Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

My favorite type of art to create is painting, and I don't really have a reason other than how it feels and the opportunity it gives me to express how I feel. Painting gives me the freedom to take an idea, an emotion, or even just a vision in my head and turn it into something real and visible. I love how there are no strict rules—you can be messy, experimental, bold, or soft, and it all still counts as art.

Where do you find inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes from my emotions and personal life events. I’ve never been great at expressing how I feel, which can leave me feeling empty. Art lets me turn anger, sadness, passion, and pain into something meaningful. It fills that space in me and allows others to see, admire, and sometimes relate to it. I also enjoy creating pieces that not everyone understands, because it reflects how unique our experiences are, while reminding us we’re never truly alone.

What would you do with $25,000?

$25,000 isn't just money to me, it's freedom. I’d use it to support my college education, as I have to pay for it independently. I would also invest in something I've been yearning for my whole life—starting a mural business. I want to tell stories on blank walls—pieces that reflect emotion, identity, and real life. Art has been my voice when I couldn’t speak, and murals have, and will let me share that on a larger scale, creating work that people can see, feel, and reflect upon.