Worrell 1

Caroline Worrell
Mrs. Pettay
English 111 3B
October 1, 2015
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they
believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please
share your story.
My Happy Place
As I sit on my bedroom floor, I close my eyes and caress the paint-stained carpet, newly
warmed from the suns late afternoon rays. The needle on my record player provides me with the
familiar hum of a beloved album, heard at least 100 times before. The faint scent of a recently lit
candle dances through the room and fills my senses. Strewn around me are half-empty tubes of
acrylic paint, accompanied by a mason jar full of brushes containing the final remnants of my
latest piece. I stare at the blank canvas, stark, and white, and full of endless possibility. This is
my happy place. A peaceful sanctuary for my creativity to roam freely and my imagination to
run rampant.
Each piece I create is like a peep-hole on a door to my mind. A window into
my soul. Locked in every painting is a new emotion slowly revealing itself through color,
texture, or form. Illustrated in my sketchbook are flashes of the fuzzy, fleeting images that visit
me in my dreams. One by one, my creations make up a portfolio that only I can truly understand,
free from judgement, prejudice, or disapproval. Unlike a pair of brand name shoes or mass
produced tee-shirt, my art is my art, and no one can make a piece that is exactly the same.

Worrell 2

I take great pride in the fact that I have the capability of making the conscious decision to
pursue my passion for art. I am fortunate enough to have a family that supports me in my
passions, as opposed to other families who condemn their childrens creativity for failing to
uphold a predestined career path. While I reflect upon certain moments in my life, there is only
one that catches my attention. Its a conversation I had a few years ago with my dad that I
promised him Id never forget. One night out at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, we were
deep in conversation about my rapidly approaching future. As I expressed my what-ifs and
maybes, he told me this: Do what you love, no matter how much it pays or what people may
think because in the end, the only person who has to live your life is you. Ever since this night, I
have vowed that I will never be indentured to the dollar or bound by currency, so long as I am
content with the life I am living. These words radiate in my mind every day, every minute, every
second.