One Girl’s Rivalry Between Sports and Art

By Cormic Evans

 Carson painting over a jar. Photo by Aixa Mota.

It’s that time of the day. 7am in the morning and Carson Evans is preparing to head to school. Brushing her teeth and packing her lunch, Carson reflects on herself and on the day coming up. Before high school she played some sports, but those never stuck; however, she may have found something that has. She goes to the school where each of her siblings went.

The following interview has been edited and condensed.

Are there any other sports you’ve played besides soccer, softball and dance?

I did gymnastics for a little while until I quit because I, like, accidentally, yelled at the coach. He kicked me out.

What is the timeline?

So it was my first time doing gymnastics and I was a very impatient kid and so I couldn't even do a cartwheel, but I was like, “Girl send me to the Olympics.” And I got very frustrated, and I would get very frustrated and I would yell something out: “I hate this place!” I would always try and show them my tricks that I would make at my house and they’d be like, “You’re going to get a head injury by doing that.” Made me feel like they thought I wasn’t good at gymnastics, when I would always watch Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas.

How did this crushing blow affect you?

I resorted to doing cartwheels in my backyard. When I was thirteen, I broke my arm. I did a cartwheel in my backyard, in the snow.

Are there any other times you broke a bone?

A couple months before that. I was playing soccer. And I fell on my arm, and everyone was laughing. My arm was broken the entire soccer season. Then I kept telling them, I was like, “Girl, I can saran wrap it.” Please let me play in there and they were like, “No, you’re a liability to the team.” And I was like, “You guys aren’t winning anyways, so it doesn't really matter.”

Were there any other sports you had in mind?

Nope.

Do you think losing a connection in sports, you gained a closer connection to your art?

Maybe? I mean the whole time I was doing sports, I was still doing art, so I guess I just gave them more time.

Do you think there’s pressure from your parents to have you do sports or extracurriculars?

I mean not really. Whenever we were younger, they still encourage us to do stuff, but they’re not going to disown me if I'm not a D1 athlete. I mean they don’t want me to be a bum.

What is the creation process for you when you make art?

I usually sketch it out first or have an idea, like what I’m doing right now (cause I’m junk journaling right now, like scrapbooking.) Sometimes it’s usually like going with the flow. Then other times it’s like, I need an idea. But most of the time, I have an idea and then I go with it, so I’m not staring at a blank page. Other times and then I get that blank page covered, and then I go with the flow from there.

Where do you get these ideas from?

My brain! Or just seeing another small artist that I've seen on Pinterest.  

“I mean they don’t want me to be a bum,” Carson noted, referencing her parents' support of her artistic goals. Photo by Cormic Evans.

Does it make you value what you made?

Oftentimes I actually just put what I do in a corner and like hide it away because I don’t usually like what I do. I’m like my biggest critic.

Are there any forms of art and the process of creating art you wish to attempt?

Probably more painting. I haven’t been able to do a lot of paintings recently. And even though I am taking a ceramics class now, I definitely do wish to do more of that. Maybe learning how to throw a piece of pottery. Not physically, but you know with the pottery wheel.

Do you wish to take your art outside of high school?

I don’t know. I would love to, but except for the fact that artists, unless you’re on the business side of it, they don’t make any money. And I am not very “business-y” so I just don't think it would be very fun for me because I just think when you’re doing art to make money, it sort of loses its fun and joy of doing it because at this point you’re doing it for someone else and to please the eyes of other people. Not for yourself. That’s not something that I don’t think I would enjoy.

What other types of art would you like to do, like picking up an instrument or starting theater?

I would love to play an instrument, except for the fact that I have no tone. Or I have no idea how to play an instrument. I know people aren’t born knowing how to play bass, but I just tried playing the guitar for a couple and it doesn’t make any sense to me. I almost started crying because I had no idea how to play. The memorization of it and the strumming and all of that. It stresses me out, and I have no idea how to do it, and trying to make your own beat is even more confusing.

You’re the fourth in the family to go to NSA; did you feel pressure on going to NSA?

No, I did not want to go here. I’m glad I did, but I really thought my life was going to end when I came here. Like I literally thought as soon as I walked in the door, my life was going to end. It didn’t because I’m still here. Obviously.

Did you feel pressured to be an artist?

I mean a little bit just because everyone else in my family is, but everyone in my family has some kind of art they do, but it definitely worked out for the better. Me coming here. Going here made me want to do more art and improve my creativity, because before the people I was around made it seem like it was embarrassing. So, now that I'm surrounded by people who only want to encourage me, it is definitely a lot better.

Do you strive to be the most talented person in the family?

Some would say I already am. No, but I think that’s silly. I don’t want to be the best artist in the family because everyone has their own thing. Objectively, one might say who’s the best, but that’s never my goal.

Moving forward in life, do you have any plans for your art?

I mean, I have things that I want to do like art projects, but there’s not a five-year plan. I’m kind of going with the flow.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully college. I want to go to college so hopefully there. I really like Belmont, so I want to go there. Or maybe going upstate or north. But if I don’t go to a school up there and I go to a school in Tennessee, trust and believe I’m moving up there.

What would you say to your younger self?

Be more patient.