Growing up with cartoons has impacted the way I see the world. It taught me to be creative and adventurous, along with forming my love for fantasy and science fiction. This love of fantasy helped me survive the tough times in my life. When I entered high school, I found myself surrounded by people who weren't like me. I was out of place. I was a closeted trans man (I still am to some). My depression and physical disabilities made it hard to socialize. I sought out art--it was a distraction and a reminder that I was loved. I especially liked fantasy cartoons. The backgrounds were beautiful. The worldbuilding was crafted with intricate details. The characters were fun. Those characters were my favorite part. Characters in fantasy and sci-fi stories are disabled, queer, and people of color. Yet, they are seen as important and aren't treated differently. I am a disabled trans man. I live with transphobic parents. My family and many people around me deny the fact that I am disabled, despite my medical diagnosis. There are thousands of people like me. I dove into fantasy as a way to cope with the world around me. I know others have done the same. Going to an art school has made me more critical of the art and world around me. Those fantasy and science fiction shows weren't as diverse as I thought they were. The disabled characters were shown, but many of them had underlining messages that were ableist (minus Avatar: The Last Airbender). The queer characters were not queer. I thought they were. Those that were confirmed to be queer in some way were painted as villains. Many villains in the 1900s were queercoded. However, they were not good representations. The people of color were most often side characters or racist stereotypes. Many fantasy races play into those stereotypes. Despite these problems, these characters still brought me comfort. I originally wanted to study illustration. I wanted to create characters that I loved when I was younger. I realize now that I want to create characters that I loved who are actually good representations of people like me. Spending time in college has made me want to focus on animation. I want to bring those characters to life through their actions. I want them to bring happiness to others as how they did to me. I've noticed that people look for art in dark times. They go to their favorite bands, TV shows, movies, and online creators. It is something that brings hope, reassurance, and happiness. I am hoping to bring the same feeling I got--a feeling of love--from my art.

1. This food is actually for my cat. 2. I can't eat some foods because of the texture. It just makes my mouth itch and bumpy. Like some fruit. My throat dislikes it, too. This also happens to my friend with nuts. I'm fine with the taste. But the texture, man. That can make or break a meal. 3. According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. "Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little."

Art is important for inspiration, stress relief, and happiness. When viewing a piece of art, either a film, painting, drawing, or music, I feel inspired to create my own art, to help others, and to do what makes me happy. Music moves me and changes my mood and motivation. When inspired by art, I tend to get more work done, be more friendly, and be more motivated. Art is a form of therapy; a stress relief. It calms my nerves and clears my mind, allowing me to focus on what is important. I can live in the moment and live my best life, following the flows of the lines and observing the vivid colors. Art makes my mood improve and feel more free. That's how art effects me. Seeing and listening to art makes the world around us more life-like and a show a personality of the culture in that area. The history of the area is displayed with the types of art shown. It creates a sense of community with the people around us and a togetherness with people from different parts of life. We can learn about others, develop skills, share our history and culture, and reflect on life throughout the ages. Art can connect to anyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, language, or background. The cave paintings tell of the history thousands of years ago, which can not be found with written words. The paintings on ancient Greek vases and ancient Egyptian walls tell us stories and what they thought was important to their culture. Art shares information of politics, ideas, innovations, stories, and beliefs. By looking at a painting, two individuals from different cultures who share no language can understand the same meaning. Art is universal. This universalist trait can make humans become more than what we are. We can express ourselves in ways that react out to others across the glob, connecting to a soul just like ours. That is why art is important. My experiences with it are similar to someone I have never and will never meet. It is what unites the human race on our planet. We take the nature around us and show our love for our life and what we believe in. It is something to be cherished, to hold dear to our hearts, to share with others whenever we can, and to not overlook. Without art, the world would be dull and distant from one another. Just a little bit of art can go a long way, shaping and sharing the world around us.

I have struggled with depression for most of my life, only recently getting medical attention and treatment. A few things help me get out of the robotic like trance that depression brings: art and animals. Creating art has helped me reach my goals and push aside depression. Petting animals has made of focus on the fur and paws of the animal, which in turn makes me ignore the depressing thoughts that scratch at the back of my mind. Having Depression helped me understand other's perspectives. Someone who may not do a lot of their school work could be lazy, or they are struggling with mental health. I've been more open to learning about how the mind effects people. I am more willing to wait for others now, because I understand people may have circumstances that they keep secret. Along with understanding, I also share some of what my therapist says to my friends who are also struggling with their mental health. Growing up with diagnosed depressed made me the 'quiet' and 'shy' kid. In reality, I struggled to make friends and talk because the depression nabbed at my confidence and self-esteem. Knowing that there are millions of people like me has given me the confidence to be more open and hopeful. When planning what to do and when to have it done by, I leave some wiggle room for the depression. I know that if I force myself to stick to a strict schedule, then I will become stressed and will more likely have a break down later. By giving myself some room, I can conquer the depression a little bit at a time, making sure not to bottle anything up. When my mental health is down, I tend to focus on exercises that will add more skills to my art. The thoughts tell me that I could do better, so I take those thoughts and make it into something productive. When I'm down, I pet my cat. Not only does it help me, but my cat enjoys the neck scratches and head rubs. My mental health and depression has greatly affected my life, but not necessarily in a bad way. I have learned how to use it to my advantages and take on what the world throws at me. Although I still have my down days, that is bound to happen. As long as we are trying our best to make it better, then we are doing good enough.

My favorite artist is Raine Hozier-Byrne because she uses her art to support her son. All of Hozier's albums are painted by his mom, Raine. Her art looks so lifelike and imaginary at the same time. She inspires me to work on my painting skills to achieve skills like her.

I have learned about my confidence and where it stems from. I am confident when I don't rely on what others think and focus on having fun. I no longer worry about bad hair days, if my outfit looks cool, or if I am talking about something others find "weird." My confidence stems from the fact that no one really knows what they are doing--everyone is faking till they make it. Knowing that most people do not care, do not notice or even think about what embarrassing thing I do later, is what grants me the confidence to survive another day in this crazy world. Using this new eye opening knowledge, I have been more aware of my strengths and weaknesses; being able to focus on my strengths and work on my weaknesses. I can recognize when I need to slow down and listen to a classmate; when I need to actually study and not just "wing it" like most of the time; when I should respond to the teacher's question, even if I'm second guessing myself. My confidence in the past few months has soared simply because I took a day to look at myself from a different angle, which in turn has made the beginning of my senior year the best school year yet.

Live for the little things in life. This sentence means so much to me because it has helped me survive through the hard times in my life. As someone with depression, anything I do feels like a burden in the world around me. However, this sentence has pulled me out of the old mindset. Now, I live for the sunshine in the window; the plants in my living room; my cat's soft paws and adorable meows; the soft snow that packs nicely; the flames dancing in the fire pit; my friends' smiles and loud laughs. These are small things that happen many times a year, that many people overlook. You don't have to live for big parties, vocations, or meeting celebrities. Those things make life worth living, but it is only for a short time. The smaller, everyday things are what makes our joyous life worth living.

I have liked creating art since I was a child. It has helped me survive the dark times in my life. This art, called "Guiding Light in Darkness," is a digital drawing created of a character from a story I'm creating; her character in the story has the bright, contrasting light of her eyes and accessories guide others to safety. This art has shone my growth and want to help others come out of their own darkness. I looked to art whenever I am feeling depressed or stressed. It takes my mind out of the hardships of the real world and transports them into another world. I would not be alive today if I didn't have art. I know many people are me; they survive through art, either by music, drawing, painting, acting, or any other form of medium. I am hoping someone will see my art as the light in their darkness.