Casey McDaniel

For the longest time, I didn’t like to do anything. Everything was difficult, and it was so easy to just not do anything. Looking back, it was probably due to untreated depression and teachers and parents who would rather belittle me than help me. I was told I was unable to learn certain things, the word ‘incapable’ became my descriptor. 

Unfortunately for everyone in the world, I took that very, very personally. Everyone’s complete lack of faith in me only motivated me to be better than them. In my quest to find something I enjoyed doing more than nothing, I found a blank sketchbook in my dad’s office. I wasn’t good by any means, but I enjoyed drawing. Very soon, I loved drawing. 

Seeing how it was the only thing I really liked to do, I decided that art should probably be my ‘thing’. So I took every art class in high school, and for the first time in my life, I had a teacher who didn’t think I was incapable at all. I took all the opportunities: apprenticeships, extra projects, art shows and competitions. I won awards, my grades improved, and I beat every other artist in my class to win the Outstanding Senior (Visual Art) Award. 

So at least nobody can say I’m incapable now. Obviously, that’s not the only reason I’m still doing the whole art thing. I’m far from the point in my life where I wanted to prove everything to everyone out of spite. Now I’m in it because I want my future to be about what I love, and what I had to overcome for it to be possible.