“Early Life”
I was born and raised in Buffalo, Minnesota, and from a young age, I knew I was a little different from the other kids. I viewed and processed things differently than most people, and it became natural to me to reject the established and form a new path more to my liking. Because of this, I used drawing to express myself in ways I didn’t know how to. As I grew older, I took on new artistic approaches to improve my skills, both on paper and digital. I became fascinated with digital art, even getting my own drawing tablet and using it with my mom’s computer! Albeit, the only art program I had at the time was MS Paint, but hey, every artist has to start somewhere! Regardless, creating artwork had become a huge part in my growth and helped shape me into who I am.
“Growing Up”
I attended St. Francis Xavier School (STFX) throughout elementary and middle school, and I became the artistic kid in every one of my classes. You know, the one kid that everyone in class wanted to partner with when we were assigned a project that required drawing a picture! I also became very invested in theatre and musicals, as I performed in different musicals that the school put on. During that time, I was a part of the 4-H club called the Rockin’ Riders, where we would learn real-life skills that involved using our heads, hearts, hands, and health. We would always get the opportunity to create different types of projects and showcase that at the Wright County Fair.
“High School & Theatre”
I attended Buffalo Bison High School and, during my freshmen year, I joined the Arts Magnet Program. This was a program for artistic students to do their school work in a more creative way. I made many friends who not only shared my interests, but viewed the world in the similar ways that I did. Those who genuinely understood how I looked at things and how I expressed it. I really felt that I found my group in high school. Unfortunately, due to budget reasons, the Arts Magnet Program was cut, but my friends and I still remained incredibly close because we joined theatre. I started out as a Techie (Backstage crew member), but I switched to onstage and became an actor. For the rest of my high school years, I participated in all of the musicals, One Acts, and spring plays, with the joy of our One Act show (“Bury The Dead”) winning us a trip to State during my senior year. We traveled to St. Paul to perform at The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University. While we didn’t win 1st first, I still had such an amazing time as I got to experience that moment with my friends and get a great view of the city of St. Paul!
After I graduated high school in 2023, I enrolled and are currently attending Ridgewater College to learn about design and marketing to earn my Bachelor’s Degree. So far, I have expanded my knowledge on graphic design and marketing strategies, as well as become more familiar with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. I’m also a part of the Buffalo Art Guild, a group where people come together and create artwork, as well as learn different styles of art, such as Picasso, water colors, ceramics, and much more!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my journey, and my plans for my future! I hope you are having a wonderful day (or evening!)