The things you do and what you take pleasure in are important to the life you live. It defines your personality and could continue to be a factor in your life as time goes on, influencing you in many ways and teaching you lessons. Junior Priscilla Diaz has a passion for art, something special she found affecting her life by giving her the confidence to grow as a person and positively affect others.

What are you most passionate about?

My passion is and always has been art. My passion has also been developing a lot into animation. Ever since I was little, I would rift through life, not really comprehending anything, but art I could just do instantly and it stuck with me. Shapes and colors came to me easily so I always knew that it was going to be my passion. My favorite art in particular is contemporary or oil and acrylic type art.

How did you get into art?

When I was little I remember it very clearly. One day my mom was showing me how to draw because she used to do art “in her day” too. She showed me how to draw a shoe and from then on I drew as much as I could. I remember getting little Disney princess books where you could  sketch stuff, and that helped me a lot to get me even more into art.

Does art have a deeper meaning to you?

Yes; art certainly does have a deeper meaning to me. For a very long time, I rejected the fact that I liked art or that I could do anything with it. When I was little, I always saw artists as people who would starve and die starving. Now that I’ve been doing it longer and have grown, I accept that I love it and that I can do something with it. Every art piece that I make or find, I try to find a deeper meaning in or put a deeper meaning into even if it’s just something simple and fun. I really just love any art that inspires me or is just unique in any sort of way.

Does it help you with any issues in your life?

Yes, it does. I have always had body image issues ever since I was very little and art helps me cope with that in a certain way. There have been other problems in my family or problems mentally, and art has always been there to calm me down. It’s helped me realize that no matter what I look like there is always something beautiful about me just like in art pieces. You can make it however you want, and it won’t be perfect, but it still will be admired by someone.

Have you gained anything special through art and has it helped you affect others?

Yes, I have discovered myself more as an individual and as an ever-growing young adult. With others, I feel like it has helped me become a more confident person, and I like to transmit that confidence into other people and in my art class. I like to help people get ideas and they help me, and in animation, I’ve been helping influence people more.