Neha Nair, 11

“I started drawing when I was in preschool. I first learned it with my grandpa and then it just accelerated. The first thing he taught me to draw was an apple. Then slowly in school I started to draw too and then in kindergarten I was selected for the art show, and then every year since that in elementary school I kept going to the art show because I got something in. Then in middle school, I took art. I don’t like the [art] classes because they tell you what to draw and they give you all these rules and you can’t really do your best in it because there are due dates. I actually learned more by doing it on my own than sitting in an art class for 3 years. I like how [art] is relaxing and you don’t get stressed out when doing it and you can do it at your own time, unlike schoolwork. When you paint, it’s just nice to see the paint blend together and just move the brush around. I used to draw every week over quarantine but when school started it became like once a month because I’m busy on the weekdays and on the weekends I just want to sit.”