Personal Statement by Valeria Morales

Finding Out What I Want To Do

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:47:33 UTC

I don't really know what I want to do. I am not 100% set on theater. I'll probably go to law school so my parent will be happy, but I don't know what I want. That's been my primary goal with college right now- finding out what I want in life and maybe finding an in-between for my passions.

Living

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:48:31 UTC

All I aspire to be right now is happy and to live life. Of course, I have goals like graduating college, getting good grades, etc., but I really just want to live right now. I don't like all the pressure of having to speak about my future; eventually, I'll find where I'm going.

Art to Make Me Happy

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:49:52 UTC

At the end of the day, we are going to die, and if I die today, I want to die happy. So, when I think about art, I think about what is going to make me happy. Happiness is so important to me because there is simply no other reason to live life if you do not enjoy at least some aspects of it. I don't get the point of making yourself miserable over your art. If I make something, I want it to make me at least a little happy.

Making Others Happy

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:50:11 UTC

I like making others happy! If I can do a stupid little dance to make my friends laugh, that's amazing. Writing cheesy love letters to my partner to make him smile warms my heart. If art isn't to make someone think deeply about a subject, it should be about making someone happy.

Writing

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:50:30 UTC

I haven't done it for a long time, but I used to love writing. Even now, when I feel something too strongly, I write it down. The issue is that I never share this practice because I feel corny doing so. I'm not used to writing freely; the last time I wrote creatively just for myself was in middle school because since then, I've been focused on academic writing.

Teaching

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:50:50 UTC

I think art is an important thing to teach kids. Art is a form of expression, and a lot of times, kids don't learn how to express themselves. So, teaching kids a form of expression that gives them levels of vulnerability and connection has always been very important to me.

Latinidad

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:52:01 UTC

I am also a Mexican American and Latina/os studies major, so I write and read a lot on Latinidad. The term Latinidad represents the identity and culture of Latinos, and as a Latina, it also represents me. I never want to shy away from who I am and the culture that raised me.

Latinas en Arte

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:52:16 UTC

Slowly, there is more Latina representation in art, but not enough. I don't know if I want to continue on this creative path; however, I will always be an advocate for Latinos to participate and explore their creative passions. It is so hard for my community to follow their passions because of societal and cultural expectations, but I want to be an advocate to show them they can.

Listening & Watching

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:52:52 UTC

A habit I have is to listen and watch others. Not for any weird reasons, I just find it interesting to hear what other people have to say. It's almost like studying acting, watching how people react and speak. Also, it's fun to hear stories from people's lives. It's helpful when I am acting because I can take everything I see and apply it to the craft.

Community

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 15:53:03 UTC

We are so lonely nowadays, which is a shame because community and connection are so vital to society. What I like about art is that it connects people. Even social media and television shows, if you know someone who likes the same thing as you- it creates a bond. So, I think it's important to keep pushing art to create loving, creative communities.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:33:07 UTC

Written by Sandra Cisneros, this poem always reminds me of who I am and my culture.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:35:17 UTC

This song has always been how I felt as a Latina going to college and the fears I had of failing.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:37:55 UTC

This is a picture of the show Miraculous Ladybug, it's a really horribly written show, but it makes me happy!

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:41:44 UTC

I mentor at a middle school helping teach English to immigrant students, and I always have them read this book with me because of the connection it provides.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:44:43 UTC

This is a song I helped my friends write and it's super corny. I wasn't part of the band, so having it out there was okay with me.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:48:24 UTC

This is who I aspire to be

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:54:44 UTC

Honestly I aspire to be like her,Sandra Cisneros, a girlboss living her most authenic life with her animals.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 16:59:50 UTC

I used to love writing my own sci-fi stories in middle school. The biggest inspiration was The Hunger Games books.

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 17:03:02 UTC

These are some of the kids I helped teach over the summer!

tovmorava — 2024-01-26 17:06:55 UTC

Again, something that's not an artistic masterpiece, but just makes me happy.