Ever since I could remember, I loved to create and tell stories. I have been drawing them since I was five years old and putting them into writing in my own free time since I was twelve. For my Senior Capstone Project, I will be showcasing my major creations during high school that have influenced my goals for the future. 

     The big one I have spent the past three years on is my first real novel: A Trail of Blood and Tears. It has essentially been my “Special Interest” during this time as well as my lifeline to mental health during junior year and the first semester of senior year. While it likely will not be completely finished by the time I turn in this project, my goal is to have a final copy in the high school library by the end of the semester. I also plan on making writing a long-term activity and hope to write and possibly publish several more stories in my lifetime.

     Outside of short classwork assignments, the visual art side of storytelling during high school has mainly been put towards creating commercial posters for the school productions, for which I have done five. I did one during sophomore year, two during junior year and two during senior year. When advertising a show, the poster has to give a sense of what it is about, which is where the visual storytelling comes in. Among giving information about the ticket prices and dates and copyright, it is the job of a poster designer to hint at the plot and the characters – just like the blurb on the inside flap of a novel does.

     Recently, I have used these visual storytelling skills for designing the cover for my aforementioned novel, effectively combining the two areas of my special interest.