Art College Application: My Motivation to Study Visual Arts

I’ve always had a big imagination as a child, with ideas raging in my head, but they were usually just random things mostly cartoons I saw on television. Drawing provided me a great outlet where I can release those ideas onto a piece of paper. I didn’t really have a clear motivation to draw, but as I got older, I discovered anime and it gave me the drive I needed. It was just a regular day and I was flicking through channels and caught a new show on Cartoon Network called Naruto. At first I thought the show was very strange because it very different from the cartoons I was used to watching. The story was very serious and had a lot of action and fighting, and the designs of the characters such as the big eyes and long limbs were unlike the designs I’m used to seeing in cartoons. This newfound inspiration is what I plan to explore further in my art college application, showcasing how my childhood hobby has evolved into a focused passion for anime-style art.

After watching the first episode, I was completely hooked. As I watched more episodes, I began to see how detailed the animation was compared to western style cartoons. The characters were much more three dimensional, not just the plain good or bad. And the art style was very impressive. After watching Naruto for a while, my friends introduced me to the Naruto manga where the anime was based from as well as other manga like Bleach and One Piece. I loved reading them because I loved how the art portrayed the action of the stories. I later began to realize that manga can really establish connections with the readers visually.

Reading manga and watching anime gave me the sense of escape from reality because I felt I was in different worlds. It gave me a great experience of what a life of adventure, action and romance would like. Reading manga and watching anime inspired me to take a serious interest in drawing because I wanted my art to give people the feeling of escaping reality to a world where anything they have been dreaming of doing was possible like acquiring super powers or fighting the bad guys and becoming a hero.

I believe the School of Visual Arts offers an environment where I can build a foundation in my art and explore deeper into drawing especially animation. I am more than ready for the commitment and eager to begin my life as an art student because I devoted myself to sketching every day. In the past years of my life I have found that I have never strayed to far from my pencils. It’s always ready to draw, waiting on my desk, inside my pockets, or tightly in my hands. I have realized that I always want it near me. I want to pursue studies in SVA, majoring in animation. I want to take the risks involving in helping people envision a world of their own rules and unlimited freedom through cartoons and develop my drawing skills. I have the ambition and dedication needed to thrive in the animation field and I can feel the excitement running up my spine. I know that The School of Visual Arts is the opportunity I am looking for.

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