Every single white person benefits from racism, and it's our job to dismantle that internalized racism inside ourselves. That's how I began my long term support for Black Lives Matter and continue to help fight for black justice. Its one thing to be against racism, but its another to be anti-racist. In 2020 George Floyd died and I was neutral on the topic at first. I was always nonchalant about politics and a close friend was angry with me for it. I didn't understand why until they sat me down one day and had a talk. First, the fact that as someone who is white I would never understand why the black community was outraged by this incident. My color would always come first. For me, if I was to even talk back to a cop the worst that could happen is I would be hurt or given a ticket. For someone who's black, they would be killed. Secondly, that I live in a different world than a black person would ever live. I benefit from the systematic racism that exists in our society. The fact that our healthcare for the longest time wouldn't give black people pain relievers because in our medical books we believed that they couldn't feel pain, is one of the many examples of systematic racism that some people still believe in. Lastly, was the fact I wasn't anti-racist. I told them that I was, but they gave me examples of how I wasn't. I was still friends with racists, supported companies that were openly racist, etc. After that conversation I took time to read some books and educate myself on black history, systematic racism, and how I could be anti-racist. I started off with educating my racist "friends" and cutting them off from my life. Next I cut off many companies that weren't in support of Black Lives Matter. Thirdly I went to protests for Black Lives Matter. The protests I went to was to be a listener. Most white people go to protests and speak over black voices. Instead as I was instructed I made sure to be a shield for when there was police violence, I listened to black voices, and made sure I did my best protecting others and bringing necessary supplies. In 2020, I had a job to give everyone water and food during long nights of protesting. I had to help others wash out their eyes from wrongful tear gas. I learned so much from going to protests and learning from real experiences. I learned that racism is still very prevalent in our daily lives, but it can be fought against. Everyone can see justice and equal rights, people just need to fight for it. In short, I am very grateful to my friend who taught me that I was benefiting from racism. I am now striving to do my best to learn and make up for my racist roots and benefits I have gotten. I now will try my best to protest, donate, and educate myself every single day.

I plan to make the biggest positive impact on the world through my art by creating a movie that showcases the diversity of society. Starting off, I am a student going to LCAD with a major in Animation. I plan on using my degree to make a fully animated movie on the struggles of being "different" and overcoming normality. Some could say "many people make movies like that, what would make you different, what makes a good impact". I'm not just making a movie about an underdog. I want to make a movie on the marginalized communities that have never been represented correctly on screen. As someone who is transgender, I have never seen a true trans main character represented correctly. Furthering, there are other communities that haven't been represented without the plot containing racism, bigotry, sexism, etc. I would like to create that film that makes a person finally feel seen. Also, I want to give the movie profits to organizations that directly help the communities in this movie. For example, I want the main character to feature a transgender character. So I would donate parts to National Center for Transgender Equality or various disadvantaged transgender people. For other communities, I want to have them on set and tell me the best organization I can donate to. I want to feature a person of color as the main character and I would love to donate to an organization that would benefit their community. Essentially, I would want my movie to give back to the people who are usually discriminated against or shunned in this society. Basically, I want to make minority voices heard. Whether it be LGBTQ+, poc, disabled, etc. I want our voices heard. I'm tired of the majority making caricatures of these communities. I would make a movie that gives a good representation of our cultures and history. Finally, I want that movie to also give back to these communities.

A higher education is important to me, because I have seen my Mom struggle without a higher education. Starting off, my Mom told me her backstory at a young age that forever sticks with me. My Mom is a strong woman who at a young age was disadvantageous, she couldn't get a higher education. At 19, she struggled with depression after the passing of her Mother from a brain tumor. Her depression led her eventually to homelessness and somewhat of a nomad lifestyle. Soon she found a husband who she married, but told her higher education was for men. My Mom stood her ground and loved to learn. So she would get in fights. Well, one fight got really bad and made a new problem. She was abused and left with her kids. She had a minimum wage job and couldn't support her two kids. Soon, she met my Dad. My Dad encouraged her to pursue her dreams and work the job she wants. If that was to be just a house wife, a co-owner to a rental company they shared, or now a Mortgage processor. Essentially, this story made me realize a couple things about a higher education. One, I have a privilege of being able to have a higher education. My mom struggled with the death of her Mother. Of course she wouldn't be able to get an education. Now, I don't have that struggle. My mom is alive and treats me with so much compassion. I want to get an education for her, and to show her that all her struggles have been worth it. Secondly, I share an amazing thing with my Mother. I love to learn. The thought of getting a higher education is thrilling to me. I love to study, be in a classroom, and learn more about the world. My mom and I constantly teach each other and encourage our education. Lastly, in this world, to pay for a family you have to get a good education. A good education can come from experience, however to get an education gives you both experience and specialized skills. In my example with my mom, she struggled to put food on the table because she didn't have a higher education. It's sad, but its true. To end it short, a higher education is the most important thing in my life. I would show that the lessons my mom learned lives on in me. My love for learning will always be met with constant education. With that all in mind I think everyone who has the chance should experience a further education.

