Your Reason

I want everyone to have access to creative expression, especially through visual art. When I was younger, I went to a very unfunded public school where we had to raise money to get our studio art program back because the school didn’t have money to pay for it. After I left, the school lost its art program for good. Everyone deserves to have a creative outlet and to be able to create something they are proud of.

Your Story: Choose a “critical incident” that set you on your path and helped you uncover how you want to make an impact (your contribution) through your senior project experience.

When I was volunteering for the GO project, I remember how amazing it felt to help other kids make something they were proud of. Their work gave them a strong source of pride, and when we went around the room, many kids were telling others to look at their work and tell them what they thought. I loved seeing how happy making art made some of the kids, how they were able to focus 100% on what they were making, and the satisfaction they felt after finishing a piece.

Your Resources

I’m not sure what resources I have and don’t have yet. I know some teachers from my old public school, but I don’t know if they still work there. I have a lot of art supplies and a small group of kids could definitely make use of them (2-5 kids), but if I wanted to make some kind of class or group I definitely would need to purchase more. I would definitely need a space to have a group like this. I don’t want to copy the idea of the GO project as well, I would want my group to be different and have a separate goal and purpose, but right now I feel like my idea is similar to that of the project.

Your Strengths: Describe how you uncovered this interest/curiosity/passion (what energizes you) and what you’re good at (your talent).

I discovered my passion for teaching and taking care of children when I was teaching martial arts when I was 13 years old. I love helping others learn, and having a learning disability (ADHD) makes me understand how others may struggle to understand ideas and concepts and how I can work to help them. I try my best to be kind and approachable so students feel comfortable telling me what’s hard for them and/or how they are feeling, so that I am able to teach them as best I can.

I discovered that I loved making art when I was in 8th grade and made the first art piece that I was proud of. I remember the feeling of pride that my art gave me, and the newfound purpose my life had when I realized that I wanted to make art for the rest of my life. As I got older, I saw how my own artistic abilities could be used to help others. I was able to help my friends with their own art, as well as making art for them for any purpose that they wanted me to.

State Your Purpose: Share your purpose statement; the integration of your reason and resources.

My purpose statement is “My purpose is to help others discover their own creativity so that I can teach them how to create joy in their lives”. This is my purpose statement because I enjoy helping people, making art, and most of all, helping people make art.

Share Your How: How will you deliver that purpose to the world through your Senior Project? What will you do/make?

I want to deliver this purpose to the world by giving people who may not have had access to art before being able to access it through my senior project. I want to teach others how to make their own art and assist them in creating if they need, and I will record my finding and maybe even make my own art as well.

Give a call to action: How do you want people to help you deliver your purpose?

I want people to help me figure out how to make this project a reality because right now I am unclear on what I will actually be doing.