Mental renaissance

April 7, 2022

Illustrator and variety staffer Antonio Starks’ emotions and mental health are depicted in an illustration. Starks has used his art to unpack his emotions and experiences in a healthy way. Illustration by Antonio Starks

Art has been foundational for illustrator and Viewpoints staffer Antonio Starks, who uses visual art to reflect on aspects of his character and emotions.

The rough and grainy paper gives energy to my entire being. I can feel the smooth acrylic paint go across the bouncy canvas, each layer adding more and more nuance to my person. The shaky and unsteady stylus slides across the bright expanse of my mindset.

Visual art in its many incarnations has affected my life and my overall growth as a person. As a child, I went to the Georgia Museum of Art and saw paintings and sculptures, filled with different colors, different shapes and different personalities. It showed me the beauty in most things, a lesson I’ve taken with me from that moment moving forward.

Antonio Starks Illustration

I have been drawing and painting ever since I can remember. Creating art is a part of me that is inseparable from my being as a whole. Due to the mental nature of visual art, it requires me to have some form of intimacy with myself and to reveal that into the physical world.

Art allows me to have an aspect of control over myself and it allows for intense moments of introspection for me. Sometimes I can spiral and get paralyzed by the world and my emotions,but my art grounds me. I can reflect on why I drew something and what that represents within my life. It shows how the world affects me and allows me to have some control in processing information.

Creating art is a part of me that is inseparable from my being as a whole.

I couldn’t live without art. It gives me the peace of mind I need to move forward. I recognize my internal progress within my art pieces, and I see that art in turn gives me more character development.

My exposure to art from a young age has led to an intrinsic and ethereal bond between my very being and my creations. As if my art is a person, it watches and nurtures me, mimicking my every move and giving me the comfort to continue on my path.

Antonio Starks

Antonio Starks is a senior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia and is an Illustrator for the ODYSSEY Media Group. He hopes to continue exploring visual storytelling to learn from and teach his community. Starks enjoys drawing, painting, singing, and listening to music.