Grade: 9

Bio: In her free time, Rachel loves to draw, read, and listen to music. She also plays the piano, and is in a band as a keyboard player. Music and visual art are both a big part of her life!

What is your main source of inspiration?

Most of my art is inspired by my friends, family, and music or other art that I like. It's a way to express my feelings towards people and things in my life.

What motivated you to write this piece?

This piece is entirely dedicated to my little brother, Jake. He's 10, and as siblings we've had our ups and downs together. But I sometimes feel like I don't appreciate him enough, and I know that many people can relate to that type of sibling love-hate relationship.

What artists and/or writers inspired or influenced your work?

Some of my favorite visual artists include Britto, Eric Carle, and Van Gogh. However, I'm more often inspired by music and in that case I love Ricky Montgomery and Mother Mother.

What was the most difficult part of your writing process for this work?

Trying to find a good balance between poetic writing and simplistic children's style writing did prove a challenge, and I do still think this work may cater better towards a slightly older audience because of vocabulary.

What is your ideal writing environment?

Chill, low-stakes writing for fun about topics that I care about. Having a snack and listening to music also adds to the experience.

How do you resonate with your piece? Why is it personal to you?

Sometimes, me and my brother can really not get along. We have polar opposite personalities, and our clashing of interests can drive the rest of our family crazy. But despite our differences, I think it's important for me to step back and remind myself how much I truly care about him, and how much difference we've made in each other's lives. I can only hope he feels the same way, although that doesn't mean I'll stop being angry at him when he purposefully tries to annoy me.