I've always loved the arts from a young age. The answer o the question "What do you want to do when you grow up?" was always "I dunno, drawing is fun." And then I would fill another page with dragons in bright crayon colors. As I grew up, this sentiment never really changed. Got smarter and better at math, science and English, but nothing ever caught my eye, despite being top of my class valedictorian. In addition to this, all my favorite things were created by artists and craftsmen who put careful effort into their work. Cartoons, comics, Youtube artists, books, Deviant Art, music, and animation were (and are!) the things that gave me joy. Having the opportunity to get formally trained, and help to create more of what makes people happy is my passion. I want to create something to make someone's life brighter. The sciences are valuable, wonderful, and helpful, but the arts are really what have my heart. So this is why I want to grow as an artist, to bring joy. And I'm giving it the best I've got, but it sometimes seems like a pipe dream to be able to live just doing art. But that's why I'm here applying to your scholarship, trying to make this thing possible! The piece of art that matters to me most is probably the K-On! series. A simple Japanese anime about school kids creating a band, and the struggles of going through high school, friendships, and music. I first watched it when I was going through the same time period as the protagonists, roughly halfway through high school looking on to graduation in a few years, noticing my life ahead of me for the first time. This show shaped my taste in music and helped me make sense of my life. All through a silly cartoon about a clumsy high school girl learning the guitar. This is the power of art in my mind- to entertain and bring joy yes, but also to express emotion and deep lessons in unusual or unique ways. Visual and audio arts can tell vastly different stories than words alone- and can even stand alone. Take the Studio Ghibli film Red Turtle, for instance. Not a single line of dialogue in the whole story, and yet it tells a profound story about a shipwrecked man and the unusual occurrences he experiences while living on an island, staring out at the sea, watching this one red turtle. The visuals are beautiful, the music and sound design are immaculate. It is a beautiful story told beautifully, with all the cultural landmarks. This has been a fairly difficult prompt, causing me to ponder my life a little more. Thank you for that! I will continue my journey, trying to set myself up as an artist doing what I love, for doing anything else would seem pale in comparison. ~Luke Steward (P.S. the application wouldn't let me submit video so here is something me and my dad made, animation and drums by me, arrangement and music by my dad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeHlxsa3uXU )