Art is different for everybody. Art could be a blank canvas and a refined flourish of the hand. Maybe it’s the graffiti on the train cars as they pass you by, or the grandiose, glass pyramid in front of The Louvre. Or the scene in Titanic when Jack sketches Rose. Maybe it’s the echoing museums of naked, muscle clad Greek philosophers immortalized into granite.

“My definition of art is that its just another form of communication. Its the easiest and the most engaging way to get your message across, in my opinion,” said Matt Rafalko, a 2013 Antioch Community High School graduate.

“Like any other kid, I got involved with art through coloring books and water color paints when I was in preschool or whatever. Growing up in Chicago, I couldn’t just go outside and explore or ride my bike around, so I just kind of stuck with art, drawing and painting more in my free time.”

Being a child in the city, it can be difficult to find a safe place to hangout or a group of people to fit in with. Rafalko found his escape in his art, and eventually found that he could put his own experiences and feelings into it.

“I didn’t actually start to express myself through art until I was in middle school. I would draw a lot of characters based off of the people around me and at that point, I could actually put emotion into my drawings. It was just really cool to think that something I made is showing something I feel,” said Rafalko.

Last year, Rafalko printed a magazine showcasing his various drawing styles and photography called Glass in Your Candy. The subsequent volumes had others in the community submit their paintings, poetry, sketches and photography, among other things.

“Im just really happy there’s people who want to contribute and help. Hopefully this is something that I can continue doing. And if not, someone else can carry on the tradition,” said Rafalko.

I asked him what’s on his plate in regards to his artistic appetite.

“Most of my art is inspired by boredom; rarely from anger or happiness or love. As I grew older, I learned that I was not very good at expressing myself through words, and this furthered my enthusiasm for drawing or painting,” Rafalko said.

Rafalko is a freshman at Iowa State University this year and is majoring in psychology.