Initially I started the year with self reflection. I started looking back at my Andean and Taino heritage and studying various pre-columbian societies with the description of one’s self identity as starting from a place where the person originates from. My pieces incorporate the influence of aztec symbols and textiles, but also demonstrate the influence that a knowledge of past cultures has on one’s current identity. With the beginning of the pandemic the sense of self became harder to identify. There was a surreality in a sense and a feeling of the world turned upside down. With new terms as the ‘new normal’ and ‘essential’ we all went from a place of having everyday expectations of living to suddenly not having any grounding on what self was. How can one identify one’s self when a pandemic shut down the world? I am interested in the study of past Central and South American civilizations before Spain’s arrival. I want to incorporate into my art the use of various imagery, textile patterns, various Gods, and the idols from Incas Aztecs and Mayan culture. This will serve as a way to both self reflect in my identity and also bring on an awareness of the cultures that were lost due to Spanish colonization.