Growing up, I never considered myself artistic. I enjoyed doodling stick figures and crafting toothpick houses as much as the next kid, but I was always jealous of students who could produce beautiful illustrations and amaze teachers with their skills. However, after enrolling in an introductory ceramics course my freshman year, I finally found an outlet to channel the creativity and passion that I previously had no opportunity to express. I realized that talent came in different forms, and can even manifest itself later in life. 

I started art my Freshman year after being pressured by my friend to join 3D Art & Design at Pacific Grove High School.  Fortunately it ended up being one of the most rewarding decisions of my life as art is now my outlet for essentially any emotion I am feeling. Art is there for me when I’m happy, sad, or angry, and is one of my most cherished pastimes. Over the course of the last four years, I have enjoyed the process of making art just as much as the result.  I love challenging, and holding myself to the highest standards in order to improve. I have learned more than I have in any other class, developing new strategies and techniques while simultaneously building my artistic voice and portfolio.

In my designs, I take inspiration from everything around me, including the ocean, my family, ordinary objects, and more, and I am always influenced by the art already present in our world. Although I started my art journey out with ceramics, my main medium now consists of Monster Clay, a sculpting medium which becomes more malleable the hotter it gets. I think it is fascinating to see how temperature affects the moldability of the clay. I love that I am able to come back and alter aspects of a piece no matter how much time has passed; since we humans are also constantly changing and evolving as well.

For me, personally, the feeling you get while witnessing a mere ball of clay turn into something you would be proud to display in your home is unmatched, and I will always have difficulty describing this feeling to other people. That, in combination with the joy elicited while showing your art to your family members and seeing their reactions, is one of the best forms of dopamine. For so much of my life I did not consider myself an artistic person, but now I can confidently say that art can be nurtured and developed through practice.

This piece, in combination with my previous projects, comprises the current focus of my AP Portfolio. This focus, which is made up of multiple sustained investigations, explores the concept of growth and decay coexisting. 

“External Struggles” depicts the abdominal area which represents the concept of both growth of muscles and the subsequent decay of fat. Furthermore, the heart present in the center of the chest shows how both of these ideals come together to contribute to the development of a person and their character.  As people we are shaped by the decisions we make and, in this instance, what we decide to give up in exchange for growth.