What are you passionate about other than veterinary medicine?

From the vibrance of bright sunshine yellow to the calm serenity of soft ocean blues,

colors

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colours

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have functioned to express my emotions in ways that words never could. You can visualize my late childhood as a permeating, ubiquitous, muted

gray

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grey

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. The kind of

gray

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that elicits feelings of being stuck in slow-moving quicksand

coupled with

hopelessness. The

gray

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crept into my

life

the day my brother

had been

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diagnosed with a brain

tumor

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tumour

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, resulting in numerous operations to save his

life

and the constant need for my parents' care.

As a result

, my five siblings and I were primarily left to our own devices as we navigated the stressful circumstances that loomed through our daily lives. Lacking the tools and ability to cope with my emotions alongside the fatigue of striving to support my siblings, I sought escapism by drawing.

Instead

, the

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that had occupied my world was being struck onto paper through the lead of my Ticonderoga etching across the page. Warm, comforting maroons and exciting pops of vermillion would fill my soul, easing my anxieties and driving me forward with a sense of renewal and peace. Drawing and painting became an outlet to pour my overwhelming thoughts into, helping me to process and release the stress and trauma I was moving through. As my brother's condition stabilized, I pursued creating as a quest for self-exploration. It was the peak of my teenage years, and being artistic allowed me to be in a world of my own and blaze a unique path, helping me to establish individuality. Creating became an insatiable quest I poured into any available medium, from knitting bracelets to sweeping mural pieces. Yearning for community, a space where others understood the joy and drive that creating granted me, I joined

art

clubs, competitions, and galleries.

This

immersion allowed me the opportunity to share my work with others. Shadowy charcoal works veiled in white highlights revealing the curvatures of my brother's face hung in a series among the expanse of the gallery walls. Having my work on display was equivalent to being turned inside-out for the world to see. It was an opportunity to share my passion, talent, and most profound emotions, teaching me the value of vulnerability. I challenged my vulnerability and skills by taking on commissioned works, communicating another's perspective onto canvas to decorate and commemorate their lives. Producing

art

representing other's feelings functioned as an avenue to form a special connection with people I would have never met and

instill

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instil

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joy, helping me lead a purpose-driven

life

.

Art

is my outlet, a source of inspiration and connection, an avenue to spread and receive joy, a modality of vulnerability and community.

Art

is my passion, but I want it to be something other than my career. I preserve its value by not forcing myself to do it.

Instead

, it is a meaningful way for me to establish balance in my everyday

life

. The skills and characteristics I have developed from igniting

this

passion marry well with my love for veterinary medicine. Drawing and painting have allowed me to hone a delicate attention to detail,

skillful

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skilful

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, precise hands, and an enduring focus that will translate into a career as a board-certified surgeon.