Who motivated you to pursue art?

I love this question for so many reasons. I love asking it because people always have such unique responses, and I love being asked it so I can tell my own story. I started pursuing art in middle school before we even had art classes and I did that because all of my friends were little artists and I wanted to fit in. I didn't really care about art until I took high school art classes. My art teacher is an amazing educator who has a real passion for motivating and inspiring students. He always had loose project guidelines so students could implement their own personal style into projects, and he was always encouraging kids to try new things. He was also always a shoulder to lean on if you were having a rough day. Without his motivation, I would not still be drawing today and I would have never tried painting, printmaking, or pottery. He is the reason I pursue art as a career and not just as a hobby, and he is the reason I feel like I make things that look good. He has always been a big inspiration, and I hope to see some similar stories from all of you.