Our interests can be compared to that of magnetic fields and a compass. These invisible, yet powerful forces attract and point us in particular directions. Everyone naturally gravitates toward different interests, similar to the pull of a magnetic force on the spinning arrow of a compass. From Barbie dolls to Disney princesses, soccer cleats to ballet shoes, coloring books to design, the interests that stimulate my brain have constantly evolved as I have grown. As my inner compass has matured with age, some of those interests waned, while others added a spark to my eye and peaked my curiosities. 

For a long time, my center of gravity was not clear, and I hadn’t yet discovered what attracted my interest. I knew the activities I liked doing in my free time and the extracurriculars I enjoyed, but what I was passionate about? What career path should I choose to pursue? The answers to these questions, like my inner compass, were unclear to me.

With time and patience, I began to realize what my brain naturally gravitated toward and what my interests were. In my middle school and early high school years, I had a blurry view of my future, unsure of which direction to follow. All I knew was my natural instinct for helping others. Immediately, I began to look toward careers in the medical field, assuming it was what I was meant to do. 

Committing my time to job shadows, medical terminology, and health occupation courses, I began to pave a path for myself to forge a successful career in medical service. But wherever I looked, my eye was regularly drawn to visual layouts. Fascinated by creative designs, an artistic voice and style began to speak to me with a grounded voice that felt comfortable, natural, and confident. Creating art has always been a personal form of self-expression I have loved since a young age, but I had never thought about pursuing an art or design-related career before. Following this new direction, I entered a whole new perspective with curiosity and enthusiasm about the various directions my chosen path and inner arrow have guided me. My exploration of art programs was transformational as I kept my mind open to possible majors. What I found quickly captivated me, and ideas of all the things I could see myself doing in the future whirled in my head. 

Reflecting on my past uncertainty, I have learned that it’s important to pursue the things that I am drawn to and what I naturally love. As cliché as that sounds, it’s a lesson that many fail to embrace or see clearly in themselves. My interests have pointed the way and I look forward to a future where I work hard towards my inspired goals. I have set an intention to pursue the artistic ideas that captivate my thoughts, to follow the direction my brain, my heart, and my inner magnetism pulls me. Throughout the course of my newly-set journey, I look forward to the vast number of people I will meet and the immense amount of skills I will learn- socially, mentally, artistically, and academically.

The human brain and heart can be compared to a compass, in which no matter what path one takes, there is an underlying, invisible force greater than ourselves. I feel fortunate to have found my own and believe that, in my future, I will be able to use my creative eye and artistic thinking to be successful in a design-related field. After years of trial and error, I have discovered what comes naturally, what I could spend hours working on, and what I want to pursue. No matter how the compass of life may spin and regardless of the specific career to which I aspire, I trust the magnetic attraction my brain has guided me to, what I will flourish in, and where my interests have found their true north.