Hello, I’m Courtney Chu and I’m majoring in Arts and Practices! My goal is to become a Concept Artist for video game industries! I’ve always dreamed of becoming an artist since I was a child. When I was four years old, I was drawing dinosaurs, dogs, and rocks like nobody’s business. At the time when I was about 9, I had an obsession with tracing pokemon. I would proudly hold it up and show my friends and family. My father absolutely loved my artwork, and would hang them on the walls of his office. As the days turned into years, my love for drawing continued to grow, and it grows everyday. Then, on a day like any other, I was introduced to anime by my friends. I immediately fell in love with the art style. I constantly drew and drew for countless hours loving every single piece, and my friends and family loved them too. There was a character I absolutely adored, so I spent hours drawing a piece dedicated to the character. I particularly remember this piece because it was the piece where some people walked by and looked at it and said, “That’s f*cking weird”. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel crushed. Somehow, a stranger’s opinion mattered more to me than those who were close. At that point, I lost my confidence in my art, and secluded my art from the world. That being said, that didn’t stop me from making art. It was my high school friend that forced me out of the little bubble that I created. From the origami cranes to my silly doodles, she appreciated everything. At one point, she even took my pieces to show an art teacher. In my last semester of senior year for high school, I finally took an art class again. People loved my art, and my art teacher even displayed some of my work! I was once told by someone important to me, “If you do what you love, you never work a day in your life”. I’ve always loved art, and no matter what happens, I will continue to make art.