As funny as it sounds, my family is probably the least artistic family in the world. My mom jokes that she can't draw a straight line if her life depended on it and my brother couldn't even be bothered to pick up the pencil. That being said, I had to find art on my own. I had to find what it meant to me. My whole childhood, before each birthday I would ask for anything hands-on: Bracelet making kits, doll-making kits, art sets, etc. That was just the beginning. The best part of being creative was that money never held me back. My instant thought when I wanted something that my mom was unable to afford was “Can I make it? Is there a youtube video for this?.” My favorite project of mine was when I turned a plastic peanut butter container into a pink bedazzled piggy bank, similar to the one I saw at Walmart earlier that day. Although it wasn't pig-shaped, 10-year-old me was more than satisfied. In the 6th grade, I was signed up for orchestra class. I did a quick “eenie meenie miney mo” on the instrument sign-up sheet and my finger landed on the cello (thank goodness it did). Since that day I found a passion for a new aspect of art: Performing. I loved that my mom or brother didn't understand my love for the arts, it was my little secret. With that in mind, it is clear to me that my love for the arts stemmed from the fact that it was my own to go out and discover. In an alternate universe where my mom is a pianist and my brother is a fashion designer, I can still guarantee that I would love art but I doubt it would be the way I do here in this universe. I'm aware that everyone in the world enjoys art in some form whether it be music or decorative items in their home, but there's just something so incredible about being the artist. To have the ability to take something from your mind and make it come to life or to have the ability to pick an emotion you wish to portray through your music and see the effect it has on your listeners is simply amazing. On Instagram, I closely follow an artist that goes by the name of Cris Blackwater. She is a goldsmith that creates gorgeous custom jewelry and has earned a place as my favorite artist. What makes her stand out so brightly to me is that she just began her craft in 2020. I love that Cris took advantage of quarantine and found a new passion. I will be attending the Metropolitan State University of Denver for jewelry welding, Cris Blackwater’s work was one of the inspirations for my decision.