This creative project examines identity, autonomy, and social hierarchy by manipulating the traditions and iconography of female figural painting. Female identity and autonomy is often marked by a tense relationship between the self and the body. Socially acceptable self-expression of one's behavior, body, and desires is strictly regulated within a set of often paradoxical parameters that repress abject, 'animal' behaviors. This series of three paintings reacts to this culture of restraint and repression by exposing the body to nature once more, finding catharsis in annihilation and the destruction of boundaries between the Self and the Other. The human body is depicted as a host for animal life cycles, exploring the duality of creating and supporting life while simultaneously being destroyed. Animals that embody socially unacceptable behaviors are brought crashing back into the human form, reuniting the idealized, contrived female figure with an expressive, imperfect nature and sense of self. Hybridized animal-human relationships in the paintings break down the falsely hierarchical distinction between 'humans' and 'animals' that distances and privileges humanity from that which is considered primitive. By releasing the human body to the uncomplicated consumptive and reproductive forces of ‘trash’ animals in these paintings, the work challenges how the worth of existence is socially defined, instead affirming that all life has some inherent value distinct from its transactional worth to society at large. This celebration of the grotesque shakes off repressive social constructs, offering a unique form of catharsis and agency.

Teaching is a challenging career that carries various challenges, some of which go beyond the educator’s control and influence their ability to teach. Through the Arizona State University (ASU) Barrett's Honors College, seminars and discussions centered in collaboration and learning, resulted in student's introduction to ideas of what it means to “truly” teach from both a student and educator perspective. Teaching is more than an exchange of information as it requires a human connection. While most educators agree that connection is vital, there are still challenges in the classroom that generationally impact families. Daoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, discusses concepts such as mindfulness, leadership, and introspection. Educators can use Daoist philosophy as a tool to reflect on and develop their ability to teach with vulnerability, openness, and interconnectedness. From a philosophical standpoint, Lao Tzu (Daoist leader) explains the importance of shifting perspectives to what the individual can control: themselves. Teachers must create a classroom dynamic that is not only engaging but also provides students a sense of autonomy over their education. Shifting the dynamic from teacher centered to student centered places the education in the students’ hands and alleviates some pressure from the teacher. Embedding Daoist philosophy into the classroom can be seamless as it can already be seen through Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Relevant Curriculum, and Deep Learning.

In this creative project, I created arrangements for string quartet of two very common pop songs that are frequently requested at wedding gigs, "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran and "Purpose" by Justin Bieber. However, to meet the demands of the dynamic gigging environment and context for string musicians, I created string quartet arrangements that could be adapted and condensed into string trio or duo by eliminating one or two parts from the full quartet arrangement. As such, this project not only shares the adaptable arrangements I created, but also shares the tips and tricks I gathered throughout the course of the project, both from engaging in the creative aspect of the arranging process and also through my own personal experience.