Although cheesy, the most inspiring book I have read was “The Great Gatsby”. This book was such an inspiration for me. I adored the aspect of the book where the main character Nick was like the audience. For he witnessed all the events but was an outsider. However, unlike the audience he could have prevented or responded to the situations. Additionally, this book allowed me to open my world to new horizons. This book taught me that love isn't something you can buy, but it is rather something you earn. When Daisy and Gatsby didn't get married over money they end up unhappy. And when Gatsby finally has money it is too late. Gatsby doesn't even have many friends or close ones, they all want him for his money. His relationships are fake, that is why when Nick came into his life it was a new perspective. In short, this book was my green light across the ocean, I wish to read it again like that first time.

To start, my beliefs have always been influenced by my mental health. It first came up in sixth grade when I started to forge my own values. During this same time I also experienced my first mental health issues. I had clinical depression that started to manifest in major ways. I used to have major panic attacks and terrible night terrors. Shortly, coming to terms with my religion I was first overwhelmed and felt depressed. I wanted to praise a being when I couldn’t even get out of bed. Definitely, I couldn't cater to my values; but soon, I created my own spiritual experience that both helped and didn't affect my mental health. I would celebrate myself and try to do one thing a day for my religion. Even if it was just simply thinking. The little things helped me accomplish the bigger things and soon I was doing daily divination. Additionally, my relationships have always been affected by my mental health. Growing up all my downfalls have been closely related to how I treated people. When I had sunny days, my relationships with everyone were pleasant. However, when my mental health deteriorated I lost most of my relationships. My girlfriend broke up with me, my teachers disliked me, and my parents were always upset with me. Only my closest friend stayed with me. Now that I am on medication I find that my relationships have grown and blossomed. Lastly, the most important thing mental health has affected is my career aspiration. When I was little I always wanted to be an artist; but once I went into middle school I decided to give up those dreams. I thought someone with bad thoughts like me and less motivation could never be an artist. So I decided I wanted an easy over the desk job. Soon, I found myself hating that as well. Shortly, I decided I wanted to become an animator who helps other people with terrible mental health. I think that's the best choice for me, if my mental health didnt go bad, then I wouldn't have gone down this amazing path I had. In summary, mental health affects more than temporary states. It affects every aspect of a person's life. I wish I knew more sooner, but now using my newfound experience I will become the person I was meant to be. I hope more people will choose a state of being to help their mental health.

First of all, I want my legacy to be something to someone. I am going into an artist field, so many artists were seen as great and glorious. So mine must be the same right? Well I wouldn’t say so. I wish to lead a life where my art helps and inspires everyone around me. I want to be an artist that changes the world and leaves a mark, but at the same time I wouldn’t mind if that didn’t happen. Essentially, I know my life is small, but in another far away world maybe I did do that great thing. Personally, I think its okay to not make the biggest impact. To sum it up, I would like to have a legacy that helps people around me; but I don't need a big legacy, but if I could make one person's life better and they remember me for that I would be more than happy. My impact when I leave this world doesn't have to be big, I hope to just make one person proud; even if that person is me.

A piece that has affected me more than any was ‘Potato Eaters' 'by Vincent Van Gogh. The first day I saw a copy of this painting was in a garage sale. I was taken aback from this muddy neutral palette with people amidst eating scraps of potatoes. It caught my eyes, because despite Van Gogh having brightly colored pieces, this one was a mudded out tone. This piece is on the struggles of country life. These people in the painting struggle to get a meal every day. I always had a preference for the deeper meanings in paintings. Ones that illustrate the hardships of life make me feel less alone. My parents struggled to put food on the table during both recessions and seeing something that highlights this important issue. In short, this painting makes me feel like my situations were not just mine to deal with. Others went through the exact same thing I did. I love to see paintings with deeper meanings, especially the ones that make you think. Essentially, that makes 'Potato Eaters' a painting I will always share.

