My Mother Plays a Pivotal Role in My Artmaking Process by Julia

My Mother Plays a Pivotal Role in My Artmaking Process by Julia - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

My mother has had the biggest influence on my life and art career. I can freely create whatever I want, and I am able to do this because of the support of my family. When I was young, my mother realized my interest in art. To support me, she would buy me markers and crayons to draw with. As I got older and delved farther into my passion for art, she bought me a sketchbook and digital drawing programs. My mom prioritizes education since she is a teacher, but she didn’t push me towards a more academic career.

My mother suggested that I apply to George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, which is a public school in Baltimore that offers a specialized art program. When I got in, she was nothing but supportive. In the program students are required to take at least two art classes a year. During my time at Carver, I have taken sculpture, digital fine arts, filmmaking, drawing and painting, and figure. The work required for each of these courses is extensive and I usually stay up late and work on the weekends to finish assignments. I have utilized strategies that my mother has told me about in order to complete these assignments on time and at the quality expected from my teachers and myself.

When creating art, I must push myself through mental roadblocks such as self-doubt, pressure from others, the feeling of racing against time, my skill level as an artist, and failures of the past. Although these roadblocks are universally felt by performing and visual artists around the world, my art is personal in that I bring the viewer into my home, family, workspace, and emotions. My mother plays a pivotal role in my artmaking process since I lean on her when the workload gets too difficult and stressful to handle alone. She brings in new perspectives and a calming presence. This is the reason a lot of my artwork includes my mother. (My artwork: https://express.adobe.com/page/NTByysxaMKq6T/)

My mom still supports my passion for art and is helping me find the money to support my attendance at an art college.