When you’re told by a mentor you have technical art skills but no creativity, you take a step back, reflect, and keep painting.

This piece was the brainchild of some tough criticism I received last semester. After hearing my mentor’s comment, I felt belittled as an artist and completely changed the trajectory of my final project for class. I spent the remaining weeks of school as just a vessel for my art, seemingly disconnected from my mind and body— as reflected in this piece.

Nevertheless, I persisted and turned this in at the end of the semester, receiving an A+ on the painting. But this journey wasn’t about a letter grade; because I’m still grasping for my creative mind, and sometimes I find it’s trapped behind glass…