It wasn’t until college when I realized I needed to give reason for my art. Well, reason beyond “because I wanted to.” I liked that Sousanis discussed his process and why he feels that ‘yes’ is an appropriate answer to whether pictures or words come first. I find it pretty unrealistic to expect every artist to give reasons for their work, especially in college. I felt forced every single critique to give a deep, thought-provoking reason for why my art exists, when in reality I just created because I love doing just that. I think artist statements should be optional, but I do like reading them when they exist. I liked reading and seeing Sousanis’ dissertation because I feel he’s pushing boundaries and allowing art to be a form of expression just like writing. A few years ago I was told by my professor that my art didn’t mean anything because I couldn’t explain why I was making it. Then I sold it to Prince.