Well, it all started when I was young. I’ve never been the academic type at school. I've always been the kid who draws a lot in class. In grade school to high school, I usually get excused from classes, so that I could represent my section to any art-related competition within the school. Sometimes I get asked to do the costume design for some performers and do my team's banner for school intramurals.

Art is a form of expressing one's consciousness. It's a manifestation of an imaginative mind and, in some ways, an introduction of one's interest or personality. Art is also a form of communication. For example, when an artist paints on a canvas, the artist, to an extent, is giving the audience a peek of what the artist is thinking, feeling, or hoping for.

I’m inspired to create art because it’s one of those things I know I can spend the rest of my life doing and willingly work hard for. Also, it gives me purpose, meaning, and direction. Just the mere satisfaction of creating something out of nothing with my own hands, seeing and touching the outcome after it’s done, is such an amazing feeling. It’s so rewarding and thrilling to experience.

I suppose I haven't fully figured it out yet when conveying a specific message through my art. I guess, if I wanted to send a message, it would be to explore, and be curious about the possibilities of expression, to try many mediums, and if it’s feasible to incorporate them together. I still have a lot to learn about creating art and finding my voice as an artist.

I honestly can’t entirely give a definite answer to that right now, as I am still learning my way. But I've always been fascinated with dark styles and intricate details. So I tend to make my art complex, some might say overwhelming, but I try to put things as coherently as possible.

I'm working on finding my voice as an artist and creating my style. I think you have to try a bunch of styles before realizing what suits you and how it reflects you as an artist. So far, I’ve thought about doing mixed media art, as it gives me more options and possibilities.

When it comes to what type of medium is my favorite, I can’t tell which, but I’ve gotten used to using pen and ink because I have more experience in doing illustrations than paintings. I tapped into painting when I was in college. And I realized that I am genuinely interested in practicing it. I am currently learning to do oil painting. I think there's a lot of options with oil as a medium. I tend to mix media at times, using acrylic and oil, sometimes markers and whatnot, whatever suits my idea for an artwork. With materials, I think as long as I can draw or paint on it, its works for me.

Doing art can be an expensive passion, just trying to get the proper materials and finding out where you can get them--and the costs of each material can be frustrating. Often, it can get intimidating and overwhelming. However, with my experience, I save up for materials and research before I buy them, and I try to find alternatives if I can’t afford the materials.

As an amateur artist, I’m pretty daunted at times whenever I put my artwork out there. I tend to think about how people will receive it, will they appreciate it? Will they see it as trash or whatever. Is it even worth selling? It can get challenging to find the courage to let your artwork be seen.

It's also a struggle when you have to explain your prices to people and, also, I find it hard sometimes to put a price on my work.

When it comes to creative juices, I, too, sometimes run out of it, as one does. Sometimes, I have no interest at all to pick up a pen or brush. But I try to remind myself that I must do something creative, even if it’s small each day.