The hormonal blockade, when all of the stresses of life come together in thick fog. One moment everything is clear; translucent that an attainable goal lying right at the end of life’s tunnel. Then suddenly a thick fog begins to take hold of the empowering and once apparent light and hides it. Where is the next step? Where must I go? How do I get there? Who am I? Question after question unraveling themselves into plain sight, the tunnel that once brought you clarity has given you instability and confusion.

During these teenage years there happens to be a lot of losing oneself and learning about oneself. Art is a platform many choose to express themselves and release the bundled up emotions submerging them. Art is everywhere and can truly be anything. Finding inspiration is a very tough aspect to creating art and beginning the process of creation, especially in the clouded seclusion of adolescence. However art can come at anytime from anything, so allowing inspiration to ebb and flow in and out of your life is key to artistic success.

In the halls of LSHS there is a diverse student body roaming the halls. Stereotype after stereotype after stereotype cause many to assume the life of others. If for one day judgement were eliminated from the human mind, people may see the beauty behind each diverse exterior. Everyday there are future artists walking in these halls and one might never know until the time comes when they receive recognition. Our student body is filled with wonderful people and incredible artists, built with atoms similar to everyone else’s but created to inspire.

Creating art is a tenacious task in itself; however, embodying your art is another story. Junior Shannon LaVelle expresses her artistic devotion through acting and music. The craziest part about LaVelle’s musical career is that she didn’t choose it. She claims that after her family played the same song over and over hundreds of times, she began to sing along – this before she was able to talk. Music is her escape, a home for her when she is lost and her release no matter what mood. She began her acting career in seventh grade and recently played the character Sister Mary Robert in the LSHS production of the Sister Act.

“I guess it all comes down to how it touches my soul. If I am having a bad day, I can’t wait to go to rehearsal and sing my heart out, or go to my theatre group and belt longside my friends. I can even just go home and bust out a song on the piano,” LaVelle said.

LaVelle finds that her inspiration is rooted through how music and performing affect her. She has found that when she feels her work she becomes addicted to it.

“I find inspiration in the way my heart heal through singing. I see the inspiration in my soul and follow that. Music all comes down to how it touches the soul,” LaVelle said.

Once one feels the heart in what they are doing, inspiration will arise and supply the thoughts to start the artistic process.

Junior Sydney Judnich is more unconventional in her medium of art. She finds that her artistic expressions are best displayed through makeup and cosmetology. There has always been a passion for art in Judnich’s life. She claims that she doodles twenty-four hours, seven days a week.

However there was a special connection she found when she began her makeup career. Judnich finds that she adores the act of creating and finds putting colors that are unconventional and rarely mixed together as a way to release. Makeup has become a popular trend in the past couple of years, however Judnich doesn’t consider herself a follower of these fads – she knows that makeup is more than just a hobby, it’s a way for her to be authentic self doing exactly what she wants. Judnich believes that inspiration can come from anywhere or anything. She finds that through others art she can visualize different ‘looks’ she plans to create.

“Just listening to music or watching a movie spars inspiration for me,” she said.

Once as she was listening to “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” by the artist Halsey, she followed the cover art aesthetic and replicated similar designs through her eyeshadows and eyeliner. She says that seeking for inspiration sets up expectations that might not be completed,allowing one’s heart to locate their artistic fuel leads to original art.

Photography is the art of catching a moment in time that one finds beautiful. Senior Tina Nguyen has found that the activity that connects her most to her artistic side is photography. Prior to this passion she loved to draw and paint, however she found that her heart belonged to the power of her camera. When Nguyen is in the perfect headspace, she has visions of photographs she wants to create.

“I believe that these images are inspired from a feeling I try to capture and through a cinematic influence,” Nguyen said.

There’s a satisfying sensation that she feels when she captures a moment in time that ignites that emotion she was looking for in her vision. Inspiration did not come easy when she focused solely on drawing, but once she found the beauty of her emotions she found her calling. “If you feel what you’re making, you’re doing it right. Follow your heart – even though it’s cliche,” Nguyen said.

Inspiration is everywhere. Although it may seem hard to find at first, when the time is right your heart will feel it’s attraction to what drives the mind to art. Artistry is the vulnerability of the mind expressing itself and adding to this life. Look in a magazine, a video, a book, a celebrity, nature or even just a simple object – you might find something that will start you on your newest project.