When I was younger, I was extremely shy. I still am actually. I was never heavily involved in sports or clubs that required socializing with people, and I was okay with that--it wasn't me. I preferred keeping to myself most of the time. Of course I had my group of friends that allowed me to be outgoing, but I still always wished I had something I could do for me.

During my first few years of high school, taking an art class seemed out of the question. I should be taking serious electives that will help me prepare for college. I couldn't have been more wrong. While scheduling for my senior year, I finally had room for one more elective, so I thought, why not treat myself to an art class? After all it is senior year. After scrolling through all of the art class options, I decided on Drawing & Painting I.

As a little girl, I loved anything art-related. I loved getting new supplies for Christmas. Whenever I had to go to a doctor's appointment with my mom or somewhere that required keeping myself busy, I always brought a stack of paper, my colored pencils, and my "How to Draw" books. I could sit there for hours trying to recreate the illustrations in the books and never get bored. I remember skipping over the "how-to" steps and going straight for the final drawing. I liked the challenge of trying to draw something from sight. As a quiet girl, art was the perfect hobby.

Years went by and I never really thought of myself as an 'artist', it was just a hobby I took on every now and then. Signing up for the drawing & painting class was the best decision I ever made. It never felt like I was going to class--it always felt like a nice break in between my harder classes. We started off by learning techniques then applying them to smaller works of art. As the year went on, we were given more artistic freedom to choose our own pictures we wanted to recreate using those techniques. It wasn't long before I realized my childhood artistic abilities hadn't faded--they were about to emerge into something big.

For my last and final art piece, I wanted to create something beautiful to truly be proud of. I chose a portrait of a little boy, crying in his mother's arms. We were taught how to draw faces, drawing lines to proportion out each feature, but the little girl who once skipped over all the 'how-to' steps chose to ignore those lessons. I would take my drawing home and work on it vigorously so I wouldn't get "caught". I remember bringing it back to class and seeing the reaction from both my teacher and the AP Art teacher. They just stared in awe. In that moment I immediately regretted not taking art classes sooner. My final piece was just the beginning of my 'career' as an artist.

After high school, I continued to put my drawing abilities to the test. When I look back at all my drawings, it gives me this immense feeling of pride. I can visibly see the progress I make as an artist. I like to think I am a self-taught artist. I started as a young girl, teaching myself. The art class was merely an opportunity to sit down for an hour and force myself to produce art. I finally had something I could do for myself, just like all the other kids in clubs and sports, and I was good at it.

I started sharing my drawings on social media, and the comments I got were unreal. As a person with low self-esteem, on and off depression, and little to no confidence, art was the one thing that helped me feel good about myself. It often gave me confidence when I needed it the most. Now, as a senior in college, I confidently call myself and artist. Art is the thing that clears my mind of the stresses of both school and every day life. My art has taken me places I could only have dreamed of as a little girl in the waiting room of the doctor's office with her Crayola colored pencils. I've sold pieces, created my own website , and just recently built my own studio in our basement. My most recent painting I finished was shared on an Instagram art account with nearly 1 million followers among some of my favorite artists. Coming up this weekend I am in my first art show, displaying almost every piece I've ever done among all my friends, family, and strangers. As a child, I never would have thought all of this could happen, and I couldn't be more thankful.

If you have a hobby you are passionate about, I beg you, do not let it go. It just might be the thing that saves you from yourself.

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