1.

Personal Awareness & Responsibility

Strengths:
- I understand learning takes patience and time.
One thing I learnt from maintaining my hobbies of digital illustration and
instruments is that the curve to learning isn’t linear nor easily traceable. There are
times where I was in a slump where nothing went to plan and every piece I drew
was worse than the last. There were also times where things went the way I
wanted to, and I would paint my magnum opus every time. Instead of yearning for
instant growth with every piece, I’ve learnt to enjoy the creative process without
expecting something more every time.

- I am learning to take care of myself.

Personal care is something that I have recently learnt the importance of as
I find myself burnt out and distracted when I do not attend to my own needs. One
method I learnt coincidentally is meditation and mindfulness which allows me to
recognize and accept my own emotions. By acknowledging that emotions are
emotions and that they do not define the present nor the future. This strategy
allowed me to regulate emotions that occur in daily life.

Weakness
- I am personally responsible, self-motivated, and can advocate for myself.
Although I am highly motivated, I often find myself distracted and end up
not getting to daily commitments I have set. This is something I struggle with as
there are many hobbies such as working out, art, two instruments, and math that I
want to partake in throughout the day. I feel that once I overcome these obstacles,
I can accomplish so much more and enrich my life on a short- and long-term
basis.

2. Social Responsibility
Strengths:
- I can identify and appreciate different perspective on issues and use and evaluate
strategies to resolve problems.
I am chronically online. Due to this unfortunate addiction, I’ve had the
opportunity to experience varying perspectives on the same issues and topics. I’ve
frequently went back and forth between extremes on controversial discussions on
religion, identity, and social dilemmas. Through these experiences I’ve learnt that
the answer can only be sought within consultation of both extremes. Consultation
may only occur after both parties agree to humility and empathy. I’ve applied this
to my daily life, trying to listen more than I speak.

- I value diversity, defend human rights, advocate for others, and act ethically in all my
interactions, including online.
Empathy is something that I value to upmost importance. I feel that if
people of opposing perspectives and ideals interact, understanding that the
 opposing party are also equally as human and as equally as capable to empathize
is important to humanize those who are your polar opposites. Through this
knowledge, I have come to fully understand the phrase “do onto others what you
want others to do onto you.

Weakness
- I am aware of my community and environment and work independently and
collaboratively for the benefit of others.
I am a hermit with barely any interaction with the outside world most of
the time. Learning how to interact and interpret social cues and furthermore being
more connected to local events and issues in my community is something that I
should try improving on. By understanding these issues, I will be able to connect
deeper with the environment around me and understand and empathize with
people around me.

3. Critical Thinking
Strengths:
- I can ask good quality questions, gather relevant information, and come up with well-
developed conclusions.
I enjoy asking questions and exploring concepts that are both concrete and
abstract. I spend most of my time exploring concepts that pique my interest and
forming my own opinion and interpretation of aforementioned concepts.

- I can explore and create new ways to represent my learning around a variety of
problems, events, issues, and needs.
I understand that a single obstacle can have multiple approaches within
analysis and solution. Due to this, I try multiple approaches and solutions when
met with an obstacle that I cannot bypass by my usual methods. This may involve
research online or asking other people about the obstacle I face and ask for their
solutions so that I may approach it with a fresh mind and perspective.

Weakness
- I can analyze and critique my work and my learning.
I feel that in order for me to grow more as a person, that I should be more
critical and reflect on what I produce as an artist before decided what to study
next in terms of lighting, anatomy, dynamic poses, expressions, shape language,
and more fundamentals. I feel that I fear criticism to some extent, so facing those
emotions while seeking out critique for my work would be the next step that I
should take to bring myself to the next level.
4. Creative Thinking
Strengths:
- I can create new and unique ideas that may provide new perspectives that influence
how people think about topics.
 This is one of the strengths that I have when I write analysis pieces for
literary works. For example, I once wrote about the structure of a piece and the
cadence it provides to the reader when it is read out loud in their mind. I try my
best to express my thoughts and ideas often, meaning that I sometimes may hit
bullseye with my creativity, or end up fizzing out. It is confidence that allots me
to come up with more ideas that may work or may not work out well.

- I can use the environment around me, including others, and my unconscious mind to
generate new ideas.
I understand that creative ideas are built upon preexisting ideas that are
extrapolated to create new things. I enjoy delving into a colourful variety of
creative expression with a rather open mind. By figuring out what I enjoy from
one thing, I can implement it to my original idea, or create a new branching idea
from the reference that I gathered.

Weakness:
- I can persevere, and understand that failure can be productive.
Although I have improved my general fear of failure, it is still something
that I face when it comes to sitting down and drawing. I feel that this stems from
insecurity from my art being an extension of my identity, as negative reactions to
it end up hurting more than someone insulting my character to my face.

5. Communication
Strengths:
- I can listen, learn to contribute meaningfully to discussion and debate, consider
different perspectives, and build consensus.
I enjoy listening to multiple perspectives and equally contributing to
debates and discussions that other people engage in. Adding to already
contributed ideas with my personal take, or asking questions so the ideas can be
better developed though ongoing discussion and comparison. I like to think that
all perspectives have something interesting with them, and that every idea does
have a thoughtful core within all the nuances.

- I can engage in deep and meaningful inquiry for a variety of purposes and audiences.
I find myself enjoying questions that make me doubt the very fibre of my
identity. Questions such as, “who am I, really?” or “what makes a human so
special?” or even, “is free will something that we REALLY posses?” Although
these are questions that are unoriginal and repetitive, they are both widely
applicable and gets someone thinking deeply. Not all questions inquire about
existence, though. Simple questions that may lead to a rewarding expeditions
regarding identify, art, culture, expression, consciousness, life, and death. These
questions all intrigue me and I find myself engaging in media that discusses these
questions.
 Weakness:
- I can reflect on the processes of learning and share what I have learned.
Introspective reflection and the detailed processes of learning is something
I find difficulty in defining and sharing. I frequently get caught up in the details of
my journey of learning, that I can easily get distracted from the main idea that
may more easily express ideas that I learnt in an easily understandable method.

6. Personal & Cultural Identity

Strengths:
- I can define myself in terms of my relationship to others and to the world.
I have come to the epiphany that identity is something that is largely
shaped by the environment and is fluid in nature. By understanding that me, as a
human being is malleable as such, I can confidently state my position is closely
tied to the people and the environment around me. This connection is something
that I value and aim to maintain though my life.

- I understand what is important to me.

Although sometimes, life can get muddled and times can get confusing, I can
confidently understand that I am an artist. This core identity/value is something
that I am not only proud to proclaim, but am assured with how important it is to
me that I can express my thoughts and emotions though an art medium as I live
though daily life. Even if time restricts me from illustrating, I will somehow keep
in touch with this side of me throughout my life as a commitment.

Weakness:
- I know my strengths and what makes me unique,
I sometimes find myself doubting my own strengths and not able to clearly
reflect on my unique qualities. This has made me susceptible to the
aforementioned “fear” I feel of failure. Doubts about my voice as an artist or
skills I am not yet competent at make drive this forward.