To Know One's Self Through Art

Artist Statement for my senior show, and a few works:

I have loved creating art all my life. I almost compulsively take my abilities in different directions, having an extremely difficult time settling on just one. I try to create and change ordinary things into something more interesting using any tools I have available. Due to a strong fascination with Surrealism my objects are implemented not as things but as metaphors for a certain concept.
This series is highly cathartic. Through my assemblages I have endeavored to reconcile some aspects of my life. I want to expose a part of what composes my thought process and personal history, but at the same time evoke contemplation on some major themes of the human experience. I use my objects to create a world that doesn‘t have to make sense at first glance, yet is still tethered to actual events and emotions.
Most of the things I talk about through my art have been ghosts in my life, following me around into adulthood. When I allow them to sit on my studio table I can talk to these memories. I can make peace with them. I give them the attention they need and deserve, along with a physical manifestation which someone else may be able to relate to. In turn, they no longer need to follow me. When they have been realized, in many ways I can let them go.
The fuel for any artist is inspiration. Consciously creating meaningful art requires a spark from which artistic thought can be generated. Most individuals who have a desire to make art are continually seeking new sources of creative awakening. The ideal circumstance would propel you into a poetic sort of madness, where everything comes together and creation is automatic.
This igniting force has been elusive for me at times. However in my relationship with art, nothing has been more inspiring than my own experience, or seeing in other’s art something that speaks to my perception. Socrates claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. I can think of nothing that puts you more face-to-face with your existence than making it the focus of your creative process. I am constantly grappling with this idea of one’s true self. It is a situation I think most people have to face at least once in their life. I continually seek understanding of the world and myself by trying to outwardly make sense of it. This self-inspiration makes the product of my efforts so much more meaningful, to me, than if I worked any other way.