Personal Statement

My name Laura Cardenas I was born in Tulua,  Colombia but I grew up in Miami, Florida. Where I spent most of my teenage years until the age of sixteen. Which is when my family made the drastic decision that shaped the rest of my life. We moved to New York City in pursuit of change and adventure.

Most of my life centered around dancing ballet. I began training at the age four, and practiced eight hours a day all the way through high school. Today, seven years after my I quit dance, I find myself in a nostalgic era doing something completely different than I could ever imagine. I find myself coaching gymnastics on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, if that means anything to anyone. With that in mind, difficult decisions have brought me to where I am now but I can proudly say I am in a good place; if I could define myself in a few words they would be discipline, persistence and dedication. These are the key factors that I run my life by.

I wake up every morning and take a long showers and if I am feeling a little down. I take an extra long shower to refresh my mind and start my day with a positive attitude. When I am depressed, anxiety takes over me and forces to clean my apartment. I aim to create a spotless place that is uncontaminated, and only then I feel achievement and joy. Habits like these are what drives people away from me, an irrational organization system that has followed me since birth.

If I could think of a single theme that has shaped my life, it would be that the second part of life is not in any way less interesting the first. Which is why I embrace change and the pain that comes with it. I have learned through difficult experiences, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

My interest in terms of visual works, are foreign films. I value the artistry it takes to make some of these low budget films. Some of favorites are The Lives of Others, Omar, After the Wedding, Cinema Paradiso and la vie and rose, but the list goes on forever. All of these films share a common theme of sadness, which made me realize I enjoy sorrow in an artistic level.

I am excited to share my appreciation for nostalgic moments through my work. I want to show the world when we are feeling down, is when we are the most alive. To put it differently, pain it's a sign of being alive. Undoubtedly, all of our senses are awoken at our lowest point.

I would like to end with a note that I am indeed joyful person, but I enjoy melancholy and solitude as that is when my master pieces come to play.