can have in that moment. In other words,to me becoming a tattoo artist means to give to the community by helping people express themselves, wether they express through the tattoo itself or the conversation I might have with that person. Graphics Design is only something that I have a limited knowledge of. However, from what I've learned about it through my first year of college, now going into my second year in the fall. I've learned how much fun it could be to have unlimited opportunities to create something. You're not only stuck to using a pencil and paper. With the limitless ideas also come limitless opportunities to give back. Everything you see with a label on it has graphic design involved, and that is something that is interesting to me. Being able to create several designs for brands, because what I have used so far in my courses have only been photoshop and Illustrator. I know that these are application that I love, and I would love it even more if I have the chance to do it to help people stand out with that design symbolizing them. .

Being a 15-year-old kid growing up with only television in the living room, cartoons and anime was something that always stuck with me. I remember the moment drawing or art in general just clicked with me. One day my stepdad takes me to an old comic book/vinyl store, a place where everything was old like him. I'm kidding, but to a naive kid like me, it was just old and not interesting. I was getting into anime more and more. I friend eventually introduces me to Manga. Ah yes, the Japanese version of comic books. I always found different styles in drawing through Manga and it influenced me to try and create my own drawings in a way that I've seen before in those mangas. I'd copy directly from any manga book I had at the time and eventually started to develop a sense of freedom when drawing, which then lead me to create my own anime characters. Looking back on those characters they were pretty poopy. At this point in school, anime was something only the "the nerds" watched so I also grew up with a small group of friends and they were very supportive of my work. At the end of 8th grade, there was always an awards assembly at the end of every year and that year I was awarded best work in my art class. Was I awarded a trophy? No. Did I win any cash? No. What I won was a 5th Gen Ipad, and as a creative kid like myself, I instantly knew what I was gonna do with this extraordinary piece of technology. I spent countless hours drawing on that Ipad and I kept getting better and better, and that's when it truly clicked with me. Over the years I also learned more and more about digital art such as Adobe. Specifically, Photoshop and Illustrator, I never felt more freedom in art before I learned about those two programs. Attending college now, I am able to try different courses that are required for my major, and I've seen different people perform those different styles of art. Like, Painting, Photography, Drawing, Graphics Designing, etc. It's all so intriguing to me and I love every second I've spent creating what my mind desires. I wouldn't change any style of practice I've done in the past, because what I am creating now is my favorite experience yet.

This piece is titled "Dead on Time." I chose that title for several reasons; One person could be sinister and want to see someone die in front of them. Compared to people in a normal society, the only death we see is either accidental and traumatizing or we don't see the actual death and the last we see of them is in a casket being buried. For me, I have two friends from high school dead and it's been very life-changing for me. At first, my art was only a hobby and nothing more; I didn't think my art was all that special to say the least. These two friends of mine have helped me believe that I can go a long way with this talent. It's only been 3 years without them but in the amount of time that I've known them for, they were role models to me, considering I was a sophomore and they were seniors at the time. As for my goals, I always grew up around tattoos. Everyone in my family would get a new tattoo occasionally. My uncle's tattoos are what caught my eye, he has several cartoon-styled tattoos all over him. He took me with him to watch him get a new tattoo, and since that day I still love seeing the process. As well as the feeling an artist gets when their client is happy with the work they've done. I want to be a tattoo artist in the future because the feeling of someone saying "Hey, I like that artwork, can to ink that on my body permanently" is just a very uplifting kind of moment, and I can't see myself taking my artwork in another direction.

Growing up I never had anything to distract myself with after school besides video games. I would always come home and mindlessly play video games without any care. I started to notice the creativity of the characters in the game like "Crash Bandicoot", "Little Big Planet", "Assassins Creed", Etc. I decided I should try to draw my own video game character, I don't have the original drawing but from memory, it's clearly not the best. The more I drew, the more I let my thoughts just give me more and more ideas. I've been into drawing and painting for about 6 years now, and I like to say my skills have greatly improved. I see it now as a more therapeutic method for me. I just let my mind wander around my imagination and draw whatever it desires. To me, being an artist means just staying true to yourself and your work. We have a creative mind that we use in several different methods. Being an artist doesn't mean you just sculpt or draw all day. To me, it means you've set a goal. Creating my own form of art is something that gets me through the day. Drawing is what drives me to improve on many things. If I have the motivation to draw on a piece of paper, I feel like I should have the drive to improve on many other things I see not sitting well with me. Drawing helps me improve mentally and physically. I always seek room for improvement, not necessarily to reach perfection. More like improvements that I see that sit well with me. At times, we all lose some sort of motivation for a while. Anytime I don't feel like drawing, I don't feel like doing anything. But whenever I get back into the working mood, whenever I get my pencil to the paper. I remember why I love drawing so much. As a kid in the 7th grade, I didn't seem interested in the small number of jobs we were exposed to. Jobs like a Doctor, Police Officer, Firefighter, Astronaut, a Princess. I wanted to be a princess but I figured the world wasn't ready for that so I usually said I wasn't sure when being asked what I wanted to be when I'm older. Fast forward to the 8th grade we had a guest speaker who was a veteran in the Navy. He talked about his family and he mentions his brother is a "Tattoo Artist". The moment I heard those two words, the man had my full attention. After his speech, I asked him more about being a tattoo artist. He did it as a side hustle before the Navy so e showed me how it all worked. From that point on I wanted to use my art skills for that only purpose. The more I looked into tattoos, the more I knew what it takes. I have a hard time socializing, and I know that's a priority to have when being a tattoo artist. I've been practicing on that more and more lately. I'd like to be an open artist and see people's own creativity when choosing their 1st, 2nd, 25th tattoo. I want to be trusted to design someone's idea, that's my ideal goal once I start being a tattoo artist.