<div class="fr-view"><p>As an adult I rarely tried new things because I worried I would be bad at them, but making art has shown me how fun learning new things can be. It’s experiences like this that gave me the courage to try something new by studying at the OU.</p>
<p>In tough times I found that my regular ways of expressing my feelings were not helping. I write for fun, but as students we write a lot, and writing felt like something I was pressuring myself to be good at. I did talk to people about how I felt, and that’s a really important thing to do, but I also wanted a private way of expressing what was going on in my head.</p>
<p>I had never considered myself a good visual artist, so there was no pressure to be good. I started drawing with felt tips, and then bought a kids watercolor pallet which is one of my favorite ways to paint. I am chronically ill and struggle with tidying up and cleaning brushes, which made these paints perfect for me as they require no clean up and the paint comes off the brushes no matter how long you leave it.</p>
<p>Because of my limited mobility I struggle to love my body. I painted this to celebrate my body but also to show the pain my back is in through the arc of the figure.</p>
<p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib wp-image-37453" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1st-painting.png" alt="A figure flying in the air under colourful wings, in front of a multi-coloured background." data-id="37453" /></p>
<p>I painted this because there was a local open exhibit, and I wanted a visible trans presence, as trans people often feel left out of mainstream spaces. This painting ended up being auctioned by The LGBT Foundation to fundraise for them which I’m so pleased about.</p>
<p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib wp-image-37454" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2nd-painting.png" alt="Swirly lines in blue and pink colours." data-id="37454" /></p>
<p>My art isn’t always subtle, and it doesn’t have to be because I’m trying to make something I like. I also make art about positive emotions, these both express how much I like a song.</p>
<p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib wp-image-37455" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3rd-painting.png" alt="Eyes on a sunset background, crying yellow and orange tears." data-id="37455" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPhY1OQkISg"><em>Sunburn</em> by The Living Tombstone</a></p>
<p><img class="fr-fic fr-dib wp-image-37456" style="width: 285px;" src="https://thehootstudents.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/4th-painting.png" alt="An orange heart on a dark background, with the words 'Good luck babe!'" data-id="37456" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Lz_MG35hM"><em>Good Luck Babe</em> by Chapel Roan</a></p>
<p>Trying new things without putting pressure on myself has helped me be less anxious about my studies. I can see that learning as a process, and that I don’t have to get it right the first time.</p>
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