I create not because I can, but because I must. 

 

This has been my motto for a while now, since I have known for my whole life that I am infact an artist, and I believe the only thing that separates artists from non-artists is the will to create and the will to push forward.

I have been drawing for about as long as I had any motor control of my hands and pursuing art for as long as I can remember, falling in love with the shows I would watch on cable. Cartoons introduced me to a world of possibilities, a place where anything could happen. I would stay up drawing my favorite Adventure Time characters or coming up with stories that could happen in Steven Universe. I was reading behind-the-scenes information and listening to panels and podcasts. I immersed myself in these fictional worlds and fell in love with the stories they told. And I decided that one day, I would do that too. 
 

I got my undergraduate degree at Westfield State University in graphic design with a minor in philosophy and graduated in 2024. As much as I studied graphic design, I loved using traditional media to enhance my process, like painting, sculpture, or printmaking. I grew to adore combining all I could get my hands on. But I knew that graphic design wasn't where my heart was, and I also knew I wanted a master’s so I could go teach one day, so I decided that was next. I am now getting my M.F.A. in Animation at SCAD.

 

I am most motivated by creative problem-solving with my peers. As a mixed media artist, I have to problem solve a lot in my own artwork when mediums don't combine or react the way I intend or imagine. However, this leads to a lot of discovery and growth in the pieces that I make, and leads to decisions and changes I may not have made without the spontaneity of a “problem”. Whether it's a creative rigging solution, camera placement, character design, or story adjustment, I have found bantering and talking with others to develop something more than what I could do alone makes for some pretty incredible art. As an artist, I have big dreams, but I have come to realize I need help to accomplish them, and the best way to do that is to compromise and work with others to enhance my product.