Life: a gift so precious that it's moments you just want to somehow capture and remember forever. The everyday encounters with the ones I love, the wind bristling through the trees and across the water, creating beautiful waves, the feelings that I somehow cannot explain or put into words, including the hard ones like grief and heartache. CREATION inspires me to CREATE myself. I look at the world around me and ideas rush through my mind for ways I want to capture moments. Art is a form of expression that helps me express the dreams, experiences, and emotions of life. Life is full of color. Many times vibrant and beautiful, but sometimes dull and dark. For example, art is something that truly carried me through the experience of loss. My brother passed away over a year ago now. While I grieved, my family continued to keep me close but I couldn’t explain to them my feelings in the way I wanted because they were going through their very own grief as well. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera, and tripod, and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my brother was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. This experience inspired me to create art that allowed me to express and share my feelings without having the words. I am a passionate, creative student. Pursuing a creative major with the help of this scholarship would help me learn the ins and outs of art and business, build a social network, and find ways to make my passion of film and photography into a full-time career to capture the world we are surrounded by.

Loneliness, exclusion, loss. . . All things that I, myself, have experienced in this past year and a half. I have struggled to find friends, rarely invited to anything anymore, but instead would watch events happen behind a screen. I spent my days with no plans, scrolling through social media while watching people once close to me. . . gather without me. . . searching for a reason why I was not invited but unable to find one. It was a mystery that caused me great pain. As if the endless days of lows and the rare days of highs were not enough, my brother passed away. While I grieved, I said to myself, “I would love to talk to a friend, if only I had any. How could I tell others if no one would talk to me?” This moment of realization that no one was there to check in on me after such tragedy, left me feeling hopeless and devastated. But my perspective on these experiences changed... Throughout this heartbreak, a wise woman taught me the importance of gratitude. Have gratitude on the sunny days and gratitude on the stormy ones. Gratitude is the key to living with joy in any season of life. I took that teaching to heart. While I could not control the real ache and sad feelings of my circumstances, I could control my perspective. I chose to focus on the many blessings in life. With that, I found joy in a time of heartache. Grateful that during a period of loneliness, I found a new creative passion. Grateful that through a such a painful loss, my brother is now in peace. While I cannot change the happenings of the past, I can change my perspective. I always have something to be thankful for.

Loneliness, exclusion, loss. . . All things that I, myself have experienced in this past year and a half. I have struggled to find friends, rarely invited to anything anymore. I spent my days with no plans, scrolling through social media while watching people once close to me. . . gather without me. . . searching for a reason why I was not invited but unable to find one. With all of the time that I had on my hands, I began to discover ways to be creative. I had always had a deep love for portrait photography. I started taking self portraits, building a website, investing in equipment, and learning to edit in different ways. I would take portraits every week, constantly experimenting in Photoshop and Lightroom. I grew bold and confident in my work. As I shared my pictures, many people began to reach out expressing interest in having their photos taken by me. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more. As if the endless days of lows and the rare days of highs were not enough, my brother passed away. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I grabbed my camera equipment and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, being able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. It illustrated my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet and turnaround for me to help me persevere through this era. I have now created a business out of this passion that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career.

Since I was a little girl, I had always been fascinated with taking pictures and videos while being in front, and behind the camera. I would create different scenes with what I had in a given place for a picture or video that I had a vision for. I was lead into professional photography through the gift of a DSLR camera back in 2018. I discovered a passion for portraits and capturing different people’s personalities while also creating art. As I shared my pictures online, people started to reach out expressing interest having a photoshoot with me. I considered it an honor that people wanted me to capture such personal milestones such as one’s senior year or a mother’s start to maternity. My family supported me and helped me research and invest in new classes and equipment. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more until in late 2020, it became my job. From this time forward, I've had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career. I am a passionate, creative student with a dream to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design. Pursuing a creative major with the help of this scholarship would help me learn the ins and outs of art and business, build a social network within the creative world, and find ways to make my passion of film and photography into a full-time career with the education I will obtain. I am looking to broaden myself so that I am better equipped with the tools to advance in the artistic industries. I hope to study abroad while attending school as I love seeing different parts of the world and their cultures. Help me to continue to learn, prosper, and grow through this scholarship.

