Five years ago I was a very different person. I was unsure of my future and what I "wanted to be when I grew up" as little kids say. However, that changed when I went to Design Week at Brigham Young University in Utah in 2018. There I learned about the animated movie pipeline and how artists use their talents to bring movies to life. Ever since then, it has been a dream of mine to work in designing characters for animation, and one day make my own animated films. And as Robin Williams once said, “You are only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” Once I found out that it was possible to have a career in the arts, suddenly I gained that "little spark of madness." I desperately wanted to have an art-based career and suddenly the mundane road of my comfort zone took a turn on a path that I had always wanted to be on but never tried. Art education is not my major, but that does not mean I don’t want to educate and inspire others. In a way, I think all artists are teachers and sometimes influencers. When an artist shares something that they create, they help others understand unique ideas. An artist can also inspire others by showing them what can be done with the medium they use, whether it is digital or traditional art. I have noticed that since pursuing art in college, I have influenced others, particularly my ten-year-old sister. She watches me draw and paint all of the time and loves to draw with me. By doing so, she learned how to overcome the frustration that most encounter when not meeting their expectations when learning to draw. I have enjoyed watching my sister’s artistic growth, and I hope to help others the way I helped my sister. That is why I hope to teach others about art, even if it is not in my plans to teach art at a school. One of the many things I plan to create in the digital art space is art tutorial videos. I am drawn to animals and nature in the things I create, and that is the subject that I would enjoy teaching others to draw. Also, I would like to teach basic drawing techniques for those first learning to draw, whether it is traditional or digital drawing. As for myself, I prefer to draw digitally on my iPad using a program called Procreate. I would also like to create tutorials on how to use and become comfortable with the Procreate program because I know from experience that learning to draw digitally can seem daunting. By teaching these skills to others, I hope to encourage others to pursue art as a hobby or profession. In addition to art tutorial videos, I would also like to create animated films and stories that uplift and inspire others. As mentioned above, BYU’s Design Week inspired me to pursue entertainment animation. I hope to one day work for Dreamworks or Disney to gain experience in the entertainment animation industry and develop my own successful animation studio. I know my dream is ambitious, but I also know that by working hard and doing my best I’ll be able to overcome the failures that come my way. I still have my “little spark of madness” and it hasn’t gone out yet. Not only do I plan to keep it going, but I also hope to share it with others so they can see that art is not just a hobby but also a profession.

There is a feeling I get when looking at summer sunset. Or when I see snow-capped mountains in the distance or even the way light catches on a leaf. When I see these things the best word I can use to describe the feeling I get is admiration. I find inspiration in nature and have a deep admiration for it, so much so that I hope to capture at least a little of its beauty in my art. I love painting plants and hands to show how people can be interconnected with nature. I have yet to practice plein air painting, but this scholarship has inspired me to try it once the weather warms up a bit where I live. The first art piece I submitted is a three-foot by seven-foot outdoor painted mural. I called it “Hopeful Hands.” It is special to me because not only is it the first mural I have ever painted, but it was also made for a community garden. The gardener in charge heard that I loved to paint, and asked if I could accomplish this project. My first reaction was filled with lots of self-doubt, but I was able to overcome my fears and I completed the mural. The garden’s main symbol was a sunflower, so I painted a sunflower to be the center of attention. The hands holding the flower and vines is meant to represent the volunteers who keep the garden maintained. My second piece is a marker drawing I entered in the 2023 Copic marker contest. Unfortunately, it is not a painting, but it is one of the best illustrations I have created so far. This one I called “The Gift.” This piece I made to represent all of the precious things and sacrifices given to those we care about.

