Everyone has that one thing they go to when times are tough. Some people find peace in working out, playing video games, partying, writing, or just getting away. For me, it was art.

When I was in middle school, I had rough patches that I wasn't sure how to deal with. I was a soft-spoken 6th grader who experienced bullying for the first time. Things got a little harder for me from then on, and I wanted to destroy myself and just disappear. I didn't want to cause any permanent damage to myself or others, so I picked up my pencil and journal and began to write. I wrote until my hand cramped up and my heart settled down. I poured out my feelings into rants, poems, and drawings.

By the time I reached high school, I was starting to gain more confidence in myself and where I was in life. That soon came crashing down again once I lost all of my best friends sophomore year. One of them decided that they didn't want to be friends anymore, and the rest of the group followed her - leaving me alone. It brought me so much pain. Whatever little self-confidence I had was gone. My trust issues were stronger than ever. I didn't know where to turn anymore. Then one day in art class, we got assigned to paint a ceiling tile, and I immediately fell in love.

It was the first time I had ever truly tried to paint anything. Once I put in my headphones, it was just me and my art - nothing stressed me out anymore. Eventually, the same friends who had left me decided they wanted me back in their lives. I forgave but didn't forget.

Since then, any time that I felt stressed out or upset I poured out my feelings into a blank canvas. I decided to use my sadness to make something beautiful. To me, it was almost therapeutic. It was like I was leaving all my feelings on that canvas - knowing that I made the best of things.

If not for art, I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today. Art lights up my life, and I'm not just talking about painting. Any form. It's let me see things in a much deeper, much more beautiful way.

Towards the end of high school, I posted a piece of mine on Instagram, and people actually started asking if they could purchase it! That's when I decided to start making a profit from my art. Seeing my customers' reactions when I delivered the final product was one of the best feelings. It made me feel like it was all worth it.

Below are some pieces of mine that are either originals or recreations from pieces of art that I had seen before.

The left two are recreations. The one on the right is an original.

This is a recreation of the famous painting, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai

Above is an original of mine

Above is another reaction of mine from the famous artist, Salvador Dali.