Art has always been the way I processed the world. I'm someone who's quiet, observant, and deeply introspective. Also, as someone someone very passionate about physical art, my journey hasn't been just about skill-building but about self-discovery, discipline, and growth. Over the years, I’ve studied countless artists (primarily on Twitter) and how they color, how they structure their work, and how they use references and real-world details to elevate their pieces. What first began as admiration turned into an active practice. I started to ask, "How can I learn from this? How can I make it my own?" I even spent 3/4 of my Junior year in high school studying anatomy almost every lunch period. This is the kind of curiosity that shaped the way I approach every piece now... with intention, analysis, and a deep respect for process. One of the most pivotal moments in my creative journey came during my AP Art class. The assignment was to create 12 pieces tied to a personal concept. It sounded simple at first, but it really wasn't. I struggled with planning and consistency, and for a while, I fell into the mindset that using references for this was somehow "cheating". I thought that drawing from imagination would make me stronger, more original. But what actually happened was that I became stuck, frustrated that the work in my head didn't match what came out on paper. It was only after revisiting the artists I admired that I realized: references aren't limitations. They're tools. They're stepping stones to better art. Once I accepted that, everything changed. I began collecting photos, studying lighting, poses, and suddenly my pieces gained a depth they were missing before. My AP portfolio grew stronger with each new piece, not because I was forcing creativity, but because I was finally allowing myself to learn. While my score wasn't high because of the writing portion, I do think I learned a lot from it. Especially now. This experience reshaped my entire process. I now try to approach every project with a mindset of observation and openness, willing to look, to gather, and to understand before I create. It's made me not just a better artist, but a more patient one. In the future, I hope to use my art to tell stories that resonate, stories rooted in real, tangible detail, but expressed through a unique and imaginative lens. I want people to feel something when they look at my work, to stop and notice the small things, just like I've learned to do through creating it. This scholarship is deeply important to me because it would support not just my education, but the path I'm carving for myself as an artist. Art supplies, portfolio development, and access to higher education programs all come with costs that can be difficult to shoulder alone. And with the school I am enrolling in, I'll really need all the help I can get. With this support, I could continue growing, learning from others, and refining my voice as an artist without being held back by financial limitations. More than that, it would be an affirmation that the work I've done and the work I want to do matters. Art is the way I connect, communicate, and hopefully one day, inspire others to do the same. Not just a passion.