For most children, the world is filled with color and joy, innocence guiding their perception. That’s the way it should be. But, for a lot of kids, growing up in a world of sunshine and butterflies is not in the cards for them as they are forced to grow up far too fast. While their innocence isn’t completely erased, they can no longer ignore the bad in the world. As one of these former children, this contrast always interested me. So, for this portfolio, I created twelve works that explore separate issues in our world when contrasted with a child’s innocence in order to simulate how a child forced to grow up too soon may perceive the world around them. I wanted to answer the question of "What do the harsh realities of our world look like to an exposed child?" My materials included primarily printed images, construction paper, and news paper letters that were then scanned and enhanced in Adobe photoshop. While the creation of these pieces may seem simple, they are anything but that. Every component of each piece has meaning and is meant to unsettle the viewer into change. 

  By using a childlike collage style, I encapsulated serious issues through a childish aesthetic. I have always been passionate about social issues, but most specifically the six shown throughout these pieces. Mental health, school shootings/gun violence, global warming, fake news, women’s safety, and the unequal distribution of wealth are all incredibly important topics to me today, but were also topics that I became aware of far too early in life. I want my art to create a difference and to incite change by forcing people to become uncomfortable and unsettled. This contrast of child and adult themes is meant to unsettle those as it is disturbing we are allowing them to become mixed in the minds of children. 

  The children of our world must be protected, and it is up to the adults of the world to both protect them and to fix the bad in our world. Every child deserves to experience a childhood without worry and to enter a better world after.