>> MOST OF MY ART COMES FROM LIFE EXPERIENCES.

AND I AM A HOPE WILL LITTLE ROMANTIC TO BEGIN WITH, MOST OF IT IS FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.

AND THEN MY GRANDMA GOT ME STARTED.

SHE NOTICED WITH THE COLORING, THAT WHEN I COLORED WITH CRAYONS AND STUFF THAT I WAS PARTICULAR ON HOW I DID THINGS, SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID YOU ARE SPECIAL BUT YOU ARE A UNIQUE KIND OF SPECIAL.

I CALL MYSELF A RAINBOW UNICORN.

MY GRANDMA SAYS ALWAYS KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND AN OPEN OPINION ON EVERYTHING.

I LIVED BY THAT MODEL.

IF YOU ARE NOT LEARNING SOMETHING EACH DAY IT IS NOT WORTH LIVING FOR.

IT ALSO REMINDS ME OF MY GRANDMA WHEN WE WERE LITTLE WHEN SHE WOULD PUSH ME TO DO CERTAIN ARTWORK THAT SHE WOULD LIKE AND THEN SHE WOULD SAY TRY THIS, MAYBE YOU WILL LIKE IT TOO.

SO, I ACTUALLY TRIED TO MAKE HER A QUILT BUT I NEVER FINISHED IT BEFORE SHE DIED.

SO, I KEEP THAT QUILT IN A TRUNK TO REMIND ME OF WHAT WE STARTED TOGETHER.

MY LIFE WITHOUT ART WOULD BE CHAOTIC AND MISERABLE.

BASICALLY.

BECAUSE IT GROUNDS ME.

SINCE I WAS ABOUT 5 WE FOUND OUT I ENJOYED ART AND THAT I AM VERY ARTISTIC.

ALSO WITH MY DIAGNOSE OF AUTISM AND ADHD IT HELPS MELLOW ME OUT BETTER WHETHER I CAN GET THINGS OUT OF HERE ON TO PAPER.

JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DISABILITY IT DOES NOT STOP YOU FROM BEING A NORMAL PERSON.

I FEEL LIKE NOBODY IS NORMAL.

WE ARE ALL MESSED UP IN OUR OWN UNIQUE WAY.

SO, WHEN I MEET NEW PEOPLE I AM LIKE, OKAY, YOU LOOK NORMAL BUT COULD YOU HAVE A DISABILITY THAT NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT?

>> THE ONE THAT I DID FOR APSI, DON'T LET YOUR DISABILITY DEFINE YOU, IT WAS ONE THAT I THINK WAS BASICALLY TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN BE A UNIQUE PERSON BUT ALSO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU GOT NOTHING TO PROVE TO ANYBODY ELSE BUT YOURSELF.

AT THE END OF THE DAY.

BASICALLY YOU ARE FIGHTING WITH YOUR OWN INNER DEMONS TO PROVE TO YOU AND THEN YOU WILL PROVE TO EVERYBODY ELSE.

BECAUSE WITH ME IT IS JUST WITH ME, I LITERALLY FIGHT WITH MY INNER DEMONS AND SAY IF I CAN JUST PROVE TO MYSELF THEN EVERYBODY ELSE WILL KNOW I AM CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING THAT I SET MY MIND TO.

IT FELT LIKE MY CHAPTER OF GUARDIANSHIP WAS COMPLETE AND THAT I LEFT MY STAMP ON THE WORLD.

SO LONG AFTER I AM GONE THERE WILL BE A LITTLE PIECE OF ME LEFT OVER.