Artist Statement

Every night, as I lay on my bed, I swipe open my phone, click on the Spotify app, and play one of my playlists. I delve deep into one of my favorite songs and close my eyes, assembling all of the jumbled-up ideas I’ve accumulated throughout the day. As I listen to the words that come singing out of the speakers, I create a story to go along with them. A story that, maybe in a different life, could become the music video for that song. My life has, in more ways than one, been influenced by music, art, and film. I grew up in a very stimulating environment; from listening to bands like the The Beatles with my dad in the car, and hearing him reflect on memories that sprung out of the old songs, to finding myself wandering around the Metropolitan Museum with my mother at a very young age, looking up in awe at all the gigantic paintings on the walls. In school, I searched for anything to call my passion. I told myself that maybe it could be writing, something I was drawn to, but felt I didn’t quite possess enough skill to call myself a “real” writer. I tried to force myself into art and draw and paint with my sister, yet again, I never felt I was creative enough to call myself a true artist. I wasn’t able to find a fit anywhere, and though I had fleeting passions for writing, drawing, photography, and music, I was not impeccably skilled in any of these fields. Until early college, when I stumbled upon a band that showcased their passion for songwriting, singing, and rapping, all combined with the amazing cinematography present in their music videos. I, too, wanted to create stories and videos that were aesthetically pleasing. I, too, wanted to finally portray the scenes that played through my mind each night. I, too, wanted to find myself within this mess of a society, and not care about whether or not people would like my writing, drawings, or my cinematography. I yearned to create with no regrets. And somewhere within the many hallways, crowds of students, and piles of textbooks at Hunter College, I found myself in a media studies class. Here I was able to combine all my passions into one and start truly living the rest of my life by being myself, and, most importantly, by creating for myself first, and for others to enjoy second.