Art is a key aspect of my life. For me, my studio art class is an escape from the academic rigor of the school day. I have taken art classes throughout middle school and into high school. I love representing emotions and feelings through art that cannot be characterized into words. In my life, creating art is my way of processing thoughts, important decisions, and complex emotions. I do not view art as a task. In a rigorous academic environment, art class is a fifty-minute period that is sacred to me in my daily life. The medium of my artwork tends to shift in accordance with my mood. When I am feeling excited and lively, I tend to lean towards using oil pastel with more gestural lines; in contrast, when I am feeling more serious or downcast, I typically opt to work with graphite with more meticulous marks. Through these different media, I am able to express myself without using words. Even a short session of creating art can relieve academic, athletic, and social stresses from my life. Without my involvement in art, I would not be the same person I am today. In college, even if I do not intend to major in art, I will continue to create because of the meditative outlet that it provides.