I am Kimberly Rodriguez, I’m 19, of Ecuadorian descent and live in Sunnyside Queens, NY. I speak English, Spanish, and very basic Mandarin Chinese. I’m a second year college student at the New York City College of Technology, and changed my major from Emerging Media Technologies to Communication Design. I have a good amount of knowledge with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign. I am self-taught with Photoshop, and I have worked with these programs in high school, and my previous major. I really enjoy reading, I have a lot of books that I have read and will eventually read. My favorite books of all time are I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

The reason I list these authors is because both novels have something I really enjoy. Kilmer-Purcell’s novel is an autobiography and it demonstrates what exactly can happen in the real world. Ellis’s novel of a serial killer fascinates me because I really enjoy being in the head of a serial killer, and reading his novel is a way of experiencing that. I really enjoy reading the backgrounds of serial killers, this lets me understand their way of thinking, to understand what caused them to do acts such as murder. It lets me to try and understand whether or not they were insane.  I have read the biographies of some of the most famous killers, such as Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Richard Ramirez. The most interesting ones are John Wayne Gacy and Albert Fish.

Some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, Anne Rice, PC Cast and Kristin Cast, and even William Shakespeare. I can never bring myself to read books that are meant to bring inspiration, I feel as if the author or speaker are trying to force me to follow their ways. I buy many books either from local book stores or thrift stores. I also buy vinyls from thrift stores as well, it’s an adventure every time I go into one. I listen to a variety of music, from indie to rock to classic 80’s to Frank Sinatra and more. I draw from time to time when I have free time and when I have homework to do. Music helps me focus on my art, and be in my own world, without the troubles or sounds of reality.

I also playing video games, I mainly play League of Legends. Playing video games is another form of escape when drawing is not enough. I find playing video games a way to create friendships and help mature those friendships. Everything I do, and everything I have an interest in is what makes me unique. Unique interests brings unique conversations, and plan to make myself stand out. I just want to stand out, I want to make myself known, and create art for a living, either for a video game company or for clients.