<p>This essay is totally in the drafting stage. I honestly just put it together yesterday within an hour, but I just wanted some feedback to see if I should continue on with this draft or start on other different essay ideas! It’s kind of cheesy, but yeah. 
Any feedback would be seriously appreciated!</p>
<p>Prompt #2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?</p>
<p>Stumbling into the makeup convention in Los Angeles, I marveled at the sight of the vibrant crowds, the professional makeup artists, the stunning cosmetics, and the people covered with incredibly realistic body art. As shallow as it may seem, these things thrilled me. Just as I was absorbing the fact that I was finally here at this event that I’d been waiting for the past year and a half, a group of three young girls tapped my shoulder and excitedly asked to take pictures with me. Astonished at the fact that people would want to be in a picture with me, I forced a smile. One of the girls picked up on my shock, elatedly gave me a smile that enveloped me like a hug, and squealed “Wait, you’re Tia, from YouTube, right?!” “…Right” was the only word I had managed to utter from my dry, parted lips. Suddenly, I felt nervous. I’d been planning on coming to this event for the past year and a half, including what I would say to the people I saw there, and all I had managed to articulate was “right”?
My YouTube channel has, no doubt, been one accomplishment I always sneak into conversation with new people I meet. It illustrates me better than any other accomplishment can in many ways. With over eight thousand subscribers and two hundred thousand video views, my YouTube channel is something I’ve always taken pride of. Within this channel, I share my insight as to how I apply different makeup, which new cosmetics are worth the large payments and which aren’t, and which new cosmetic companies are worth looking into. Makeup is an art form, contrary to popular belief, which instills confidence in young women, and this is an idea I like to portray throughout my videos. My videos are aimed at teaching young women that makeup is not used to cover up flaws. Instead, it is used to accentuate each person’s unique and striking features. When a subscriber contacts me and shares with me that my videos have helped her grow as a person, I feel accomplished. It feels remarkable to know that I have helped thousands of people become more confident in themselves.
At times, my channel has been a nightmare for me. The hate comments I occasionally get make me nauseous and unsure of myself. My heart sinks to my stomach when I hear the occasional snickering of girls in class making a joke of my videos. And the effort and time that I’ve had to put into my channel is implausible, as it takes hours to think of an idea for a video, execute that idea to the best of my ability on camera, edit the video on my computer, and then upload it to YouTube where I wait warily to receive both negative and positive feedback.
But, surely enough, these are solely minor hardships that have played a role in my YouTube career. I now understand that hateful remarks and mindless slander from peers are what make me stronger. They instill the idea within me that I am who I am, I love doing what I do, and no one can impede upon that, even by trying to get me to succumb to their level. In addition, the effort and time I put into my channel reflect the idea that I try my hardest at everything I do, regardless of the time I must put into it.
My YouTube channel is not only a reflection of the numbers of views I get or the number of people who subscribe. It is also a representation of my personality - fun, care-free, spontaneous - and what I have conquered abhorrence and bullying. These all go hand-in-hand to portray me as exactly who I am someone who wants to help others conquer bullying by gaining confidence using makeup to make themselves feel prettier. And that is why my YouTube channel is considered one of my biggest accomplishments.</p>