Imagine sitting in class and seeing a girl drawing while the class is going on. You sit and wonder why she is ignoring the teacher, but she is drawing because it is helping her stay steady.
Cat Gonzales, 15, is an upcoming sophomore at Bartlesville (Okla.) High School. Cat is involved in journalism, but drawing has been a part of her life since elementary school. She always found time to do it when she had finished her work, and it has been a means of relaxation and therapy that helps her cope with anxiety.
“I have moderate-severe anxiety,” Cat said. “I go to therapy for my anxiety.”
The therapy has helped Cat, but drawing is an aid as well.
“Drawing is an escape for me,” Cat said. “It is an escape for me, and it also acts as a form of therapy.”
A big point for Cat’s drawing – which consists of mythical creatures and people – stems from her need to fill a void.
“Having a blank sheet of paper in front of me is annoying,” Cat said. “It’s boring and your mind can inwardly expand infinitely, and I can make so many drawings out of everything.”
Just like any artist, Cat has some preferred supplies.
“I use graphite pencils and ink pens,” Cat said. “When it comes to paper, I just draw on whatever I can get my hands on.”
Luckily for Cat, she has friends who enjoy art and are very encouraging.
“All my friends are pretty supportive of how I draw. Maybe not what I draw but how I draw,” she said.
In the future, Cat wants combine her love of drawing and journalism and become a graphic designer. While her college plans are not set, she wants to attend The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University or the University of Missouri.
