Art in its many forms has always been an outlet for me. I love the process of taking an idea from my head and putting it on paper. Drawing and painting has been a way for me to escape from stress, express my emotions, experiment, and help others. I don’t think I’ll ever come to a point in my life where I’ll want to stop making art. Going to college for something else, or even minoring in art has never been an option in my head. In the summer of 2019, I went to the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at Missouri State University. The biggest thing I took away from that program was that I should pursue what makes me happy, and my happiness comes from art.

If I’m accepted into the University of Arkansas School of Art, I will take advantage of the opportunity to learn new processes and techniques from my teachers. I’m also looking forward to being in an environment surrounded by people with the same passion for art as me. The first time we visited the Fine Arts building at U of A, I got to see some work of current students. One of the biggest things I noticed was the focus on diversity. I chose U of A over a traditional art school because I think being surrounded by a diverse community of students will be beneficial to my art and processes. I believe there is so much for me to learn about people with different interests, backgrounds, and beliefs than my own. 

I’m aware that I’m going to have a much easier time getting my foot in the door for art opportunities in Fayetteville or Bentonville vs. some place like Brooklyn, New York. There is so much opportunity surrounding this school and I’m confident I will be much more successful overall. At U of A I will continue to experiment with ideas and different mediums. I want to begin to figure out where my love for art will take me in the future. In summary, I’m really looking forward to learning from a diverse student population and taking advantage of a creative community full of opportunity.