Personal Narrative: My Personal Cultural Identity

One look at me and you see what’s on the surface: the slightly tan skin, the dark brown hair that has a mind of its own, and the ever so calculating eyes of an Asian. My ethnicity acts as a cover with a mind that seemingly works quickly like a calculator. Most people don’t look past this and rely on stereotypes to define who I am as a person. But the stereotypes hinder me and causes me inner turmoil. On the outside, my race drives away people to truly know me as a person. Expectations are both the downfall and rise of my accomplishments. I’m not naturally intelligent, I’m not Picasso, and I’m not bound by music genres. Instead, my cultural identity would be defined as a driven and hardworking Vietnamese-American teenager, shown by my
But it’s also a great part of who I am and what I am as a person. The existence of it serves as the drive behind my motivation in my creative process. A constant reminder of my capabilities is the overused paintbrush that I hold in my calloused hand. Layers of old and new paint left after on the handle is the sign of an unrelenting artist at work; building upon layer and layer in skills with experiences without really ever reaching a stopping point. That’s because there is no true stopping point as there is no such thing as the best artist. Art is as subjective as my identity is to others, there is no right or wrong concept and it’s the reason why I love art. Art cannot be right nor wrong, since there isn't a set idea to govern it. You must possess a passion for studiously getting better, more creative, and exceed expectations. Natural talent may start you off at a higher level but those who practice passionately will surpass those with natural talent. An aspiring creator like me often wants to break boundaries and go beyond the limit, putting in more work than needed or expected. My hard work is equivalent to the recognition that my project receives. A paintbrush loaded with lots of experiences represents my work ethic and creativity that embodies a large part of my cultural