In my pursuit of the arts, a journey I have taken my entire life, I often asked myself what my "why" was. No matter if I found myself stuck for months or without inspiration, I always found my way back to creative forms of expression. Creativity is my outlet, my passion, and, more often than not, how I manage to express myself and my feelings when words fail me. I originally thought: "It must be for the pursuit of happiness", but while that is a major factor of my drive to create, it is not my motivation. One night, as I was painting, I was wiping my tears quickly before they could reach the canvas. I felt truly alone, isolated, and without consideration. Amidst the pandemic, I held suspicion towards those I considered my friends and decided to go quiet, not text first, and see what would happen. A day passed, then a week, and before I knew it, three months. No one had reached out. No one had attempted to check on me, to see if I was okay, despite the incredibly unusual silence I suddenly possessed. I mourned the connection I thought I had. I found myself spiraling, trying to paint the slew of emotions. And, as I painted, one thought constantly rebounded through my mess of thoughts: "I just want to be understood." My why-- what drives me-- is to share myself with others, be understood, and help unify people through that common ground. I don't just want myself to have that peace of mind and genuine joy that comes from being understood. I desire it for all. I want to create murals large enough to draw the eyes of hundreds and show them that their next best friend could be behind them in line at the grocery store, that people are not just one moment of emotion, and that everyone has something in common. I want to create pieces for individuals that show them they are thought of, cared for, and worthy of the patience that comes with taking the time to get to know someone. If I can change just one person's mind about making assumptions and harboring hatred, I can consider my lifelong goal achieved. Because that person, just by developing a new mindset of compassion, can spread it to others. One good action multiplies, and through my art and creativity, I hope to begin a chain reaction of understanding that will put the world in a better place.

"An Unfortunately Tragic Story about Jam and a Thief" Over the hill and to the sea, I took some jam not meant for me. Blueberry, fig, and apple, too. What was a hungry boy to do? So sitting crossed I ate my fill and slept until the morning willed. Then, ready for another round, I sought myself a jelly pound. But, a turned jar, to my surprise revealed: "The Jam of Your Demise" and soon as those sad words, I read, I found myself keeled over, dead. Over my corpse I loomed above: A pale blue ghost, my curse: a love for jam, sticky and bittersweet. A dish I can no longer eat. From then I spent my days in gloom. For jam, my love, became my tomb.

The movie that has had the greatest impact on my life is "A Silent Voice," a film adapted from the manga by Yoshitoki Ōima. After its release in 2016 across several platforms, including Netflix, the film quickly gained widespread attention and acclaim for its stunning visuals and animation, touching story, and relatable, well-developed characters. Despite this, because the film was made in Japan and has an anime style-- factors that are clouded by many stereotypes-- some people prematurely, and incorrectly, dismiss the movie as unworthy of being watched or weird and unusual. Yet, the film harbors deep important messages everyone could learn from. In the film "A Silent Voice," a girl with a hearing impairment experiences intense bullying from her peers and ultimately has to transfer schools. Years later, one of the boys who served as her tormentor, struggling with the weight of his actions against her as well as many others, meets her again and attempts to make amends. The movie covers their time together and how his and the world's treatment towards the girl has massively impacted her life. Without directly talking about it, the movie expresses the consequences of bullying and what life is like for both the bully and the victim. Extremely complex issues associated with depression, anxiety, and both the intricate hopeful and despairing emotions felt by the characters are literally and figurately illustrated in a relatable, captivating way. Where stories usually only cover what victims of bullying experience and how they suffer, "A Silent Voice" shows you what both parties experience and how bullying can almost destroy someone's life just as severely as being bullied can. This movie helped me realize the complexity and reality of situations such as these. Until I watched this movie, because of mass media and what I was taught as a child, I only ever saw bullying, harassment, abuse, and other serious problems as black and white. "A Silent Voice" showed me that nothing in life is ever as simple as it seems; there is always more to the story, and the more you communicate and work to figure out the truth, the better off you are. This movie showed me how impactful your actions towards others are, how they come back to you in one way or another, and that if you earnestly want to be better, make amends, and are willing to put in the work-- redemption is possible. Every day, I carry and apply the many lessons I learned from this movie. Thanks in part to the film, I always strive to understand people and situations to the best of my ability and work to be a better person. I know that if I ever make a mistake or do wrong by someone, and I honestly wish to make things right, people will see that, appreciate that, and work with me to improve our relationship and, by extension, our lives. "A Silent Voice" is a beautiful film in myriad ways, full of meaningful lessons and touching stories that have changed my life for the better.