If I had the time and money, I'd like to advance my art and graphic design knoweldge

a hand-drawn piece by me

Now that my high school career is coming to an end, I'm taking the chance to reflect on my achievements and the experiences that I gained, as well as what more I'd like to do in the future to supplement my interests. However, as I am preparing to pursue my college education, there are some adjustments I'll have to make in terms of my career choice.

Today's world can be difficult in terms of what you can do to make the most money: besides, money is the ultimate goal of a career for long-term financial stability. In this case, me pursuing a career in computer science would be my best bet, due to my slight interest in computers and the fact that it can be hard to determine how much you could make through a career that I'm about to mention. Having to put your true passions to the side can be difficult to come to terms with. For example, I've always wanted to have a career with design and art.

I've been involved with art, both professionally and self-taught, since I was little. It's something that I can confidently put my feelings into, in my own artistic style that I've been developing for years. And being able to put my art on display for everyone to see can be amazing. Hearing their praise and their opinion on my creation is something that I appreciate: whether it be from the internet, or something I recently created through school. The first art class in high school I took was in first semester of my senior year. I explored other art mediums, such as with paint, block printing, and collaging. There are multitudes of possibilities that art can hold- and the sheer amount of expression that can be seen through something so mundane can be extraordinary. Also, there are no rules to art; it can be about anything you want. The viewer may not immediately interpret its message: but its general presence can have a tremendous effect on your image. Whether your work is in Le Louvre or on a forum page on the internet, it can be worth something to someone, even if it's just you.

a graphic piece by me

Along with hand-drawn art, graphic design is considered another passion of mine. I took a class for desktop publishing and web design back in my freshman year of high school. I instantly fell in love with the programs I used, such as Photoshop and Illustrator. I have been fortunate enough to be able to continue to use these programs, since I have been in a photography class this year and Photoshop is used quite a bit in the class for editing/line drawing. My creative style really flourishes with graphic design, as I am able to take advantage of the many sources for derivative works and even make things of my own. The piece to the right of this paragraph for example, is something I created for a friend as a banner for one of his social media accounts. I used images that formed the vaporwave-y A E S T H E T I C, and I think it turned out pretty cool. I feel like this would maybe be something I could create a side job with. as I have recieved positive feedback on the quality of my work. Not to say I'm the best (believe me, I'm not!), but it serves as some motivation to drive myself to commit to something I know I love.

I feel like once I'll be in college, I'll actually have things to keep me busy. But one things for sure, is that I'll never ever abandon art. I'll always be an artist, even if I don't have a sketchpad next to me. As much as I have a bit of knowledge on art, there is always more to learn.