Artists have boring hobbies most of the time. Right off the bat, I'm an artist. It's really hard to have a hobby as an artist, because most hobbies involve art of some sort. Some people's hobbies are drawing, crafting, etc. However, my favorite thing I like to do with my free time is amateur ecology. I believe ecology is one of the most fascinating and interesting hobbies to have. To start, Ecology is the study of animals and how they affect each other and their environment. I study organisms right by my own backyard. Down the street there is a pond that has ducks, Snowy Egrets, turtles, and more. I keep journals of my findings and I read books on all the different types. The most interesting part of these studies is that I live in a desert. The animals that live in this pond aren't natural to the environment. Essentially, the conflicting environments intrigue me and make this my most practiced hobby. Furthermore, I enjoy ecology, because I love to learn about things I see every day. My curiosity exceeds me and I always have to research whatever I see. The most fanatical part of ecology is understanding how the ecosystem works. It's amazing to see how every little bacteria to the biggest eagle has an impact on the world. By studying ecology, it made me feel less small in this world. To come to an end, any artist could tell you their hobbies are not what society deems fun. Sometimes they are the weirdest hobbies you could imagine and that's not a bad thing. Learning ecology has opened my mind to things I would've never thought about. Having a scientific hobby practices and allows my brain to keep growing. So, maybe try some of those boring hobbies artists like, they might be surprisingly fun.

I should have been dead a long time ago. Off the bat, mental health is the biggest conversation that gets undressed. Everyone talks about it, but no one handles the horrid systematic structure it has. As a child, I thought my experiences with mental health were normalized. It was almost too late for me to get help. My whole life changed after improving my mental health. In my personal opinion, humanity has to stop treating bad mental health as normal inorder to prosper. First off, my opinions of mental health began when I started puberty. I began having my decline with mental health. My thoughts were the darkest they had ever been. When I told people about it, I was told everyone thinks that way. I normalized the way I thought for the longest time until it got unbearable. One day I decided to try to end it all by taking over the counter sleeping pills. Obviously, I didn't die, but I was found and taken to a hospital immediately. I learned that I had clinical depression and minor anxiety. I was soon given the tools needed to grow as a human. Consequently, this experience affects me to this day. I have had friends with thoughts that they thought were normal. I try to help them through their problems and get them the help they need. Additionally, I have done speeches to younger classmen on the importance of mental health and coping mechanisms. Some of those classmates have confided to me about their mental health and asked if their thoughts were normal. It's obvious I'm no doctor, but 9/10 times those kids thought some terrible things. Then I gave them a list of resources they can use to get help and talk it out. Furthermore, my career has been affected by my mental health. Before I got help, I was going to become a teacher like everyone wanted. I felt the only way to feel happy was to make others happy. When I got a therapist, they asked me “Am I happy because I’m happy? Or am I happy because others are?”. After that conversation, I decided to do what I really wanted to do: art. Art had been something I had my heart set on ever since I was a child. It was my calling. On top of that, a good coping mechanism I learned was to draw out my feelings. So, I create portraits on mental health and use my art to bring awareness to mental health. It is of most importance that I bring light to mental health using my art. To end it short, humanity has to destigmatize mental health. Everyone has to stop treating it as an everyday thing. There are ways to become the best version of oneself. No one should normalize bad thoughts, instead humanity should normalize getting help. I never expected to live this long and I’m glad I'm still alive. When it comes to mental health, everyone has the potential to joyfully thrive.

In my personal opinion, the best way to tackle loans and debts is with a snowball fight. To start, I am a transgender senior is high school who's passion is in the arts. I make straight A’s and apply for every scholarship I can. I believe that you can't avoid debt or loans, but you can repay them very quickly with the right tools. Before all else, I’m Tyler Pflughoft. I am a senior at JCS Pine Hills Academy. I am an aspiring illustrator who plans on attending Laguna College of Art and Design. I have worked as a caregiver to animals and at Missy's Place 15th Hole Bar and Grill. Additionally, I have volunteered taking care of animals in my local neighborhood and rescuing animals in a high stray area. With all that in mind, I always make sure to save and pay off any debts I have to friends and family. I have applied to over 30 scholarships and plan to continue doing so. To summarize, my objective in life is to become a successful artist with no debt. Recently, I took a money management class to handle my finances. I want to come out of this world as financially intelligent. The class taught me two important things. One, you can't completely avoid loans and two, the Debt Snowball. First, according to my class, when you are someone who wants a higher education you are going to have to take a loan. Sadly, it’s true in my case. I want to go to college, and my tuition is too high for me. So, I have to take a loan. However, the Debt Snowball I was taught is a way anyone can repay their debt. Accordingly, to reduce your debt you need to pay your debts off by lowest to largest amounts. So, you pay the minimum payments for the largest and try to pay off the smallest. You keep going until you become debt free! Therefore, if you have many loans, you can pay off the smallest first and keep going until you have paid off all of them. Not only does this pay off your student debt, but this also allows you to have an amazing credit score. Most people are prone to having debt eventually. Whether it be your friend or a University. It's not bad to have debt, but it is bad to ignore your debt. Using the snowball method and being cautious of your choices can allow you to live a successful life. In essence, handle your loans by treating it like a good snowball fight. Cautious and take out the small ones first.

