Maddie Meylor is a JD candidate and will graduate in May 2024. She largely works with graphite as her medium but sometimes ventures out into oil paint and colored pencils. Maddie actually does not think she would have done as well as she has academically if it wasn't for art. She needs time when she is not studying to really process what she has learned. Maddie often finds little "a-ha" moments when she’s hours into a weekend art session when her mind is just wandering. Taking the time to decompress and express herself a bit is an essential part of her learning process. This has held true through law school, even!

To Maddie, art is how she connects to other art she loves. Even though she didn't start drawing until fairly recently, she has always been deeply moved by others' creativity. Creating her own art has become an incredible outlet and way to connect with what inspires her.  Maddie never would've considered herself creative until she took an art appreciation course during her undergrad. Her professor had her keep a sketchbook for the semester, and even though it was just stick figures, it made an impact on her life and well-being. This was shortly before the pandemic, so once the lockdown started, she jumped into her art journey as a way to process what was going on and use a bit of her extra free time.

Maddie’s advice to aspiring artists is, “It's super generic, but... being "bad" at art is what's fun about it. Everyone is creative, they just need to find their medium. Don't be discouraged if what you produce isn't what you saw in your head. It'll get there eventually, but the process is really what counts.”

You can also check out some more of Maddie's art on her Instagram: suga._.glider.