Seeing Clearly Through a Charcoal Maze

As a child I spent many hours in classrooms unknowingly searching for a means of self-expression. Art was one of the few areas of study that allowed me to harvest my own thoughts and ideas, and it seemed very realistic to grow up and become a rock star, an artist, or a poet. However, as an adult, that realistic dream is often shattered by the pressures of conforming to the regularities of our society. Nearly ten years after I graduated from high school, I decided to return to college to pursue my true passion for the arts. There was always a part of me that felt connected to the idea of creating, whether it involved a pencil, a camera, or a simple extension of a wistful thought. In the fall of 2005, I enrolled in the University of Southern Mississippi. I later left the university not only with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, but also, more importantly, with a brand new way to examine the natural beauties of the world