When you create something, you put yourself on the line. The art of expression is the process of revealing yourself, of allowing yourself to be vulnerable to the opinions and judgments of others. And it’s difficult to not take it personally because the creative process involves so much ownership of what you do and what you believe. “You can’t have my heart and You won’t use my mind but” Architecture school is a competitive environment, and at times I feel like I’m being suffocated by the absolutism of subjective opinions. Architects like to believe they know what is right and what is wrong. But as I’ve become more aware of my own ways of seeing and thinking about the world, I’ve become less sure of what I know to be true and what I know to be beautiful. I believe it is important to question everything – to ask why things are the way they are and not immediately embrace or dismiss an idea. And generally, I agree most with art that is meaningful and relevant to the world. However, I believe art should not be interpreted in such a categorical, analytical sense. For me, the beauty of art is its open-ended nature. It’s about the ability for a single piece to contain a variety of meanings for not only the author, but also for the many scales of its audience and their personal experiences. Art is fluid. “My ARTPOP could mean anything.”