Hima Thota

“Both sports and art teach you how to fail and not get caught up on overthinking things, like, ‘How could I have done this better?’ You move on to the next point, you move on to the next day. You move on to the next piece. It’s very challenging to just not lose motivation and abandon it,” Catherine Wong (12) said.

Click. Catherine Wong (12) turns on her drawing tablet, the screen lighting up. She quickly clicks on the drawing app, which presents a screen with rows of pens of varying color and inks at the bottom on top of a blank canvas ready for drawing. A laptop sits beside the tablet, displaying images of the latest fanart of characters from various ideo games and TV shows. Inspired by the artwork, Catherine readies her stylus over the tablet, hand poised, and ready to draw.

For Catherine, creating art allows for a mental break from the stress of academics. Contrary to the school environment that she describes as busy and competitive, drawing provides a safe space that allows for mistakes. 

“It allows you to focus on something specific that is not stressful to you or academically related,” Catherine said. “In many ways it’ll give you a break from school and when you’re drawing, you only have to focus on what you want to do with the canvas, and that’s entirely controlled by you.” 

After deciding to explore digital illustration on a whim during the pandemic, Catherine began to explore Windows Draw, before eventually moving to more advanced applications for digital art. Her skills accumulated over the years and the repetition of the drawing process did not line up to her initial vision. 

“I really like the first phase, the sketching phase,” Catherine said. “You get to see your concept come alive. That’s also the part where nothing is set in stone. A lot of the time, when you get past the sketching phase and into the line art and coloring, it starts turning out less and less like that ideal image in your mind. It’s very challenging to just not lose motivation and abandon it.”

Although art inspires Catherine, it comes with its own challenges. Her commitment to her craft and execution come from overcoming those moments of doubt. 

Fellow volleyball teammates also commented on witnessing her dedication while on the court. 

“Once she gets into something she’s very, very dedicated to it,” volleyball teammate Alicia Ran (11) said. “And what I mean is like things she’s really passionate about. She’s been drawing for three years. And I really admire that about her, that she can stay loyal to something for so long.”

Catherine’s serious pursuit of the activities she enjoys pushed her to better herself and her craft. From artwork to volleyball, her commitment to her interests furthered her success, but Catherine also values slowing down and setting personal boundaries for her own success. 

“I felt like she helped me set realistic standards for myself,” close friend Maggie Yan (12) said. “On the JV team, everyone wants to go to varsity, so we would all push ourselves and then, Catherine would come along and be like, ‘You know, I’m tired today.’ And setting her own boundaries, I kind of see like, okay, yeah, like that’s what’s reasonable.”

Catherine’s self-enforced balance in the work she does comes as a result of her experience dealing with academic stress throughout high school. This balance, over the years, inspired a reformed mindset towards her academic and extracurricular pursuits are also present in the classroom.  

“She has a nice mix of attending the subject and getting work done and also being human and maybe having a sense of humor,” upper school computer science teacher Marina Peregrino said. “She might draw fun doodles instead of always working because she’s not a machine, right? She’s a person. I just want her to hang on to that playfulness, hang on to that joy, and be more confident.” 

Volleyball and art seem like an unusual combination, but they not only taught Catherine to find her niche interests, but also allowed her to learn to set her own boundaries, deal with losses, and face each day with persistence and spirit.  

“Both sports and art teach you how to fail and not get caught up on overthinking things, like, ‘How could I have done this better?’” Catherine said. “You move on to the next point, you move on to the next day. You move on to the next piece.”