Since I was a little girl, I had always been fascinated with taking pictures and videos while being in front, and behind the camera. I would create different scenes with what I had in a given place for a picture or video that I had a vision for. I was lead into professional photography through the gift of a DSLR camera back in 2018. I discovered a talent and love for portraits and capturing different people’s personalities while also creating art. I started taking self portraits every other day, utilizing my tripod and camera. I built a website, invested in more equipment, and learned to edit in different ways. Portraits and experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom became a pastime. I would edit the photos and look up tutorials for various editing styles and tricks as I still do. As I shared my pictures online, many people began to reach out expressing interest in having their photos taken by me. I considered it an honor that people wanted me to capture such personal milestones such as one’s senior year or a mother’s start to maternity. My family supported me and helped me research and invest in new classes and equipment. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more until in late 2020, it became my job. I entered a double exposure photo that I created in Photoshop into the Josten’s Yearbook national contest, placing fifth in the illustration and manipulation photography genre. I have now served over 150 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. This talent serves as a creative, joyful outlet for me. From this time forward, I've had no doubt that I wanted to pursue my talent in a creative career.

Since I was a little girl, I had always been fascinated with taking pictures and videos while being in front, and behind the camera. I would create different scenes with what I had in a given place for a picture or video that I had a vision for. I was gifted my first DSLR camera back in 2018 and discovered a love for portraits and capturing different people’s personalities while also creating art as a hobby. When COVID-19 hit America and the schools shut down, I found myself very lonely and craving creativity. I started taking self portraits every other day, utilizing my tripod and camera. A few months into the pandemic, I built a website, investing in more equipment, and learning to edit in different ways. It became a favorite hobby that carried me through this time period. Portraits and experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom also became a pastime. Taking portraits outside while also trying to utilize studio equipment indoors. I edited the photos right after and would look up tutorials for various editing styles and tricks. When discovering this hobby, I quickly learned of the love I have for it in the way that it keeps be creative, passionate, and bold. It means so much to me to be able to express myself through an artistic hobby. As I shared my pictures online, many people began to reach out expressing interest in having their photos taken by me. I considered it an honor that people wanted me to capture such personal milestones such as one’s senior year or a mother’s start to maternity. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more in what I love to do. I entered a double exposure photo that I created in Photoshop into the Josten’s Yearbook national contest, placing fifth in the illustration and manipulation photography genre. This wonderful hobby became a high school business. I have now served over 140 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. Taking photos serves as a creative, joyful outlet for me. From this time forward, I've had no doubt that this hobby is what I wanted to turn into a creative career. I am now an ambitious high school senior with a dream to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design. Would you help support my dream career inspired by my favorite hobby? I hope you will take me into consideration for this scholarship. I am truly grateful for the opportunity. Thank you for reading!

Greetings! My name is Niah Johnson. I am a passionate, creative, and ambitious student with a dream to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design to pursue a creative major. Carrying myself with kindness, gratitude, creativity, and service in all I do is key for me. I have always had a deep love for photography in which I am thankful to have built a successful business and job from as a high schooler. Outside from photography, you can find me spending time with my dog, friends and family, participating in CrossFit and weightlifting, attending and serving the church, listening to music, eating and making good food, and watching shows.

