Journey==

It's been quite the journey getting to where I am now.  I've gone through many trials and defeats, and have learned a hell of a lot about myself along the way.

I have always had an interest an art.  It was rooted within me from a very early age.  Nature has always been my inspiration - I remember when I was only five years old my parents had a path made of stones put in the backyard that lead to our pool.  I would walk into the woods, take as many stones as I could carry, and smash them open with a hammer to see what was inside.  I was enthralled by the unique designs, sparkles, and natural images that I could find within them.  I always secretly hoped I would find something fantastical if I cracked open enough of them.  Later on I realized that my inspiration and fascination with nature began then.  Something so natural, something that was here on this earth long before we were even primitive beings, was so beautiful without any type of interference from anything else.  If I could just manage to spark that same eye for natural beauty inside someone, even for a second, that would be a life worth living.

That's where art began.  I was always a different, and I used to think that was something horrible. Aren't we all told from an early age that very same 'ideal'?  Normal was my impossible goal - an aspiration that I could never reach no matter how hard I tried.  The more different art was, the more it was appreciated; that's what drew me to it.

Now, the general consensus is that usually school crushes creativity.  However, Beaumont  helped me to realize it.  It was in me all along - I just did not have the confidence to channel it.  The fabulous teachers, (Mrs. Carreras, Sr. Lucia, Ms. Dickinson, Miss Sally!) gave me the tools to open my own eyes to the fact that everyone has it.  It's up to you to find it.

 Now I realize that normality is highly overrated; actually, I consider it a myth.  I thrive in my differences.  Looking back I realized that my past so far has been my own piece of artwork - one that I will always be working on.  Art isn't only just found on canvas, in sculpture, or in words.  It's every gesture, thought, action, and moment in your life.  Everyone is an artist.  And with this, I live my life every day hoping to open a person's eyes to that natural beauty.  Whether it be my art or the thoughts on this one simple blog post.  Without interference from anything else in this world, you can achieve the beauty that seems so impossible to grasp.  The only tool you need is yourself.