Sophia Melfe

My participation has impacted me by allowing me new confidence in everything I do. It has also shown me certain things I hadn’t even known existed, or that were opportunities for me to have in the first place. A wonderful example of this had to have been the Governors Ball, which was one of the first times I had realized how many people genuinely support the arts within New Jersey. In the case of my creativity, I have found that it has benefited me greatly, as I have become far more open to ideas, found more ways to collaborate, and consistently ask for help or constructive criticism of my work. Many moments within the council had created that habit, especially within group work, it had helped me learn that working together isn’t all that bad. It also helped me learn from criticism instead of just taking it.

Youth Arts Ed Council also has opened a new door to the possibility of creatively based jobs that most don’t think of, such as Architecture, Interior design, Art history, Art therapy, and more. A lot of these ideas were formed from the benefit of the many times we had gotten to meet artists, of which many who hadn’t even gone to college for the arts, and some who had, and find themselves extremely happy with that choice. Either way, Arts Ed NJ’s Youth Arts Ed Council has benefited me in so many ways, more than one, and still continues to have that positive effect.