As I transitioned into college life, I became more independent and reclusive. This led to a sense of loneliness and emptiness. When I started ceramics, it helped me alleviate the loneliness. The concept of learning and creating ceramics kept me occupied from my idle thoughts. Despite ceramics helping with loneliness, I was unable to fill the growing void of emptiness. These feelings eventually became unbearable and led to outbursts and emotional breakdowns. With each outburst, I slowly learned how to embrace my negative emotions. I recognized the importance of my relationship with myself and others. Working to establish a healthy relationship with myself has helped me acknowledge my weaknesses and validate my value as a person.

Recognizing relationships with others has given me a sense of belonging. These relationships gave me friends and family that are intertwined in my life. They also gave me people to trust, count on, and be supported by. The mutual sharing of both joyous and sad memories and happiness is now intrinsically connected to my existence.