CJ Inghram

It is difficult to make artwork that is completely meaningless. Art is heavily impacted by social movements, personal feelings, and events in people’s lives. Artists may not acknowledge or publicize the relation between themselves and their art, but nonetheless, there a reason behind the work. In the journey of trying to find inspiration for my art, I started looking into my family life. I grew up in a fragmented family which led me to become interested in helping people in similar situations. I found there were a lot of social issues that I wanted to understand more and help with. The exposure to large new ideologies made me want to bring awareness to others who are not exposed to these issues.

I found that like me, many others grew up feeling different or not normal. Though children are often viewed as innocent, they are also being labeled by adults or peers for their mistakes, behaviors, or uncontrollable aspects of their lives. Labeling greatly impacts children’s lives, yet the issue is not seen by society as damaging as it truly is.