I walk in with sweaty hands and a portfolio that’s been mistaken for a briefcase too many times. Poems stained with coffee rest in my hands as I bite at my cuticles, waiting for my named to be called. A tattered sketchbook lays in my lap, spare doodles wandering over the cover, and I just can’t seem to stop tapping on everything.

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities has always been an achievement for very few people. Although there are five art areas to apply for (visual arts, creative writing, music, drama and dance) the acceptance rates are quite slim, even for their summer programs. I was trying out for Discovery, a program directed at rising freshman artist.

I was applying for both visual arts and creative writing. I had been told that trying for two was a stressful task, but I was curious to see which one of my passions would accept me.

I’ve always been a dedicated student of visual arts, always striving to put my best towards every piece, savoring the bleeding of watercolor across a page and how acrylics blend just the way you want them to. Reveling in the feeling of creating something of my own.

It wasn’t until middle school that I started taking writing seriously. I’ve had many teachers compliment my work, but I never really took notice in how much I enjoyed it. Having OCD, writing and completing a piece was always somewhat of a struggle. I was never really able to settle on an idea and be absolutely happy with it, and anything that was handwritten became a long and strenuous task of trying to get everything perfect. Although my stance on writing may have seemed tiring, my determination to create always led the way.

My knee taps rapidly underneath my work as I wait. I’m the third creative writing audition of the morning and the first interview ended briefly. I have 20 minutes to convince them why I want to be here, and the girl who just walked out got cut off by 10. I notice that the second tryout was over and an older woman with a wispy pixie cut is calling my name. I begin to shake with nerves as I enter the room, but once I had sat down and introduced myself, I became comfortable in my own skin. We talked about books, writing experience, authors, hobbies, personal views; things that I wished people would ask me just for conversation.

As my audition began to wrap up, I had already made the decision that I was going to choose creative writing if I were to get accepted. Granted, I had not gone to my interview for visual arts yet, but I had a strong sense that this is where I belonged, doing what I was most passionate about. I was ready to break away from being the girl who could draw. I was ready for people to feel and hear my words for what they really are. I was ready to make my statement as a writer.