Freestyle Academy proudly presents

Fork in the Road: A Junior Self-Portrait Illustration by Courtney Coffman (2011)

For my illustration, I chose to use the idea that when I follow a dream, I do so passionately, unwilling to be stopped until I reach my achievement. Unfortunately this will usually cause me to go down the hardest path, failing to notice other options. For example, when I followed my dream of getting an A in my English Honors class last year, I spent hours throwing my heart and soul into my essays. Although I did, in the end, achieve my stellar grade, I failed to ever talk to my teacher and gain her criticism. Had I simply discussed possible improvements with her, many corrections that I overlooked could've been fixed, and instead of slaving over a computer for hours searching for these mistakes, I could've been perfecting my content. This concept was utilized in my illustration through a treasure map in front of a fork in the road. The map symbolizes my dream, and the path I need to take to reach it. On this map it clearly shows that I need to traverse through a forest, yet a dark wolf stands in the way. This creature is meant to show that this path will have many more challenges to persevere through. This side of the drawing is also darker, which is meant to emphasize a darker, less pleasant tone. Yet the other side illustrates a simple grass field. Dreams are often seen connected to stars in the sky, and in the background a sun, a type of star, can be seen shining. The sun is meant to show that by taking this path the dream can still be achieved, even though it isn't on the map. This side also has more happier colors, which are meant to bring on a nice tone. Because the overall mood is calmer, this side seems as though it would be an easier path.
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