‘TOGETHER THEY WERE ALL I NEEDED’
COURTESY PHOTO
Like most teenagers, Jack Miles used his high school years to find his passion.
The recent graduate of La Cuesta Continuation School was told by a friend to check out Youth Interactive, an Entrepreneurial Arts Academy on State Street that aims to provide young adults the keys to self-sufficiency.
He joined the academy a year ago, but said some of the lessons he has picked up in that short time will last for the rest of his life.
“I think joining Youth Interactive is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself,” he told the News-Press “If I didn’t have art, life would be completely meaningless, to be honest. It’s a kind of language I speak to myself.”
Mr. Miles, 18, said he has a tendency to overanalyze things, but when he is painting he is able to focus and open up his imagination. He compared his passion for art to those who are fond of science or mathematics. While they are different subjects, he finds the process to be similar.
“Not saying I have some sort of formula down or anything, but I can just feel it,” he explained.
Looking back, Mr. Miles said he regrets not joining Youth Interactive sooner.
“It has really sparked a fire in me,” he said. “La Cuesta gave me the extra time to do things outside school, and Youth Interactive gave me the space I needed to make art and find myself as an artist. I never had the supplies or space to paint like I wanted to.
“La Cuesta and Youth Interactive were both small things for me, but together they were all I needed and they really helped me a lot. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”
He has always been intrigued by abstract art, mainly because it is so subjective.
“It can mean something to me personally and someone can connect their own personal meaning to it because it’s not figurative,” he explained. “The ability to make art that vaguely reminds someone of something is just fascinating to me.”
His art predominantly consists of colors and shapes rather than “anything recognizable,” he said.
One of his pieces was featured on the label of a custom wine created by Sunstone Winery and served at the Belmond El Encanto hotel.
Mr. Miles was appreciative of the staff at La Cuesta for providing the structure he needed and said he views many of his teachers as friends. He mentioned Paul Cronshaw, who introduced him to meditation that helped him manage his personal life.
A few days removed from graduating at the Courthouse Sunken Garden, the idea of being a former high school student hasn’t quite hit him yet.
“It’s still kind of unreal,” he said.
He will attend Santa Barbara City College in the fall to study art. He wants to learn more about art history and the intricacies of the craft to help him continue to tap into his potential as an artist.
“That’s really all I care about to be honest. I don’t really want to go to college to learn math or English,” he said with a laugh. “I really want to learn about myself as an artist. I still have a lot to learn.”