Growing up, my parents told me “there's a difference between hearing and listening”, I didn't know what they meant until now. To start off, I wasn’t the best kid growing up. I was called “princess rebel” for the longest time. Now, I understand the importance of listening. Without a doubt, being an active listener helps keep you safe. When I was tiny, I used to not listen to my parents. When they gave me advice or instructions I would ignore them. Of course I paid attention, but I never gave a second mind to what they had said. I always thought they were overprotective and outdated with what they said. In 2010 I learned an important lesson that I would never forget. I used to play basketball back then and would go to the public basketball court to practice. My mom told me going out “Make sure to stay safe. And if a stranger comes up to you dont put all your apples in their basket”. Eventually I got there and was having fun. Soon a tall man came to me and asked me weird questions such as “where do you live?”. Not following my parents advice, I told him everything. I trusted this man to the point I almost followed him home. Luckily, my mom saw through the window what was going on and escorted me home. In short, I don't know what would've happened if my mom didn’t come to get me. Undoubtedly, I learned the difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is when someone understands another person is talking. Listening is understanding what the person is saying. I had to learn it the hard way, but active listening keeps you safe.

I make so many mistakes and I am absolutely proud of them. Right off the bat, human beings are flawed creatures. They make life harder for themselves and cant change easily. One challenge I've faced is accepting my flaws. I think everyone could benefit from accepting all their negatives and finding out a better solution. To begin, I make mistakes left in right. I remember my early days in high school being so upset at the C's and F's I got. I couldn't understand how I got them. I recall myself thinking "I studied? What more could I have done?" I had this mindset for a while. I always blamed other people for my mistakes or just ignored them completely. I didn't learn anything from the criticism that I was given. To be open, I was a coward. My true feelings were if I kept making mistakes and if I owned up to them, that's all I am. Just a failure. The truth is, mistakes are who you are. But they don't make up the entirety of an identity. One day I decided to man up. I said "I made a mistake. And that's okay". Soon, I learned to keep making mistakes. The feedback I got from those mistakes is what ultimately made me better. My essays were flawed and I adored it. My rough draft would come back with the maximum amount of red corrections, and soon my final draft was perfect. I let my mistakes become a part of myself. To put it short, I embraced my flaws and I plan to continue doing so. I am human and I can always improve. There's no room for judgment, but there is always room for learning. People have unrealistic expectations for themselves and others, I think the world would be better off if we treated ourselves like humans.

Alcoholism runs in my family, its a hardship I've came to accept. My family is prone to Alcoholic tendency's. Consequently, most of my childhood I experienced drunk driving from relatives. I have had my fair share of trauma. As an aspiring artist, I want to visually share my stories with these events and let it be known that drunk driving has its negative consequences. Starting off, my first experience with alcoholism comes from my grandma. She told me once a story at a young age. Her father was a drunk driver; Never got caught drinking, but got into wrecks. When he was dying, she told him "You were a drunk, but I always respected you never drank at work." He cried and told her "Oh honey, what did you think was in my flask?". When she told me that story, I knew it wasn't just a story about her father. It was a moral lesson. Years passed by after that, I was at the age of 13. This is when I first started my artistic journey and story telling of my life. At this time, a family member drove me every day to school drinking. I was scared to say the least. My life was in the hands of someone I trust and they wouldn't take care of it correctly. They swerved, sped, and all the horrible driving you could imagine. I soon asked "Do you want to kill me?" and they didn't respond. There is something about that murky look when someone drinks that makes me sad. Why didn't they appreciate my life at least a little more than they appreciate their own? Later, I was in high school. Freshman year I had my share of rebellion and such, but I promised myself I would never drink. However, that didn't stop my friends. I had a friend in high school who loved the taste of alcohol. He would drink sometimes in class, most of the time outside of class. I always told him not to drink and drive. Have someone drive you instead. He always dismissed me. Well, one day I finally got that call. That friend got into a really bad accident. He had broken his leg and arm and almost killed someone on the road. From that day on, I make sure people know the consequences of drinking and driving. You can end up seriously hurting yourself and others. As I previously mentioned, I am pursuing my dreams of becoming an artist. I would like to be an illustrator one day. With that in mind, I would also like to share these story in artistic form. These stories have helped some people come out of alcoholism, especially while driving. My hope is if I share these on the internet in artistic way more people won't drink and drive. In short, drinking and driving has impacted me all my life. My friends and family have been hurt by drunk driving. Drunk driving has its lasting negative effects, not only on the person drinking, but everyone around them. One day, I hope my art can help someone see the light. Alcoholism runs in my family, but I'm going to be the stop to it.

