Taya, a rising junior, is at EXPLO to test her limits artistically, academically, and socially.
I think art actually made me my best friend. I brought my sketchbook to school one day and I was just flipping through my sketchbook and she approached me and complimented my art. That’s what made me my first friend in middle school. Art is a way to express myself. I’m not a very vocal person when it comes to expressing my feelings — I usually just draw it out. It’s just a way to get my mind off of things that make me upset. It's relaxing, like yoga for my mind.
I stopped creating for a little bit, but I met some really, really great artists and I became good friends with them. They made me want to get better than I was before. They are still my best friends to this day and they are incredibly talented people; they’re a great motivation for personal improvement.
Art for me is simultaneously staying in my comfort zone and also constantly stretching that zone. And that’s what I’m trying to do here at EXPLO — push my comfort zone and challenge myself in many ways. Honestly, everyone starts somewhere, and all it takes is effort to get to where your goals are. Art is difficult, but if you keep trying and work hard at it, you can do anything.
Sabrina Polin