Being catapulted into a completely opposite environment than ones used to can cause a desperate need for one to find a way of self- expression. When I was in the sixth grade I moved from hip hop and happenin’ Kansas City to Avant, Oklahoma (population: 500). In doing so, my life, obviously, was completely changed. My normal morning routine of watching cartoons before school was replaced by waking up at the crack of dawn to feed 20 horses. The well-funded elementary school placed in the middle of suburbia populated by blonde, polo-wearing rich kids was replaced by Avant school, where each classroom contained two grade levels because there were only about 80 students in the entire K-8th building. All the kids there wore Walmart brands and within the first week I was exposed to an entirely new vocabulary. I was a city girl thrown into the country, doomed to live at the summer camp my family owned and lived at until I graduated. Though this may all sound tragic, I believe that moving from one extreme to another has molded me into the person I am now and definitely has brought forth my interest in photography. New experiences are meant to inspire creativity and that’s just what it did for me.
It all began with Xanga. Taking pictures of your social life was somewhat of a requirement in order to fully illustrate your popularity. Armed with a point and shoot, I attempted to record my surroundings. Slowly, I evolved from typical “in the bathroom mirror” pictures and “hey look here’s me and my friends dressed like the Backstreet Boys”, to Myspace, then to Facebook, and all of a sudden my images started to draw people’s attention. Capturing moments in time had turned into an escape for me, a way to look at reality without being crammed in the middle of it.
To me, SCAD is an opportunity for inspiration. It’s a picture perfect way out of Oklahoma. It’s a place where my dreams and aspirations for a future in the art world are shared with more than just the three members of the Skiatook High School Art Club. All my decisions in life have leaned towards being an artist, whether that be in photography, writing, design, or drawing, I don’t know. But what I do know is that nothing makes me happier than creating and new experiences. I’ve found that when I’m doing something I truly love I’m overcome with a complete sense of self and being. So naturally, the idea of being shipped off to an art school a million miles away from home where I’d be submerged in a melting pot of imagination sounds like heaven. I can think of no better way of finding satisfaction and meaning in life than surrounding myself with art and creativity. Self-expression is something I’ve learned is a necessity in order to survive and through SCAD I know that that need will undoubtedly be met.
No comments:
Post a Comment