My name is Niah Johnson. I am tenacious girl with a dream to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design with the help of scholarships to chase my creative passion. In 2018, I discovered a great passion for portrait photography through the gift of my first DSLR camera. I would take portraits of friends for fun and constantly experiment with different styles and editing techniques. I knew from that time that I wanted to pursue a creative career. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we were unable to meet with other people, I did not let that stop me from creating and chasing after my dream of being a photographer. I started taking self portraits every other day, utilizing my tripod and camera. I built a website, invested in more equipment, and learned to edit in different ways. Portraits and experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom became a pastime. Taking portraits outside while also trying to utilize studio equipment indoors. I edited the photos right after the photoshoots and would look up tutorials for various editing styles and tricks. I grew bold and confident in my work. My family pushed me towards my dreams and encouraged my tenacity. As time went on, I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more. I entered a double exposure photo that I created in Photoshop into the Josten’s Yearbook national contest, placing fifth in the illustration and manipulation photography genre. I have now served over 150 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. This business serves as a creative, joyful outlet for me. I want to continue to chase after this this dream. In order to do so, I must avoid college debt. It is no secret that the school I would like to attend is expensive. I have made sure to calculate how much money I need in order to attend, with all expenses included. To achieve paying this total, I applied to over fifty scholarships, saved the money I have made from my photography business, and am receiving help from my parents. I have opened up an account to start investing some of my money now so that later in life, it will help me be financially stable. I have also received some financial aid from the college after submitting an application, portfolio, and resume. I will continue to apply for as many scholarships as I can. I aspire to keep my tenacity and passion at the forefront of what I do so that I can succeed financially to pursue in my future creative profession. The help of this scholarship would do wonders for me in the pursuit of education.

A quality that I really value within myself is that I am tenacious. I can set my mind to something and get after my goals. A big goal of mine is to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design with the help of scholarships to chase my creative dream. In 2018, I discovered a great passion for portrait photography through the gift of my first DSLR camera. I would take portraits of friends for fun and constantly experiment with different styles and editing techniques. I knew from that time that I wanted to pursue a creative career. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we were unable to meet with other people, I did not let that stop me from creating and chasing after my dream of being a photographer. I started taking self portraits every other day, utilizing my tripod and camera. I built a website, invested in more equipment, and learned to edit in different ways. Portraits and experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom became a pastime. Taking portraits outside while also trying to utilize studio equipment indoors. I edited the photos right after the photoshoots and would look up tutorials for various editing styles and tricks. I grew bold and confident in my work. My family pushed me towards my dreams and encouraged my tenacity. As time went on, I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more. I entered a double exposure photo that I created in Photoshop into the Josten’s Yearbook national contest, placing fifth in the illustration and manipulation photography genre. I have now served over 150 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. This business serves as a creative, joyful outlet for me. I want to continue to chase after this this dream. The help of a scholarship would do wonders for me in the pursuit of education. I may not know what the future looks like, but my tenacity will serve me well in taking hold of the opportunities given to me to help myself broaden my skills and knowledge for a full-time creative trade. I have no doubt that if have the chance to attend SCAD with the help of scholarships, that I will seize the opportunity and challenge myself to work hard to pursue my dream career. I aspire to keep my tenacity and passion at the forefront of what I do so that I can succeed in my future creative profession.

About a year ago, my brother passed away. While I grieved, I said to myself, “I would love to talk to a friend, if only I had any. How could I tell others if no one would talk to me?” This moment of realization that no one was there to check in on me or talk to me after such a tragedy, left me feeling hopeless and devastated. While my family continued to keep me close, I couldn’t explain to them my feelings in the way I wanted because they were going through their very own grief as well. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera, tripod, my brother’s flowers, and went outside. With this, I created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my brother was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. As I shared the collaged photos, I was able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. This has remained one of my favorite pieces of art because it is personal and carries much emotion. God had provided me with such a beautiful way to send a tribute to my brother while illustrating my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet for me while dealing with loss. I have now created a business out of this passion that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career with the help of scholarships for education.

Perseverance through loss. Just one year ago, my brother passed away. After many years of poor choices and traumatic experiences, his mental illness led to his death. While I grieved, I said to myself, “I would love to talk to a friend, if only I had any. How could I tell others if no one would talk to me?” This moment of realization that no one was there to check in on me or talk to me after such a tragedy, left me feeling hopeless and devastated. While my family continued to keep me close, I couldn’t explain to them my feelings in the way I wanted because they were going through their very own grief as well. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera, tripod, my brother’s flowers, and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my brother was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. As I shared the collaged photos, I was able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. God had provided me with such a beautiful way to send a tribute to my brother while illustrating my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet for me to keep me busy and persevere through this loss. I have now created a business out of this passion that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career with the help of scholarships for education.

