My experience with art started like everyone else, with Crayon scribbles. Then, I graduated to following YouTube tutorials and trying to replicate frames from Disney movies. From the age of 10, I began working towards my long-term goal of pursuing art as a career. I prided myself on being a self-taught artist, but there was no denying the fact that I wasn’t really getting anywhere with my art without proper classes.
When I started high school, I still lived in the incredibly artsy city of Portland, Oregon. Like everyone else in the Class of 2024, I began my first semester of classes on Zoom. I took the one class that interested me the most: Drawing I. Our very first assignment was to pick something around our room and make a semi-detailed drawing of it. After scanning my bedroom, my eyes landed upon my then brand-new Nike Air Force 1’s.
One of my favorite art classes was Painting I, which I took during my sophomore year. In this class, I discovered one of my favorite mediums, acrylic paint. The assignment for our Fall final project was to paint a few objects that were important to us. Apparently, three objects that were important to 15-year-old me at the time were my Rubix cube, a library copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and my headphones. To be honest, I think I ran out of time and scrambled, so I picked three random objects. I have never had any interest in Rubix cubes or the Harry Potter series, but nonetheless, I enjoy how this painting turned out.
When I made the treacherous move of exactly 1,000 miles from Oregon to California, I decided to abandon my dream of becoming an artist. I had enjoyed my years of Mock Trial and determined I would have a more fruitful future as a lawyer. I traded my art classes for APs, even though I knew deep down that I would not be truly happy.
Going into my senior year, I decided to go back to my roots. I enrolled in a summer art program at CalArts and signed up for two different art classes in my school schedule.
I’ve spent my senior year happier than ever. In AP Art, I made great friends like seniors Sara Garcia and Abby Wright, who have encouraged me to constantly strive to be a better artist. In Ceramics, I’ve gotten to experiment with a new medium I would not have tried otherwise alongside new friends.
Because of these past 365 days, which have been spent leaning into my passion, I have decided to continue pursuing art. As of right now, my plan is to study art and animation in college, in hopes to get my name in the credits of Pixar’s Ratatouille 2. Yet, I know better than anyone that plans change. I am beyond happy to go wherever my art may take me.
