“Suck It Up is a piece I created about one of the most traumatic experiences in my life. The day before Christmas break of Junior year, I went into anaphylaxis. I had to be put onto two forms of life support, intubation and ECMO. This piece is specifically about intubation. When I woke up I did not know I was on these machines. I could not move, could not open my eyes, could not talk, could not breathe on my own — all I could do was hear. In this surreal piece I want to portray intubation, how it felt to be unable to move, slipping in and out of consciousness. To portray this, I draw myself drinking my favorite drink, boba tea, (the straw representing intubation) with me floating in that same state. Sometimes I think back to how that feels. I remember what it's like to be trapped without any idea of what’s beyond the darkness.”