Since I was a little girl, I had always been fascinated with taking pictures and videos, being behind the camera. I feel that portrait photography is my current best skill that I love learning more of. I was lead into professional photography through the gift of a DSLR camera back in 2018. I discovered a love for portraits and capturing different people’s personalities while also creating art. A few months into the pandemic, I built a website, invested in equipment, and learned to edit in different ways. Experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom became a pastime. Taking portraits outside while also trying to utilize studio equipment indoors. I grew bold and confident in my work. As I shared my pictures online, many people began to reach out expressing interest in having their photos taken by me. I considered it an honor that people wanted me to capture such personal milestones such as one’s senior year or a mother’s start to maternity. My family supported me and helped me research and invest in new classes and equipment. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more until in late 2020, it became my job. I have now served over 150 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. This business serves as a creative, joyful outlet for me. From this time forward, I've had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career. I enjoy shadowing other photographers, taking classes and looking up tutorials when I can in oder to better my skill. To become the best I can, I'd like to pursue the art in college with the help of a scholarship.

Video application: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EoUuxdTSx1lkFMpmWNOgIVEXYn9GiUQe/view?usp=sharing

The camera simply inspires expression and creativity within myself. It has made the world a better place. Where would we be without being able to look back on the physical memories we cherish most? Since I was a little girl, I had always been fascinated with taking pictures and videos while being in front, and behind the camera. Later in life, I discovered a love for portraits and capturing different people’s personalities while also creating art. What magic this technology can capture. An example of how my camera simply inspired me during a time when I felt no other way of expressing emotion was when my brother passed away. While my family continued to keep me close, I couldn’t explain to them my feelings in the way I wanted because they were going through their very own grief as well. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera, tripod, my brother’s flowers, and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my brother was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. As I shared the collaged photos, I was able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. This technology had provided me with such a beautiful way to send a tribute to my brother while illustrating my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. The camera gave me a creative, joyful outlet for me to keep me busy during this era of loss. I have now created a business stemmed from a camera that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold that has now served over 140 photography clients in the past two years. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career involving the technology of cameras and entrepreneurship.

Art is something that truly carried me through experiencing loss. My brother passed away almost a year ago now. After many years of poor choices and traumatic experiences, his mental illness led to his death. While I grieved, I said to myself, “I would love to talk to a friend, if only I had any. How could I tell others if no one would talk to me?” This moment of realization that no one was there to check in on me or talk to me after such a tragedy, left me feeling hopeless and devastated. While my family continued to keep me close, I couldn’t explain to them my feelings in the way I wanted because they were going through their very own grief as well. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera, tripod, my brother’s flowers, and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my brother was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. As I shared the collaged photos, I was able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. Art inspired me to keep hope and express my feelings. God had provided me with such a beautiful way to send a tribute to my brother while illustrating my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet for me to keep me busy during this era of loss. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career.

The simplicity of treating someone with respect is oftentimes not taken seriously in a high school environment. You can find people throwing around rude comments left and right because they think it is funny, while others sit and watch it happen without saying a word. You can grow accustomed to that behavior until it becomes "normal." Well, I do not stand for this "normal." Within the high school atmosphere, you will find me constantly staying hello to those I do not know. People that have different beliefs and thoughts in comparison to myself, I will gladly welcome as a friend. I will not stand for unkind language and will make sure to advocate for those being criticized. Simply loving one another and spreading kindness will make the world a better place. Let us educate ourselves on history, race, culture, and religion so that we can love and know the people around us and respect them to the full extent.

1. Well obviously, I am applying for the scholarship because I've grown up with a healthy trust fund. A trust fund that is continuously funded by ample interest on the principal amount. My parents are huge millionaires so I thought it would be cute to get a few extra dollars for myself to decorate my two dorms (one dorm room for my closet and one for sleeping). 2. I have a dream to learn how to appropriately fog up a window for custom finger calligraphy that will last a few seconds at most. I hope to achieve a 1.0 GPA or less that will help me flunk 10th grade for the forth time. This lack of education will enable me to guesstimate the exact steam specifications for the perfect glass fog. You could be my first client! 3. On my sixteenth birthday, Daddy bought me a blue Jeep when I specifically asked for a pink one. Every time I step foot into the vehicle, I am immediately saddened by the color. It's a constant battle against depression when I gaze upon it. I have had to see my psychiatrist multiple times a week. She has even suggested an antidepressant until I get my pink one. Prayers would be appreciated.

The balance of life is a continual journey. The small moments and simple pleasures make life ever so special as you remember them. Moments like laughing around the dinner table with family, sipping on a warm cup of hot chocolate, an animal that gives you endless grace laying on your lap, the leaves changing colors, the memory of hearing the wonder of a new song for the first time, and sharing acts of kindness to others can be some of my favorites. But how to go back and relive these moments?Film and video tie into capturing life’s simple and precious memories. The simplistic joy of filming moments on video is a small pleasure in itself. Film and video offer the recapturing and re-experiencing of live visual, emotional, and sensual moments that touch the heart and soul. Developing the ability to weave and implement imaginative and practical ideas that create the best medium from which to illustrate and embody occasion that imprint in our minds. Let us continue to take a look through the lens to remember the love within the small moments that bring us happiness.

Since I was a little girl, I had always been fascinated with taking pictures and videos while being in front, and behind the camera. I would create different scenes with what I had in a given place for a picture or video that I had a vision for. I was lead into professional photography through the gift of a DSLR camera back in 2018. I discovered a passion for portraits and capturing different people’s personalities while also creating art. When COVID-19 hit America, I found myself very lonely and craving creativity. I started taking self portraits every other day, utilizing my tripod and camera. A few months into the pandemic, I built a website, investing in more equipment, and learning to edit in different ways. My love and passion for the art grew stronger. Portraits and experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom became a pastime. Taking portraits outside while also trying to utilize studio equipment indoors. I edited the photos right after and would look up tutorials for various editing styles and tricks. I grew bold and confident in my work. As I shared my pictures online, people started to reach out expressing interest having a photoshoot with me. I considered it an honor that people wanted me to capture such personal milestones such as one’s senior year or a mother’s start to maternity. My family supported me and helped me research and invest in new classes and equipment. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more until in late 2020, it became my job. From this time forward, I've had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career. This art form keeps me passionate, creative and bold. With the help of a scholarship, I would love to pursue art in college.

The balance of life is a continual journey. In the upcoming future, I hope to pursue college at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I have always had a deep passion for photography in which I have built a successful business from as a high schooler. Pursuing this in college would help me learn the ins and outs of this art form, build a social network within the creative world, and find ways to make this passion into a full-time career with the education I will obtain. I am looking to broaden myself so that I am better equipped with the tools to advance in business. This visual art form serves as an expression of myself that keeps me passionate, creative and bold. The college atmosphere in Savannah offers multicultural influences, socialization, and the development of social and professional networks. This college has a broad range of study options while being highly respected in the professional world. The opportunities that SCAD offers will enable me to explore other avenues that can incorporate into my known and unknown business aspirations. My goal is to attend this school with financial assistance and pursue my passion. I am ready to take on the work, wonder, and unknown of the future to pursue my goal of attending this college.

Loneliness, exclusion, loss. . . All things that I, myself have experienced in this past year and a half. I have struggled to find friends, rarely invited to anything anymore. I spent my days with no plans, scrolling through social media while watching people once close to me. . . gather without me. . . searching for a reason why I was not invited but unable to find one. With all of the time that I had on my hands, I began to discover ways to be creative. I had always had a deep love for portrait photography. I started taking self portraits, building a website, investing in equipment, and learning to edit in different ways. I would take portraits every week, constantly experimenting in Photoshop and Lightroom. I grew bold and confident in my work. As I shared my pictures, many people began to reach out expressing interest in having their photos taken by me. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more. As if the endless days of lows and the rare days of highs were not enough, my brother passed away. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I grabbed my camera equipment and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, being able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. It illustrated my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet and turnaround for me to keep me busy during this era. I have now created a business out of this passion that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career.

How has life’s journey turned into an adventure? Through the practice of digital art, I explored the ideas of the circle of life. I worked with mature subject matter in my photos so that I could control and pose the models to best convey my message I wanted to get across. The viewers see different stages of life, including marriage, pregnancy, family, loss, and ending. I start out with picturing two people getting married as they gaze ahead of them into the future through their posing. I then move onto the pregnancy/parenthood part of life. I had a pregnant mother as a model and positioned her to where the light would glow behind her. The next image displays the love of a family. As the mother and her children hold hands and laugh, they are reminded of the blessing they have in family. For my forth image, I created a double exposure of my mother and I that shows the past and present, demonstrating the journey of life coming in full circle. As for the last one, life is coming to an end and it is time for God to bring this person home. Photography serves as a creative, joyful outlet for me. Receiving a scholarship will assist me in reaching my goals within my chosen career through providing me with the education needed to pursue my passion.

Attached.

The files attached in the third section below are artwork pieces I hold near and dear to my heart. While I grieved through a time of loneliness and loss, I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera and tripod and created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my family member whom I lost was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. As I shared the collaged photos, I was able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. God had provided me with such a beautiful way to send a tribute to my family member while illustrating my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet for me to keep me busy during this era of loneliness, exclusion, and loss. As a high school student, I have now created a business out of this passion that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold that has now served over 140 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. I create vibrant photos as displayed in the third image below to reflect people's bright personalities. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career. In the future, I hope to inspire other people through my artwork and pursue a creative career in college. Having a scholarship will enable me to soak up a college's atmosphere which offers multicultural influences, socialization, creativity to blossom, and the development of social and professional networks. The opportunities an artistic college offers will enable me to explore other avenues that can incorporate into my known and unknown business aspirations.

One's life would not be the same without art. Every little creation on the planet is art. As humans, we must continue to let our creativity flow. It keeps us imaginative and lets us wander into our own little world. Art is a form of expression in which is essential to society. I personally don't know where I would be without art. During a time when I had experienced so much loneliness, I started taking self portraits every other day, utilizing my tripod and camera, fueling my creativity. A few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, I built a website, investing in more equipment, and learning to edit in different ways. Portraits and experimentation in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom became a pastime. Taking portraits outside while also trying to utilize studio equipment indoors. I edited the photos right after and would look up tutorials for various editing styles and tricks. I grew bold and confident in my work. My family pushed me towards my dreams and listened to me day by day while I struggled with being alone. They supported me, comforted me, and loved me unconditionally. I started shooting photos of others multiple times a week, growing more and more. As if the endless days of lows and the rare days of highs were not enough, my brother passed away. After many years of poor choices and traumatic experiences, his mental illness led to his death. While I grieved, I said to myself, “I would love to talk to a friend, if only I had any. How could I tell others if no one would talk to me?” This moment of realization that no one was there to check in on me or talk to me after such a tragedy, left me feeling hopeless and devastated. While my family continued to keep me close, I couldn’t explain to them my feelings in the way I wanted because they were going through their very own grief as well. I wanted to communicate my emotions with others but couldn’t find a way how. I then grabbed my camera, tripod, my brother’s flowers, and went outside. I created an expression of how I felt visually, feeling hope as if my brother was still with us in spirit while also lost with the memories I hold. As I shared the collaged photos, I was able to share my emotions of loss to others without having the words. God had provided me with such a beautiful way to send a tribute to my brother while illustrating my feelings during a period of sorrow and loss through art. Photography served as a creative, joyful outlet for me to keep me busy during this era of loneliness, exclusion, and loss. I have now created a business out of this passion that keeps me creative, passionate, and bold that has now served over 140 photography clients in the past two years and filmed six wedding videos. From this time period, I had no doubt that I wanted to pursue a creative career. My story is one of many in this world where art has served as a way to express what we cannot put into words. Art is essential to society.