This painting is titled Can't Fix Me. My inspiration for this painting did not fully strike until I was in the middle of painting it. My original plan was to simply paint a girl, whole and unbroken. Then, I decided that I wanted a stronger message behind it. The title describes the journey we take of trying to fix ourselves to satisfy the standards of others, and in the process, losing who we are. I was inspired by how strong this desire to fix ourselves is in high school. We are surrounded by hundreds of different opinions and standards, and I would feel as though I needed to change to fit into those boxes. I watched others carefully in how they would act, as well as the responses they got from others. Whenever I saw someone get a positive and validating response to who they were, I would feel as though I should be that way as well in order to receive that same validation. But, in the process, I found that I changed so much so quickly that I couldn't remember who or how I was in the first place. I had become so many different people except myself; my identity was everyone else's. Truthfully, it was a bit disorienting, as though I was lost. That's what this painting is about. The girl has tried to change so much that her original identity is breaking and fading away. Although, it's fading slowly. That's the worst part. When you change for others, you don't see it at first. It's slow. Small specks of yourself are fading away but you're too occupied to notice. Her eyes, which I worked to make look like she was looking at the painting's viewer, are almost begging the viewer for answers. She's asking what to do next, or worse, who to be next. But she's also crying for help. Losing yourself is a scary process. It's a choice you have to make of whether you will continue to change or try desperately to re-unite yourself with the only person whose opinions of you should matter: you. Although, change is also inevitable. As we grow and learn from our mistakes, we change. It's how that change affects us that matters. Are we being truthful and honest with ourselves, and who we want to be, or are we letting ourselves fall into self-destruction? This is the intended meaning of the painting, but I also want to open it up to interpretation. I want the viewer to hear the message that speaks to them and perhaps even see themselves in the girl. That's what I want my art to do: speak to and inspire others.

I never understood the true potential of the world before reading Warcross by Marie Lu. This book details the events of a near and likely future where the world is hyperfocused on a simulation-based reality. Through this, the author communicates both the thrilling and dangerous potential of technology and it's influence over humanity. I, while reading, discovered just how naive I was to the influence of technology on my own life. Like just about every other teen, I often found myself glued to my screen; it ruled my life and I let it, happily. After reading Warcross, I understood how life is not just about me, but that it becomes everything I allow myself to be influenced by. Marie Lu entangles both fun and message in Warcross with likeable characters, plot twists, and an ending that showcases just how much a technological influence can lead to actions that can't be taken back. I found myself visibly shocked many times throughout the book, which is one of the most rewarding parts I find in reading. The message itself communicates how we can lose ourselves and our identities solely because of the technology we allow ourselves to use. It becomes who we are. Then, in the end, our humanity is stripped, and we are a morphed creation of the world itself. The book is one of those reads that are fun and games at first, but is so much deeper. I love and appreciate the effort Marie Lu put into making it this way. I think it's a relatable read for any technology-obsessed teenager, or, simply any technology-obsessed book lover. It allowed me to try to understand who I am without technology. Through this, it allowed me to understand my humanity itself.