I’m Anabelle. I’d consider myself a creator, in the same way I’d consider myself an artist. I’ve always enjoyed creative stuff–I mean, that’s clear from my decision to join Freestyle, but there’s so much more stuff I like to make and consume besides what I study. For example, I’ve always been a fan of video games, and getting into media when I was younger is what drove my love for storytelling through interactive content. If it wasn’t obvious, I’m neurodivergent, and have always gotten hooked onto specific media and their individual narratives, which have inspired my own work. These motives to create, tell a story, and infuse soul into characters have always mattered to me and driven my art. 

 I think self-expression and identity are key components to creating. Whether I’m making stupid jokes or heartfelt messages, I want my work to have soul and passion. I want people to be able to see that I care about what I’m sharing, and that I put effort into its production. Essentially, with each thing I make, whatever that may be, I want a little piece of myself to be present. I think it makes me feel a lot more motivated to continue working on whatever I’m doing, anyways. I’m much more likely to finish what I started if I feel passionate about that work.

Right now, as previously said, I’m very passionate about storytelling. I recently replayed the video game Undertale by Toby Fox, which tells a story that is built up by its characters and worldbuilding. When a website was published asking players of the game to explain, in 180 characters, what the game meant to them, over 400,000 answers were received, each with its own treasured memory. I want to be able to tell a story that reaches that many hearts and inspires that many souls. I want to demonstrate the messages I believe in, and inspire even more to carry on my values and keep creating.

I chose to become a Freestyle student to get out of my comfort zone and learn. I like to draw, and I like to make music, but I don’t really do much else. At Freestyle, a variety of creative skills are taught, many of which will assist future endeavors and open up many pathways. Knowing how to do things like make a website, film a video, use Illustrator, produce music, and more, are the kinds of things needed to deck out creative abilities and be able to communicate ideas to their fullest potentials. I’m excited to learn more skills and maybe even unlock new hobbies!