To escape the social isolation of the Covid-19 pandemic, (then) 15 year old Matt Beranek turned to art and Tik Tok. A year and almost 2 million followers later, his drawings and messages encourage all to follow their dreams and recognize who and what truly matters. My name is Matt Beranek and I am a 16 year old, living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have always loved to draw, and in December of 2019, I got an iPad and transitioned from traditional to digital art. I started a TikTok page to display my art for fun. Now, with 1.8 million followers, my goal is to inspire my followers and young artists to follow their passions and not be afraid to put themselves out there. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx