About Me

I am Griffin Polika-Engle, a student at Freestyle Academy learning about design. I have taken art classes for most of my life, but have only worked with traditional media, and I’ve participated in six art competitions. I’m currently learning to translate my skills into digital aspects such as Photoshop, websites, and creative writing to some extent. I have a mother, older sister, four cats, a dog, and a snake, and I like to read fantasy books in my free time.

I value my pride in my art and lifestyle, people insulting my artwork doesn’t matter, because I made it and I’m proud of it, and I’m a healthy and functioning human, so why would I care about insults to my way of living? I additionally value cooperation, as many things in this world are worse when people fight over it, so working together as collaborative groups and humans is simply more beneficial to everyone. Finally, I value sustainability, not just in the environment, but also regarding relationships. If you have a fun time with a friend for a few months, then discard or forget about them, that’s not worth your or their time, instead I value people who are willing to accept me for who I am and are willing to give me some space, so the overall relationship won’t burn out.

Outside of school and Freestyle, I like to bicycle, roller blade, and take walks around my neighborhood for fun and exercise. I love reading, especially fantasy and sci-fi books due to the way you can get sucked into another world and experience what you never could in real life. I also like to play video games recreationally to experience and explore new worlds. Listening to music also lets me zone out and focus on work, but I also just like it and find the artists inspiring.

When learning through Freestyle, I expect myself to learn how to use many Adobe products and create art, music, videos, and designs using them. I also want to grow as an artist to be more independent, and be capable of creating new things without needing prompts or suggestions. I also really want to be capable of taking commissions, such as making designs for an event or company to get real world experience, and to get my foot in the door of design.

When thinking of the things I value about being a student at Freestyle, I immediately think of the resources. I am truly thankful that I have so many resources, such as free access to Adobe products and computers capable of using the programs. I also really appreciate the teachers with so much ability and experience, so that I’m able to learn directly from professionals who have that experience I’m lacking. Finally, I really value the other students in my class who give me feedback and insight as to what I’m lacking so that I can learn and grow without as many obstacles.

Final Reflection

I believe going to Freestyle has been incredibly influential in my growth as a designer, and has broadened my view on art to be more than making pictures. I hope it can further utilize the resources and people available to prevent shortcuts from being taken and enhance the quality of the program.

Portfolio