As the Summer comes to a close, we look around and see kids getting their last few days in the pool, students shopping for school supplies, and some getting their last adventures out of their systems. It is interesting to look back and reflect on what may have been accomplished during our vacation, or maybe what we look forward to in the year to come. For me that reflection is a little more heavy than usual. This will be my last year at Marywood as an undergrad in Art Education. I have had a hard time contemplating the real world and what I may want to do with the rest of my life. I am still very unsure of what avenue I want to take but am also grateful that I can jump into almost anything I put my mind to. In recent weeks I kind of felt a disconnect with the idea of school, the normal end of summer blues started to set in. It was mostly due to the fact that during my last year I will be focusing more on the education side of things rather than art. It came as a shock, knowing that my art classes have come to a close. It did teach me though, that I need to continue my artistic ventures without the push of our art department. I now need to find it myself and keep my motivation flowing; my first step into the real world I suppose.

As I look back at the last few months of freedom, though, I find myself with a smile on my face thinking about all of the beautiful and expressive things I have been able to experience. All of which are equally as inspiring and make me feel alive. I think about my summer and it gives me the push I need to work on my own and to be excited about what is to come. For this new found motivation I have to thank a few specific events…a music festival that brought back my faith in humanity; a beautiful wedding combining love, friendship, peace and art; the ocean which rejuvenates and calms; a number of hikes with good friends who wouldn’t hesitate to hold your hand and jump head first into a waterfall; and finally, casually stumbling upon a jazz concert in a small brick alleyway. I thought that my motivation to further my creativity would slowly drain from me this year but now I know that I have been fueling that creativity on my own. That being said, I wish all new and returning students the best of luck in their ventures, and also to remember that their art is inside of them; it is up to us to let it out.