I have endured and been resilient through several mental health issues throughout my life, such as ADHD, depression, and forms of anxiety. From a young age, a part of me has always felt like an outsider, an observer, a wallflower in disguise. I started to transform into someone who was antisocial and somewhat disconnected from society. However, as a way to cope with the pain and the tremendous weight of my inner conflict, I created more deep, intense, and overall emotionally striking art. My creative process almost always grows out of sketchbook pages, where I translate my thoughts and feelings through my materials. This empowers my rough, newborn ideas to blossom into fully-rendered creations, whether they are drawings, paintings, manipulated photographs, reworked clothing articles, and so on. The visions that I develop are based on the concepts I am most passionate about at the time, especially if I am emotionally invested in them, which determines what I select to elaborate on the most. I then continue working, allowing my subconscious to intuitively point me in the right direction.

I truly love employing my artistry for the sake of helping others, and I believe we can have a profound effect on the world through art. Growing up in a multicultural and interreligious household with open-minded parents has given me a full appreciation of diverse backgrounds and belief systems that coexist in our world. I have created several pieces on social issues that are plaguing our country and the youth of today. My role as a creative writer, songwriter, and poet enriches my role as a visual artist, enhancing my ethos and ability to incorporate strong metaphors into my work. A case in point, with my piece “Product of Society,” I decided to draw my face as one that fits the rigid American beauty standard trapped inside of a meat package, in order to depict the well-known phrase “product of society” as literally and dramatically as possible. There is also an emotional component to this, as many teenagers, myself included, have fallen prey to the toxic and unrealistic beauty standards set by corporations, and as a result have suffered. The symbolism, allegories, and pathos that I use all work together synergistically to produce cohesive, emotionally-charged artworks, ultimately revealing how I explore my creativity and freedom of expression and apply it for the overall betterment of society.

I truly love employing my artistry for the sake of helping others, and I believe we can have a profound effect on the world through art. Growing up in a multicultural and interreligious household with open-minded parents has given me a full appreciation of diverse backgrounds and belief systems that coexist in our world. I have created several pieces on social issues that are plaguing our country and the youth of today. My role as a creative writer, songwriter, and poet enriches my role as a visual artist, enhancing my ethos and ability to incorporate strong metaphors into my work. A case in point, with my piece “Product of Society,” I decided to draw my face as one that fits the rigid American beauty standard trapped inside of a meat package, in order to depict the well-known phrase “product of society” as literally and dramatically as possible. There is also an emotional component to this, as many teenagers, myself included, have fallen prey to the toxic and unrealistic beauty standards set by corporations, and as a result have suffered. The symbolism, allegories, and pathos that I use all work together synergistically to produce cohesive, emotionally-charged artworks, ultimately revealing how I explore my creativity and freedom of expression and apply it for the overall betterment of society.

I look forward to exploring the boundaries of creative freedom in such an interdisciplinary, diverse program, in addition to letting my artistic endeavors guide me to my deepest and truest passions that have yet to be discovered. Every day of my life I create art in some shape or form. I am someone who experiences emotions intensely and deeply, and I have endured and been resilient through several mental health issues throughout my life, such as ADHD, depression, and forms of anxiety. From a young age, a part of me has always felt like an outsider, an observer, a wallflower in disguise. I started to transform into someone who was antisocial and somewhat disconnected from society. However, as a way to cope with the pain and the tremendous weight of my inner conflict, I created more deep, intense, and overall emotionally striking art.

By reflecting on my own life, I realize the importance of raising people’s engagement with important social issues and encouraging them to be agents of social change. I have witnessed how social media and beauty standards have negatively influenced my own mental health. My portfolio reflects on these experiences, enhancing my ethos and ability to incorporate strong metaphors into my work. In “Product of Society,” I decided to draw my face as one that fits the rigid American beauty standard trapped inside of a meat package, in order to depict the well-known phrase “product of society” as literally and dramatically as possible. I have tried to create a powerful image of the pressures of social media. In a series of other self-portraits ranging from realism to fantasy, I explore my developing identity an artist.