"Ah... the intoxicating smell of the graveyard." So begins "The Addams Family Musical," a play of which I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time last Friday night at the acclaimed downtown Tift Theatre.

The biting feel of air conditioning, the gradual lowering of the lights, the creak of auditorium seating- each sight and sound speaks to my inner performer, the little girl who is excited by any implication of the stage. Since I was small, I have always clamored for a taste of the arts. At 18- years-old, I've been blessed with the opportunity to see dinner theater, performances on ice, and plays at a variety of locations.

So, when I heard that our local theatre would be conducting "The Addams Family," I immediately wanted to go. Not only that, but The Addams Family has been a favorite of mine for years. Wednesday's sarcastic and morbidly ironic humor mixed with her family's macabre antics is something I'd never refuse. Also, considering the cuts in arts programs, especially within recent years, I find the issue to be more pressing than ever before.

Creativity and its exhibition is a major part of who I am. Coming from someone who has wanted to grow up and be an illustrator, fashion designer, pastry chef, and now author, I can say I've dabbled in quite the artistic fields. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that writing is what I'm meant to do. Thinking about it alone is enough to make me cry, and that makes me feel crazy, but it's true.

As one of the ending songs from "The Addams Family," Wednesday and her fiancé, confront their impulsiveness, singing, "I'm crazier than you!" I myself consider some of my decisions to be impulsive. Logical, sure, but impulsive. But I'm OK with that. I'm independent. I get bored easily. I'm not afraid to say what I think. My family and friends mean more to me than anything else. In that, I sympathized with Wednesday. And those are the type of characters I plan to write one day -- the kind that mean something to their readers.

Earlier this month, as a part of my graduation trip, my family and I took a tour of one of the places closet to my heart, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta. I was amazed at the stories of its founding, and consequently, the stories of its salvation. At a time when the building could not support itself, the City instead came to the rescue, and that inspired me. That's how stories should be -- they should teach you things you never knew and make you want to do things that you never could, as did Wednesday when she fell for her abundantly optimistic fiancé, Lucas. Because, honey, "When you're Addams, you do what Addams' always do!"