Karen Zhou, King High IB junior

Ironically, I used to hate art with all my guts. Nearly 10 years ago was when I had my first official art lesson at USF. I didn’t hate the lesson, but I definitely hated how my parents were always pushing me to do better than one of my peers. I can’t remember her name, but I remember a distinct jealousy.
And so that was my less-than-noble beginnings as an artist. Of course, I eventually consumed myself in the arts once my parents removed the pressure from my back. From then on, art was solely for my own pleasure; and from there, I continued to practice and practice for seven years with Ms. Ping before my parents pulled me from tutoring. Afterward, I took to digital painting, struggled with my concerned parents, and lo, there ends the story thus far.
I don’t even think anyone has to take formal lessons in order to become a great artist. Although having lessons did help by teaching me basic technique, introducing me to new mediums, and giving me opportunities to compete, I feel that what really caused me to excel was that I have fun with art. It sounds corny, but I honestly do feel that way about it. To me, art is an adventure in my mind where I’m searching for a new path to view myself and the world. And I find that absolutely thrilling.
Along with my personal delight in art, I owe a lot of my progress to my sources of inspiration. Most of my inspiration comes from the many animated movies by Pixar, Disney and Dreamworks that I watched as a child and even now. I also draw inspiration from the video games I play, mainly by Nintendo. I find inspiration in the music I listen to. I find inspiration in my former instructor, Ms. Ping, and the artists who I see or communicate with on a near-daily basis who are often more talented than I, yet don’t get the fame they deserve. I thank my inspirations, which opened my eyes to so many beautiful things.
And last, I want to thank my parents, who made me do art in the first place.
Reported by Xiaoyi Ren, King High