Jai Hutchins

I have a distinct memory of “fifth-grade me” deciding I wanted to be an artist. It was a very conscious decision, but one made on a whim that I never thought would take me to where I am now. I started because I thought art was cool, but I continued because I found that I loved it. Art can be whatever I want it to be, and that is genuinely the most freeing thing. I don't have to worry about APA formatting, formulas, or calculations; I get to create something entirely new. I could spend hours in the studio because creating is so engaging that it often doesn't feel like work. It's so different from any other subject because instead of consuming information, you learn a skill and then produce something from that information. Art is also very helpful for processing emotions. Last year, my printmaking theme was one of anger and resentment to how the world is, and this year's theme of hope is practically a direct response to last year's theme. Last year, I processed my anger, and this year I was able to have more optimism, and wanted to express that for other people to see and feel. Overall, art and creating is crucial to my self expression and is purely an extension of me as a person, and I honestly cannot imagine who or where I’d be without it.