Um..Hi? I'm Mikayla, and I live for art...although mine isn't that much to look at...yet. I was always into art ever since I can remember. The movie "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" was what really kicked me into drawing gear when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I started to draw horses all the time, that led to unicorns, which led to dragons, and then I started creating all sorts of things. My best friends at school were into drawing as well. They drew Sonic characters, and started making their own. This made me want to try to create a character I could pretend to be at recess, and then "Bad the Badger" was born. My first ever character. Bad inspired me to create more and expand my horizons so I made so many more different animal characters. I never EVER gave up drawing. It's all I had as a young child, and is still what keeps me sane to this day. Tragedy struck when I was 11 years old. My 10 year old nephew was killed in a car accident by his own dad, who was under the influence of drugs. This wreck severely injured my brother and left him in a coma for three months. The doctors diagnosed him with "failure to thrive" which meant he wouldn't recover. While he was in the hospital, I ALWAYS brought drawing supplies with me. This made me discover how drawing was so important to me. Months later, he woke up from his coma and my mom put her fist gently on his throat and told him to make a sound. This led to him talking . He can now walk and talk, and takes part in raising his 7 year old daughter who also lives with us. I had always suffered from depression, even as a small child. I would insult my mother and cry all the time, even at school. In 7th grade it all went down hill. I saw the "2012" commercial and my brain instantly targeted something for me to worry about. I would cry in school and think "why should I even bother living?" I got slightly suicidal, and thought I could rest my thoughts with the school councelor. Big mistake. I was sent against my will to "Millwood". A mental institute. There, I cried nonstop, and met many different types of people. Some with sex addictions, drug problems, homicidal and suicidal thoughts, I felt out of place. The nurses joked and laughed about things while drawing my blood, so I had a bruise there for awhile. I got meds that made my homicidal thoughts worsen, and yhe janitor commented on my crying non-stop. She was quite rude. Soon though, I got out and tried to go back to school, but failed. I was sent to "Excel center". A school for three hours, and talking about my problems with other teens for the rest of the day. It helped immensely. I made one of my best friends there, and many more I won't ever forget even though I may not see them again. I got back to school for the last few weeks, and then summer comes and my mom ends up in the hospital. She was hoping to get her colon removed as it had cancer-potential growths on it, and it caused her so much pain. The doctor botched it up and she was in the hospital additional months. I was beside myself. She got many life-threatening infections and I feared for her life. She got out though. The doctor promised her she could be active again, have a good life, but now she has permanent vertigo, and constant back aches. I feel for her so terribly much. She is a fighter though....I met some of my best friends in 8th grade, and strengthened my previous ones. When ninth grade rolled around, the depression came back. A new school, no friends in my classes, and a strange environment made me break down. I recovered, and the rest of the year went by without a hitch. I got my art published in a book, and a chance to go to state competition which turned out to be a failure because I failed math by three points. I was disappointed but I kept on with my art, knowing there would be other chances. And now my story brings me here. A strong, yet scarred girl that had to grow up before she was ready. All this has turned me into the strong person I am today. I still get bouts of sadness, and the occasional invasive thought, but I push on. I advise anybody out there struggling in life to keep going, no matter what.