Images provided by Francisco Prado.
Have you ever thought about what goes through an artist’s mind when they are creating art? An artist can have many different reasons why they make art; it could be for themselves, or for others to see. Art can also be used to help with mental health issues because some artists use their art as a way to express themselves without using words. When you are drawing something and you get really into it, your art piece can “take you out of this world and into a different place where it can be relaxing and where you don’t have to focus on the stuff you’re going through.”
Francisco Prado, a senior here at Washington High School, struggles with this situation. “I don’t draw for others,” Prado says. “I don’t create my comics for kids, teens, adults, or anyone really nor do I do it for mental reasons, I just draw for me and that’s that.” I asked him how he gets his ideas and how he knows what his pieces of artwork will turn out to be, and Francisco says “I know because I’m creating it! I am taking all the ideas within my brain and translating it into something big! Something vibrant! Something with life!” As for how he gets his ideas, he says, “They just come to me. I could just be entirely zoned out and wham! New Idea!” I’ve also asked him how he does his artwork during school. He stated that he has a little system: “After every assignment I finish, I take a little bit of time to work on any of my own stuff! It’s all about balance! Not too much of this and not too much of that!”
Art is important for anyone. It doesn’t matter if the artist is doing it for themselves or others, art is a way for anyone to express emotions that they can’t say through words. Every artist has a different way to do their artworks; art can have many stories to tell: you just have to look closer and find it!
Doris Gonzalez is in twelve grade. She grew up in Niles, Fremont. She has been writing tiny animal books that have information about them since she was six years old. She started to write a book about a show that she wants to make in 2019, and she just finished the introduction of the book this year. She’s really interested in topics like climate change, endangered animals, and what’s going on with the LGBTQ+ community and the Black Lives Matter movement. Her hobbies are drawing, painting, writing, playing video games, and collecting stuff like anime figures, monster high dolls, shopkins, manga, and Disney movies. Her future plans are writing a book and starting a tv show (but not directing it, because she’s really bad at directing others). She also wants to work at an animal rehabilitation center, make YouTube videos, and go to UC Davis.