Prologue of my life

I didn’t think that I would come back with new thoughts about being a designer and an artist. I believe that designers are one of the most influential people, especially in today’s modern society. Ever since my father hung my artwork on the walls around the house at age four, I have always wanted to affect the world with my ideas and creations. However, my thoughts about my dream career and my thoughts about design in general changed drastically during a journey I took this summer.

In the middle of the streets in Manhattan, New York, under the blistering sun, my mother called out to me saying, “Hurry, we have to get there as fast as we can!” Walking through the streets of Manhattan in 100 degree weather was not something I had in my mind as an ideal trip to New York City. I wanted to see the city’s beautiful architecture while drinking iced coffee, getting a cab to get macaroons, but not walking the entire trip on my two feet. My mother and sister finally stopped in front of a large building with a logo that read ‘MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art.’ It was so nice to be inside an air conditioned environment that was also furnished with comfortable sofas, which made all my fatigue disappear.

I began browsing the museum with my eyes as my sister purchased tickets. The museum was surrounded by simple tones of white and gray, and one of the walls of the museum was made out of glass, so that people could get a view of the scenic cityscapes and skylines of Manhattan. On the other side, there was set of gray stairs that led to the next floor and a model helicopter was hanging under the high white ceilings. After showing my entry ticket, I began to climb these gray stairs step by step, not knowing where I should go first.

Without my own free volition, I was led by the multitude of people around me as if I was being moved by waves. Through the crowd, I was still able to see vast amounts of artwork from one room to another, one floor to the next, and one wall after another. There was also a dark room with black speakers where you could hear the sounds of art, which actually just sounded like buzzing to me.

Then I noticed something with my eyes and my ears, as lots of people began to crowd around and spoke under their breath. My curiosity led me to see what piece of artwork brought all the people together when there were still a plenty of art to be discovered in the galleries. As I got closer and closer, I realized that the piece of art was not a large one, and my heart began to beat louder and louder. It was Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. My heart raced and I wanted to find my mother and sister to tell them about the painting, thinking that they would be moved by the painting just as I was. I began to think how wonderful this painting was; all the colors, textures, and emotions rushed through my heart and shined a light into the darkest corners of my mind.

As I continued browsing through the museum, I captured and experienced art through with my own eyes and my own heart for the very first time. Walking through the museum to find the next piece of art, my footsteps were like that of a small child fascinated by the colorful kites at a cherry blossom festival.

Even the briefest moments of emotional encounter with a work of art can be an insight into someone's heart and soul, as it was to me. This opened my eyes to a new world of art, one which we can live with. Just as Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Picasso, and many artists influenced the world, I would like to be able to touch someone's heart with my ideas and creation, as I have been moved by the work of these artists.