South Bay Teen Artist Captures Prestigious Honor

GILROY, CA — The grizzled military general and the broke poet don't typically travel in the same circles, but they have more in common than you think.

That’s the view of Isabella Sells, a Gilroy teen artist who believes leadership is an integral aspect of creativity that's overlooked.

“Leadership plays a huge role in creative fields because at the end of the day, leaders and creatives both have the same goal: to pursue a vision and inspire people,” Sells told Patch.

Sells articulated her message in what she said was as an unconventional video, and a prestigious academic group took notice.

The National Society of High School Scholars named the Pearson Online Academy high school senior a 2022 “18 Under 18” award recipient.

The NSHSS, which highlights the accomplishment of 18 students under 18 years of age, is recognized as a premier international honors and scholarship program. It was co-founded by Claes Nobel and James Lewis.

Sells and her fellow NSHSS 18 Under 18 award recipients were recognized for advancing positive messages within their communities. Each was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

She cited Webtoon fantasy author Miriam Bonastre Tur among those who have inspired her creativity.

'“A lot of video games, YouTubers, anime, music, and shows I've consumed have had a profound impact on me as a person and as an artist,” Sells said.

“Thinking about how much all this media has impacted me led me to picking my topic. I wanted to focus on the relationship between leadership and creativity and highlight how strikingly similar they are when you boil them down to their core concepts."

Sells acknowledged that creative pursuits such as writing and painting are often viewed as self-indulgent if not selfish endeavors, but she believes that whether it be through fiction, watercolors or music, art can have a profound influence on people.

"Just one work can completely change someone's life and lead them down a whole new path,” Sells said.

“To have that much of an impact on not just one, but countless people, is the kind of leadership we need to recognize and respect more.”

Sells plans to major in psychology and hopes to attend Yale or Michigan.

She believes studying psychology helps her better understand the human condition, which helps her create characters that have more depth in her writing.

“I've always loved the ties between psychology and fiction in particular,” Sells said.

“I love analyzing characters' behaviors and forming my own characters with psychology in mind. Studying psychology has helped me with making my own characters more three-dimensional and less black and white.”

Sells said the prestigious honor was a pleasant surprise.

“It’s an honor to be selected and recognized as one of the top 18 students nationwide under 18!" Sells said.

"I honestly wasn't sure I'd be selected since my video was kind of unconventional, but I was so glad when I saw I was! I was talking about subjects I'm passionate about, so it was very validating and encouraging to receive recognition for it.”

Follow Sells on Instagram at @crimsonkitkat and on Twitter @crimsonkitkat_.