Juliette Crichton

How do high school seniors feel about college and more importantly, about growing up? Our progressing relationships with this are all unique so I’ve worked with my fellow seniors closely, first asking for a mindmap, photographing, brainstorming, in the hopes of capturing their individual responses to college and the future. This process was necessary to fully understand their isolated relationship with the concept, but it was also a surprisingly meaningful way to say goodbye to the friends I now call family. I planned out as much as possible each time, using colored pencils for the faces and leaving empty eyes to capture the uncertain future we can’t yet see, whether this uncertainty is thrilling or terrifying was dependent on the person. Colored pencil is comfortable, much like my life is now, so with each background and composition I tried to do something to reflect the onset of college, new, even nerve-racking, like using my own pressed flowers or frosting as paint. If I didn’t like how something was forming, I covered it up or tore it out because life is messy and often we find ourselves starting over; but starting over doesn’t mean giving up.