My everything is living to my fullest extent. I want to live and be happy while doing so. The things that make me happy are the people in my life, the things I learn, and the personal growth I gain. Furthering, I love to be deeply involved in life. Which is why I love learning. Learning is to learn about life and learn how others valued it. This helps me live my life to the fullest extent. In short, everything is my everything. The life I live is the life I will never regret.

Art is my spark, it created a purpose for me in life. First off, Art stimulates the brain and allows for the viewer to process it in their own way. It creates feelings, ideas, and memories to be made. This is why my ambitions lie in art. To pursue my passion in art, I need to become an illustrator. So it should be noted, having an education could allow me to pursue the career I desire. To begin, my art has allowed me to cope with my mental health. I am someone who suffers from depression, gender dysphoria, and the occasional hallucinations. With all those in mind, one could say I have a pretty hefty plate of bad mental health. However, through my art I discovered it made me me. My art allowed me to cope with my illness and to live with it. The art I create helps me appreciate the struggles I have. At this time, to achieve my aspirations I will need education to support myself. First, The main foundation of art is experience. To gain experience I would need to learn academically about illustration. By getting this education, I would be gaining criticism, learning more techniques, and making connections. I believe that my art would improve tenfold, thus creating a better chance of me gaining a career in illustration. To be transparent, I need this money, because if not I would have to pay money that I don’t quite have. To be transparent, my parents have four children who cost the same as me. I have to work and study harder to achieve these ambitions. College is very expensive for us, but I want to be the first child of my parents to graduate from college and get an amazing job. Essentially, the money to pay for my education would help me to work in this economy while fulfilling my heart's desire. To put it short, education allows for improvement, connections, and experience. That being said, to further an education one might need money. This scholarship would allow me to fulfill my life’s purpose. To create and inspire others the same way art inspired me. By giving me this chance I would continue the flow of art and inspire others.

The people I care about died, and that's a good thing. To begin, I have experienced death more than 5 times in my life. From 2014-present I continue to experience death in my life. However, I am joyful. Even the most horrid rainstorms can create the best mud puddles. When I was in my pre-teen years, I was depressed. My grandpa died and a year after my grandma. I felt my memories of them were short lived. The good times we shared would never be shared ever again. The words, secrets, and jokes told could never be told again. Soon after that, the funeral happened. It was held at the lake house my grandparents owned. I recall stepping inside and walking into my grandmas room. I sat on the floor next to the bed wondering "What the hell am I going to do now?" Then I felt something under the bed. It was a small box with papers inside. I looked through and I found letters my grandma had. Some were mine when I was little; I read them crying from all the pure memories. Then, I found one that peaked my interest. It was titled "My Dearest Darrel". It was dated after my grandpa died. One sentence spoke to me "Though I have pain after your gone, I want to continue to be happy. You have lived your life, and I will continue to live mine with great joy For you". That struck me, I was happy and sad. In summary, I'm happy regardless of mistakes, of death, or anything bad. I have a life to live, and I want to continue to live it with a great joy. I want to live it like I was a little kid experiencing life; Jumping in mud puddles after a storm.