Five years ago I was a very different person. I was unsure of my future and what I "wanted to be when I grew up" as little kids say. However, that all changed when I went to Design Week at Brigham Young University in Utah in 2018. There I learned about the animated movie pipeline and how artists use their talents to bring movies to life. Ever since then, it has been a dream of mine to work in designing characters for animation, and one day make my own animated films. And as Robin Williams once said, “You are only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” Once I found out that it was possible to have a career in the arts, suddenly I gained that "little spark of madness." I wanted so badly to have an art-based career and suddenly the mundane road of my comfort zone took a turn on a path that I had always wanted to be on but never tried. Fast forward to now, I’ve had many opportunities that helped me grow as an artist. I started college at BYU in Idaho as an illustration major, and for two years I worked on my bachelor's degree. I then temporarily left college to serve 18 months as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. By dedicating time to my faith and volunteering at different services, my mission has pushed me to find ways to serve others using art. However, that doesn’t mean it has been easy. As a missionary I'm not offered any form of pay for my service, it's completely voluntary. I have been living at home for the past year and a half of my mission; working many community service projects throughout the week without being paid for them. During this time I have realized the importance of budgeting and saving money for needed times. But I have also learned from my mistakes of spending a monthly budget carelessly when I should have saved it for the rest of the month. Following the end of my missionary service, I only have a short time to find a job and earn money for college so I can return to BYU Idaho when my deferment ends. As for how I use my right and left brain, I was unsure what that meant. So my lack of knowledge prompted me to do some research. According to Harvard Medical School's website, “Whether you perform a logical or creative function, you receive input from both sides of your brain.” Before coming across this research I would have said I only use the right side of my brain because I'm persistently engaged in artistic activities. Now I realize that I use both sides of my brain constantly. I use my right brain when I draw, paint, or write fantasy stories. But I also use my left brain when I think about measurements in my art or word count while writing. Following college, I’ll apply for jobs that will help me gain experience in the entertainment animation business. Eventually, I hope to be in charge of my own animation studio and create animated stories that inspire others; like how BYU's Design Week inspired me. I know my dream is ambitious, but I also know that by working hard and doing my best I’ll be able to overcome the failures that come my way. I still have my “little spark of madness” and it hasn’t gone out yet, and I plan to keep it going.

Five years ago I was a very different person. I was unsure of my future and what I "wanted to be when I grew up" as little kids say. l liked to stay on the straight road of my comfort zone and avoided taking other paths that would require any risk or potential failure. The idea of creating art for a living was intriguing, but I didn’t know of any successful art careers. I can trace back to my first experience when I was exposed to a wealth of knowledge about artistic careers which inspired me to pursue art in college. That experience was known as Design Week at Brigham Young University in Utah. Design Week was an art camp where I toured BYU's design department. I had the privilege to hear from influential speakers and take short classes with the art professors. During those classes, my group members and I made projects for an art gallery at the end of the week. I thrived in this new environment of creativity. And as Robin Williams once said, “You are only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” Once I found out that it was possible to have a career in the arts, suddenly I gained that "little spark of madness." I wanted more than anything to have an art-based career and suddenly the mundane road of my comfort zone took a turn on a path that I had always wanted to be on but never tried. At one point, I noticed a wall with dozens of illustrations of characters designed by students in the BYU animation department. These illustrations captivated me more than anything else I had experienced in the camp. I remember falling in love with the expressiveness of every character, and the way their unique designs told a story. Ever since then, it has been a dream of mine to work in designing characters for animation, and one day make my own animated films. Fast forward to now, I’ve had many opportunities that helped me grow as an artist. I started college at BYU in Idaho as an illustration major, and for two years I worked on my bachelor's degree. I then temporarily left college to serve 18 months as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Though I was unsure about deferring my classes, I’m so grateful for the choice I made. By dedicating time to my faith and volunteering at different services, my mission has pushed me to find ways to serve others using art. I was even able to paint a mural for a community garden - and I’d never painted a mural before. After my mission, I plan to return to BYU in Idaho and finish my illustration degree. Following college, I’ll apply for jobs that will help me gain experience in the entertainment animation business. Specifically, working on the artistic development of animated movies. More than anything I want to create my own animated stories that inspire others. Someday I hope to be in charge of my own animation studio and hire other creative professionals who are passionate about animation. I know my dream is ambitious, but I also know that by working hard and doing my best I’ll be able to overcome the failures that come my way. I know that this scholarship will help me by aiding me financially with my hefty college expenses and with my dream of owning an animation business. I still have my “little spark of madness” and it hasn’t gone out yet, and I plan to keep it going.