Ever since she was a little girl, Robyn Fleming has had a passion for art. She admires the works of Norman Rockwell, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and looks up to the person who first introduced the wonders of art to her, her father, Ronald Fleming. 

She’d draw on anything–the walls of her home, the paper menus in diners (to her parent’s dismay), notes for classes, tests, homework, her own skin, and sketchbooks. Eventually, over quarantine, she painted two murals on the walls of her bedroom, with permission this time. One of a night sky with glistening stars and blue clouds and another of her own twist on the classic Michelangelo’s painting, The Creation of Adam, with two hands almost touching. 

As Robyn got older, she started using art as a tool to express herself. If she was mad, she’d sweep the canvas with all of the colors she could get her hands on. She’d draw lines upon lines to create a drawing that conveyed what she was feeling whether it be stressed, sad or happy. With the way she expressed her emotions through art, it was no surprise when she realized she wanted to become an art therapist. An art therapist is someone who uses art and self-expression as a tool to help clients understand their emotions/challenges, improve their self-esteem, decrease anxiety, develop social skills, manage addictions, and help bring back normalcy to their lives. With a major in art studio and a minor in psychology, she hopes that one day she can help others the same way art helped her throughout life’s challenges.