Using light as a medium is something I discovered for myself this year. Having a background in painting and various crafts, I am used to seeing what I do up close, touching it and manipulating it with my hands (smearing paint, stretching crochet squares etc). This made learning coding and programming quite difficult for me, as there is a clear divide between the means and the end result. Giving a computer instructions to create something and only seeing it after pressing a little play button is different from what I’m used to. As I navigated all these new programs and opportunities, I tried to stay true to myself and what I know, and combine this with new things I was learning. I believe this is also the reason why I started focusing on light, and I used it in several in my projects. Light can't be touched or pushed around, but it can be directed, reflected, dimmed or brightened. I think of it as a different sort of paint, which both comforts and challenges me.

Yayoi Kusama is one of the most prominent influencers in my work. Her use of space, reflections, repetition and colour creates an immersive work no matter the materials used. This immersion is something I aspire to create as well, and I find it easiest to do it using light. Using light to immerse and even confuse viewers is also a characteristic of James Turrell’s work. Because I am fascinated by the immersive aspect of both Kusama’s and Turrell’s work, I think I tend to lean towards using performances and installations as my inspiration and references, rather than paintings or drawings. Finding artists that inspire me is very important to me, as it helps me find confidence in my own ideas, regardless of whether they are similar to the artists' I admire.