The older a person gets, the harder it is to break out of established patterns and follow their dreams. Young people, though, often have the opportunity to pursue those dreams before the pressures of life bear down on them. So many young people in our communities are doing exactly that—following their passions by working hard to develop themselves as artists—and this month we’ll be highlighting some of these extraordinary youth.
Joel Harnett, a young artist in Niverville, is discovering the power of storytelling through his comic strips.
The eighth grader has been drawing since he was able to hold a pencil, starting out with small illustrations before progressing to larger drawings as he’s gotten older. Still, like most artists, he has found a style that speaks to him, and tends to create characters and storylines within that genre.
“He has created his own superhero over time,” says his mother Joyce Harnett. “So he’s found some styles he likes drawing and has refined his drawings over time.”
Now 13 years old, Harnett has used his comics to tell stories of topics he relates to: moral principles and God’s truth are often present in his work, tied in with a bit of humour.
Every year as a Christmas gift he creates a comic book for his relatives, says his mother, and he adds to the story every year.
While he’s still young, Harnett his enjoying honing is craft and creating drawings and comics as a hobby right now. However, he already hopes to work in animation or with Adventures in Odyssey when he gets older.
