From doodles to dollars
Emma Hall ’21 talks about what art means to her and how she is able to make a profit doing something she loves.
The sun had given the man boils. But the boils had puppy dog faces. And he had crab eyes. He was the most miserable man on earth. These are the things Emma Hall ‘21 can create with her art. Give her an idea and she can make it come to life. For Hall, art is a way for her to express her feelings. Hall struggles with depression and anxiety so whenever she is feeling “really down” she turns to art. “It’s calming and it’s a way to express yourself. You know the saying actions speak louder than words? Like you can talk and talk as much as you want but a piece of artwork can really represent much more than words can, so I think art can be really powerful.”
Hall’s passion for art and creativity has not gone unnoticed. Tara Armstrong, Hall’s study hall teacher has nothing but praises for her student turned friend. “When I first met Emma, she was one of the quietest 7th grader in my 8th hour study hall. Unless you’re talking about creativity, then she was and has been one of the loudest in terms of talent waiting to be discovered.”
Hall loves art and creating art so much that she has been able to start a small business out of it. She takes commissions from people on an online app called Amino. They pay her through Paypal and she draws what they ask her to. Hall is very happy with the way her business has grown and says the business has helped her sharpen her realistic drawing skills. The most requested thing Hall draws, and likes to draw, are pets. She has a sketchbook filled with drawing of pets.
“I have a bunch of them,” Hall said, “I’ve been making a lot of money because they just blew up.”
She has a love for animals almost as strong as her love for art. Hall has two pet rats, that she loves to draw, and wants to do something with animals in the future. However, she doesn’t think she could be a vet because she doesn’t want to hurt the animals, even though in the end it’s ultimately helping them. So she’ll stick to making money from drawing animals for now.
Hall’s business is booming and her love for art keeps growing. Armstrong says, “She may be quiet and reserved at times, but trust me when I say her creativity speaks in volumes that will astound you.”
You can check out some of Halls work and order a sketch of your pet here.