In my own conviction, everyone should start doodling on their homework. To start, I am a straight A student, a part-time worker, and a helping hand in my family. In the future I plan on becoming an illustrator. A common question I get asked is “How do you balance the analytics vs the creativity?” I came to the conclusion, it isn’t a balance, it's about making the hard parts of life fun. Furthering, I apply creativity in my life by making everything I do a masterpiece. I am Michelangelo and my life is the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. To illustrate, I always draw on my work. When I’m in class I release my imagination forth on dull assignments to enjoy the subject more than the average person. When I’m at home I paint my clothes with paint and doodle rainbows on the cuffs of my jeans. Eventually when I buy my own house, I will paint the insides to be my home. I believe, Everyone has creativity, but only some have the ability to express it. Anyone could benefit by letting a part of themself come out to the world. I think everyone should release that crazy passionate side. So start doodling on your homework or color on the cuffs of your jeans. The world is a monochrome place, might as well add some color to it.

“Memento mori… If we kept in mind that we will soon inevitably die, our lives would be completely different” (Tolstoy, “The Pathway of Life”). To start, a common debate in the world is the meaning of life. The value of life is the measure of worth someone is while they are alive. Without a doubt, the meaning of life is the meaning put forth, because life has no permanent value in the end. Firstly, the meaning of life is subjective to an individual. The human consciousness tries to rationalize our existence and what gives it purpose. The debates of giving life justification are futile as the actions one makes are a result of created objectives by a society. For example, Some find their nation's lives more valuable than abroad. Groups bring their own meaning to life that can be compared. Humans give life purpose but our existence is without meaning. Furthering, the value one puts on it now, ends the moment one dies. No one will see the legacy or the inheritance left, so no-one should fret. To illustrate, I spent the first years of my life trying to put a meaning into my every movement. Then, a thought struck me no-matter what I do, eventually it's all forgotten about. That might sound pessimistic, but that makes me feel significant in the universe. I only have one chance to live, I would like to live the way I want to live it. In summary, life is tricky, it's very subjective to those who live it; And it’s supposed to be that way. Everyone who breathes will die, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that one’s choices do matter. So, put a meaning into life, because living doesn’t last long. Death lasts way longer than life. Remember, memento mori.

To Start, my favorite short film is “Twenty Something” directed and written by Aphton Corbin. The film describes the intense struggle of transitioning from a child to an adult. It follows the main character Gia and her struggle to fit into the adult scene. This short is an example of why art matters to the general public. Art can bring out the best messages to create positive affirmations. Firstly, “Twenty Something” influenced me beyond expectations. Before watching it, I felt this sense of hopelessness. I watched my older siblings become graceful adults while I'm struggling to figure out what I’m doing for the rest of my life. I felt like a child who was trapped in adult scenarios, wondering “How do I do that? How do I do this? Will I ever truly grow up?” Then, I watched “Twenty Something”. I related to Gia, I felt like children stacked up in a trench coat. However, the film helped me realize everyone feels this way. Everyone feels like they don't have it completely together. Being an adult is just taking all your experiences and learning from them, to give you the life you need. Afterwards, I felt like a new person. I did everything I normally do, but with a new perspective. My confidence boosted and my mind expanded. The result of watching that art piece gave me a positive outlook on life and will forever affect me. To a close, art is needed in this world. Depression and miscommunication can make things scarier than they appear. Art can help differ these feelings and give you a new outlook that allows you to feel less alone. I'm drawn to “Twenty Something”, because it made me feel less alone. I believe without art, society would be more disconnected than ever.

To Start, my favorite short film is “Twenty Something” directed and written by Aphton Corbin. The film describes the intense struggle of transitioning from a child to an adult. It follows the main character Gia and her struggle to fit into the adult scene. This short is an example of why art matters to the general public. Art can bring out the best messages to create positive affirmations. Firstly, “Twenty Something” influenced me beyond expectations. Before watching it, I felt this sense of hopelessness. I watched my older siblings become graceful adults while I'm struggling to figure out what I’m doing for the rest of my life. I felt like a child who was trapped in adult scenarios, wondering “How do I do that? How do I do this? Will I ever truly grow up?” Then, I watched “Twenty Something”. I related to Gia, I felt like children stacked up in a trench coat. However, the film helped me realize everyone feels this way. Everyone feels like they don't have it completely together. Being an adult is just taking all your experiences and learning from them, to give you the life you need. Afterwards, I felt like a new person. I did everything I normally do, but with a new perspective. My confidence boosted and my mind expanded. The result of watching that art piece gave me a positive outlook on life and will forever affect me. To a close, art is needed in this world. Depression and miscommunication can make things scarier than they appear. Art can help differ these feelings and give you a new outlook that allows you to feel less alone. I'm drawn to “Twenty Something”, because it made me feel less alone. I believe without art, society would be more disconnected than ever.