Art has always been a component of my life, beginning as a young child. In my earlier years, I would spend most of my free time doodling different cartoons and original characters, composing stories of faraway lands and unique species of creatures. My appetite for art grew, surrounding myself with colorful pictures and media in everyday life. My love for art sprouted from my childhood and continues strong today. Creativity is a way of life for me, present through my bedroom. My walls are filled with magazine cutouts, book pages, purchased artwork, and more. More often than not, an in-progress art kit sits near my desk, working bit by bit daily. I also release my creativity through doodling on any paper on hand. When occupied with chores or homework, I usually listen to music to focus on the task at hand. And when ideas don’t flow, I consume different forms of media through the internet. Creativity indeed is what makes the world such a beautiful place, and I try to plant seeds of artistry to create gardens beyond imagination.

I agree that everyone has their unique studying strategies and utilizes different techniques to remember information best. One student can be a visual learner, while another learns best through speech. When I was younger, traditional paper flashcards were the way to go. As time went on, my study strategies changed to fit different topics and levels of education. A resource I use all of the time is Quizlet. Quizlet is a free website that provides students with learning resources such as flashcards, study, and gaming modes. I’ve been using this website for years, and I highly recommend it! When creating studying materials through Quizlet, I structure them differently. For vocabulary, I utilize flashcards and match the term to its definition. I try to connect the word and definition through similar or the same letters or matching sounds. For terms with long definitions, I break down the text into bullet points and complete practice quizzes. For large bodies of text, like a section of a textbook or a chapter in a book, I like to have a printout and highlight important information within the text. Then, I transfer the highlighted text into a study guide for convenience. These are my strategies to achieve academic success. They may not work for everyone, but it works best for me. Achieving academic success looks different for many people, and we should tailor studying methods to succeed in a learning environment!

It was the summer before my senior year of high school. Before Advanced Placement Art History started, students were assigned to complete a Powerpoint; focusing on different art pieces and describing them. It took some time to finish, but everything went to a halt when I saw it. I felt a soft breeze tickling my neck, eyes opening to a small garden, a large bush of red and orange flowers swaying in the gentle breeze with a yellow-beige brick house in the distance, the sky painted blue with fluffy white clouds. My eyes glimpse a couple passing by, quietly chattering on their path. Was it a dream? I shook my head, now back in my bedroom, staring at my computer screen. I lowered my view, Claude Monet, "The Artist's Garden in Argenteuil (A Corner of the Garden with Dahlias)," 1873. My worries faded, drinking in the peace from the painting, the softness of the colors harmonizing without sharp outlines. It was not realistic, but it still portrayed life perfectly. From there on, Monet inspired my art to focus on my depiction of my art, not on realism. It did not have to look exactly like the reference but was recognizable as its reference. His works showed me that art is meant to be adventurous and abstract, not with strict rules.