Johnny Ate My Homework
Olivia Kramer
I entered Warren College for the first time on my Transfer Orientation day in September 2023. Approaching Warren Mall from the Price Center and Geisel Library path, I recall my abrupt pause in step to read a series of bolded brass letters embedded in the pavement. “Toward a life in balance”. This quote from Chief Justice Earl Warren continues to shape my approach to University transition; providing me the comfortable knowledge that each day marks my progression towards a life of health and fulfillment. Interpreting this quote required my self-reflection, which prompted an examination of the years leading to my becoming a Triton.
As the only child of US Army Veterans, I am no stranger to sudden and drastic change. Though I currently reside on-campus in La Jolla, I am originally from the East Coast. I was born in Buffalo, New York, moving homes more than ten times in the years since. I moved to California at the beginning of my tenth grade year. This time in my life was particularly challenging, where artmaking became my primary outlet for emotional release. Recovering from an injury that had limited my ability to run, which had once been my preferred method of stress relief, learning how to draw brought me both strength and clarity.
In the Fall of 2023, I took an impromptu hiatus from creating. Overwhelmed by new, unfamiliar stressors of my first Quarter at UCSD, my waking hours were spent navigating difficult coursework and sensations of loneliness. Though I had experienced numerous shocking transitions in my life up-to this point, adjusting to the unfamiliarity of a University lifestyle felt quite different. With the majority of my friends and family living across the East Coast, I felt isolated among thousands of fellow students. My exhaustion and discomfort significantly hindered both my desire and ability to attentively create. I felt as though I was losing a part of myself, craving security and belonging in this chapter of life. As it had in my childhood, what brought me great stability in this time was engagement with familiar media.
In my transitions, I’ve learned to mediate feelings of loneliness and anxiety with familiar outlets that bring me joy and stability. While simple comforts often take the shape of my artistic expression with charcoal tools, in my Fall Quarter they were emulated through my interest in colorful film content. I find myself more productive and fulfilled when working in the company of others. For a temporary period, such accompaniment came in the form of familiar movies’ storylines echoing as I completed my coursework. Reflection on this habit, which played a significant role in my finding a greater sense of stability in University level academic planning and performance, inspired “Johnny Ate My Homework”.
As a leading performer in many of the films that motivated my success in the early months of my University-level education, the face of focus in this charcoal piece is that of Johnny Depp. In order to demonstrate the stability I found in turning to familiar media for comfort, I illustrated Depp as consuming a piece of my graded coursework. The insightful combination of my academic commitments and engagement with comforting content is highlighted in this piece to encourage wide-ranging viewer interpretation. When working in the company of childhood films, I witnessed improved academic performance and a strengthened sense of self. Specifically concerning my University transition, this artwork openly captures my resilient pursuit of a balanced life. “Johnny Ate My Homework” uniquely represents my successful navigation of my first Quarter at UCSD and foreshadows my current development of worthwhile friendships with like-minded peers who motivate my academic excellence. Crafting this piece has inspired my renewed interest in regularly devoting time to artistic expression. In reigniting my spark for artmaking, it has promoted my self-reflection and encouraged my continuation on a path toward academic and personal fulfillment.
