I draw ...

I drew my town in China, a third- tier city that has not yet adopted the developed modern pace. I drew schools in China,  made up of overloaded homework and exams. I drew myself, a Chinese girl always rushing from class to class. July 2015, I just completed the Chinese High School Entrance Exam which I had been studying for the past three years. I was like a tightened string suddenly unstrung, I bounced and now felt aimless. At that time, I turned to art. Pages after pages, the drawings were giving me directions. I wanted more, and I wanted to change, to jump out of the repetitive routine. Summer 2015, I packed my drawing boards, paints, and brushes and flew to Wisconsin in the US.

I drew again. At my loneliest time in the US, I picked up my brushes and paints. I drew the new town in Wisconsin. I drew my school, made up of colorful extracurricular. I drew myself, traveling alone to the US, wondering. September 2015, I stepped on the land of the United States with anticipation. But the excitement was quickly brushed away by the overwhelming new environment. At that time, I did not know how to express myself in English, but I knew how to draw. This time, art not only brought me solace but also opportunities. My paintings were hung around the school hallways, and my teacher and classmates were amazed by my unique way of painting, a combination of western paints and Chinese calligraphy. Art became a way to relate to others, and slowly, compliments and encouragements from my peers and teachers helped me see my potential.

My art journey started when I was young. During my exchange year, I had my first opportunity to learn how to express art digitally in a web design class. As I As I explored this area through online open coursework, I found that I’m most interested in design that allows for the integration of technology into daily life. However,  the more I learned about the evolution of technology today, the more I learned about the problems created by technology. Nomophobia: cell phone addiction, social isolation, depression. Technology should assist people continuously, and people will be enabled to think through technology. The dream of the real human-computer integration urges me forward to seek deeper into the field, which leads me to the major, User Experience Design.

I drew myself, a student who hungers for knowledge and chases for dreams. I drew future world, a human-centered digital world with colors and dimensions, which is racing to grow but never leaves the people behind. Dream and responsibilities urge me forward. From the day I decided to change, I never stopped. I will devote my study and future career to achieving the integration of human and computer. I believe the infinite possibilities in myself and within the power of art, I aspire to bring the infinite possibilities and boundless dreams to the world we live in.