I have always been a rather anxious kid.

Anyone who has known me can attest to that statement, I do not think I have ever been able to really sit still or go through a moment where my thoughts are not constantly tinkering away at different ideas and theories. At times, this constant intellectual arousal was incredible. I could think quickly on my feet, thoroughly analyze and think things through, and really delve into a deeper understanding of myself and those around me, but at times it was dreadful. I would get entranced and trapped in my own thoughts, in my words, constantly caught up on my faults and ending up in a bubble of anxiety and dread.

It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school where I really started to dive into art, first by doing a small series of paintings as gifts for several graduating seniors. Members of my family took notice and took great pride in my work, and I felt so proud of myself. I then began to paint.

I put together a small studio, nestled in the back corner of my basement. The paints were always arranged, the brushes washed, and the easel stand ready. I made strict rules that I was not to be on my phone while painting, only able to play music from my phone. So, art became my therapy. Whenever I could feel my mind diving off of the deep end and begin to enter the abyss of negativity and anxiety that had once so often occupied my mind, I would simply go into my little corner of heaven.

I think it was the precision that came with art that made me so intrigued with it. Maybe it was the way the paint slid across the canvas like butter melting and sizzling across a warm pan, or the ability to just completely lose yourself in the rhythm of the brushstrokes and the music. I could be down there for four hours and it would feel like four minutes. My family always knew where to find me, and knew that when the door to the basement was shut, I was painting my own symphonies and feeling color splash back into my world when the grey would take over my life.

Art brings me joy. It taught me patience, and gave my mind patience. There's this certain sense of inner peace and self satisfaction every time I produce something, whether it be a simple sketch of Snoopy the Dog or an elaborate painting of the streets of Italy. I would recommend art to anyone and everyone because art has truly made me a better and a happier person.