Reflection

My inspiration for this artwork were all the pictures online of trash in the ocean—it reminded me of all the trash that was left after my younger cousin's birthday party. I wanted to make my artwork a scene that most people have seen before: a messy table after a celebration. Throughout the process of creating my artwork, I felt surprised that the beaches are covered in trash, and that the animals living in the oceans have to change their sense of normalcy because of our actions. My message to viewers of my artwork is that even though we may not see the glaciers melting and see the Arctic animals struggling to find their new homes and food, it is still happening... and it is because of us. Due to this competition, I learned about Waterspirit, a nonprofit organization that works toward safe and clean water for all and transitioning to renewable energy sources. I recently met with the local public policy and justice organizer at Waterspirit. After talking to her, I realized there are many events near my town that I can be involved in. There will be meetings with my legislators about power plants, rallies, and beach clean-ups. Before this competition, I would not have thought to meet with her and would not have known that there are organizations like this near me. I will be keeping in touch with her and joining her to spread the message that we need to help clean the Earth and its oceans now to create a safe environment for the next generations.