a map of the writing process

artist statement:

My art piece was inspired by my dream to become an author. It represents the passion, struggles, and determination I put into my stories. But the universes I create are not only inspired by this—they are inspired by me. I constantly find bits of myself scattered into my writing, often through the characters. Sometimes this is unintentional, but then I look back at a section of dialogue and see how relatable it is to my experiences. My characters struggle with me and those struggles create the story. This goes for many artists. Sometimes the challenge is the physical creation of a piece, but sometimes it is the outside forces that discourage us from even starting. But we have to take on the adventure no matter how treacherous because some part of us is demonstrated through our work and the message embedded in it is unique, painful, and beautiful, and that beauty needs to be shared.

—Liza Santerre