ABSTRACT

Growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the USA gave me many freedoms and advantages, not least of which was being able to immerse myself in truly beautiful scenery. When I found myself at college in Philadelphia-my first time living in a city-I continually longed for country life and even missed the smell of manure from the farms near my home. It was my first time being away from the landscapes I grew up loving, but luckily my mind never entirely left. I found comfort in my imagination and being able to find new ways of portraying my visions. That experience was the first I had in learning to trust myself to know what I like best. Being able to identify what makes us happy is the first step toward finding inspiration, and it was through learning about myself that I learned how to harness my inspiration to work for me.