Most of us have original stories in which our hobby comes from or how it becomes a job we love to do. Here's my story. It all started when I lived in California. I was exposed to graffiti(涂鸦) written on buildings and walls almost everywhere. But I thought that I could draw much more characters and fun things with my pen than what could be created by graffiti. However, it was there growing and creeping(渐渐出现) into my life one day.

As I was older, I moved to St. Louis and saw the graffiti all over downtown. I was very curious as to how it got onto the walls. I happened to see a movie called ‘Breakin’, where I learned graffiti is one of the four elements of hip-hop and first saw how it was written with spray paint. Since that, I have been totally immersed into it and wanted to try it by myself.

I set about learning how to draw letters and make them look fashionable as what I saw on the walls in St. Louis. I practiced drawing my name and other people's names in bubble letters, which was the first step of learning how to write graffiti, essentially. By the end of middle school, I was ready to go out to write on the walls, but it turned out unsatisfactory. Then I learned my craft and the structure of graffiti from a real graffiti writer. I also met more minded-like people who became my good friends afterwards. We wrote graffiti for the first time on stock cans and then found walls to write on. Later on, we discovered a graffiti yard where we could practice.

It was one of the best things that ever happened to me. From there, we found our way to our career. Over 20 years later, we're still engaged in our craft and enjoying every second of writing. It just goes to show that something we love can be our lifestyle.

Recently I’ve had two good roles on television. But when I was just getting started in theater work 17 years ago, I never thought I’d make it. Back then I was recovering from surgery and had been off work for six months. Even worse, as a single mother with three youngsters, I had no place to live in. I felt hopeless.

One Sunday morning I saw actor Robert Young on the television talking about his faith: Believe yourself! If we confidently take that first step, well take the next, until we reach our goal.

The first step was scary. After I went working part-time, I looked for an apartment. The ones I saw were either too expensive, or I couldn’t raise my children in them. I knew a house, not an apartment, was more suitable for me. However, after seeing several houses, my confidence was shaken. I found two seemed right, but when I was about to make an offer, someone else had ordered.

I remembered a saying, “When one door closes, a better one opens.” I wouldn’t just sit staring at the closed one but got up and struggled on. In a real estate (房地产) agent, I found a small house with proper price. To buy it, I had to borrow $ 3,000 for a down payment and get a mortgage (按揭). Common sense argued that a mortgage for a single mother working part-time was impossible. But I had enough self-confidence without following common sense.

After getting the house, my new self-confidence grew. Later , when I began filling small parts in television productions, that self-confidence showed. I'd always played the role as the director wanted. Now I find myself freer to interpret (演绎) it.

Self-confidence has made it through life. Trouble can be scary at first, but each time I take that step, I believe I will win the next.

I had just made a memorable speech, and I was about to learn how the judges decided my performance. The audience leaned forward and a period of silence fell across the room. I felt the drum rolled in my heart.

The third-place winner was announced. The name was not mine. Then the second-place winner, still not me. At last, the moment of truth came. I was about to either enjoy the warmth of victory or regret the months’ preparation. My heart felt closer to the latter.

Losing is a part of life, and I have dealt with it on more than one occasion. However, it was an indescribable feeling to drive a 200-mile round trip, get up very early on a freezing Saturday morning, and yet still finish fourth out of four competitors in my group.

I had spent many hours in front of a computer and in libraries doing research for the Lincoln Bicentennial (200周年) Speech Contest. After not placing (获得名次) in the first year of the contest, I really wanted to compete again. Lincoln had many failures, but he never allowed them to defeat his spirit or ambition, so I was not going to give up on a second contest! I reworked my speech for the following year, but again I did not place.

I couldn’t accept the fact that I failed twice in something that I had worked so hard on, until I thought about my hero. Never mind the lost prize money and praise—through learning stories about Lincoln, I discovered that I can fail successfully.