STAY TRUE TO THE PASSION

I have a little saying I like to include in my art wherever I can:

"Stay true to the passion."

When I failed out of my second semester of community college eight years ago, I was sure I would never amount to anything.

Of course, once the enthusiasm went, so did my grades, and then my attendance. I eventually reached the point of academic probation and soon lost all financial help from my parents-- but it wasn't just my grades that were falling apart.

Just before the start of the next fall semester, my brother passed away tragically, and suddenly. It's frightening to think about how many people can relate to that nowadays and it caused my family to collapse. Suddenly, I found myself starting a new semester wondering if anything would ever make sense again.

Luckily, I managed to pull myself together enough to take one last-minute look at the list of open courses before the semester started. I happened to stumble upon a course called "Intro to Computer Graphics", which taught the essentials of Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator for design purposes. This course propelled me towards purpose. I have since created and maintained my own website so you can imagine the significant spark that one course ignited.

Somewhere in the middle of the semester, my family stumbled upon a copy of an album that my brother recorded in secret before his death. He had this uncanny infatuation for rap music that not a lot of us understood. The pure passion he projected was evident in those speakers. Hearing his songs cast a surreal point of reflection. New words in his old voice made him present as if a piece of him was still with us. I blasted them in my car, at home, even my headphones in class while I worked. These tracks carried me through the remainder of the semester. Although they are instilled in me, I enjoy the struggle in attempting to rap fast enough to keep up with him.

Though I enjoyed his songs equally, "Say Goodbye" had a special place in my heart. It was one of his slower songs, and served as a summary of his life as well as a letter to those who loved him after his passing. It was the song that kept him close, and always came on when I needed it. The best example of this happened while working on a special project for class. We had been asked to make a logo out of shapes in Adobe Illustrator, and as extra credit, a hook, or motto, that would really sell our brand. The logo was an easy decision. I had a natural talent for putting letters and shapes together, but I must have stared at the screen for the remainder of class, my mind racing trying to figure out a combination of words that spoke to me.

Then he did.

The verse was so short and fast that I am surprised it caught my attention. It must have done so for a reason, though, because the second I typed it underneath my logo, I intuitively knew that it was a perfect fit. My brother’s words united with my visual expression.

That was the first time I ever felt so intrinsically inspired. Moreover, I knew at once that pursuing my passion, -and always staying true to it, meant that a part of my brother got to live on as well. Here I am, some years later: a first-generation college student who just earned her associate degree as a PTK (Phi Theta Kappa) honor student with a 4.0 grade point average.

If continuing my studies in the field of art therapy gives me the opportunity to guide others to find that passion, and purpose in themselves, I would consider myself the luckiest person in the world.

I could not help my brother, but despite the choices he made, he showed me that anyone can make a difference; that art can make a difference.

So, here is to the artists, musicians, writers, and creators: Stay true to the passion.

It just might change your life, or someone else's.

xoxo