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Meet Jillian: A teen who loves to create

Jillian – or Jill – makes a mean mac-and-cheese.

Jillian is a bright 13-year-old who loves to create in the studio – and in the kitchen.

“I love to cook,” she says. “My go-to dish is French toast, but I don’t make it with eggs. I make it with almond milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Sometimes, I put brown sugar on it because that is the burnt candy kind of taste.”

Jillian – or Jill – also makes a mean mac-and-cheese.

But most of Jill’s creativity finds its focus through a paintbrush or pen, not a spatula or spoon.

“Most of my day is spent either drawing or watching YouTube videos,” she says.

YouTube videos are a source of instruction and inspiration, Jill says. There are many tutorials that have helped her learn various painting and drawing techniques.

“I taught myself how to paint,” she says. “I taught myself how to draw.”

Her hunger for instruction is why she is so excited to be attending an art-center charter school in Tempe. And a recent session with Kyllan Maney at the Mesa Arts Center was a dream come true.

Jill, who will be in the eighth grade this fall, says she would like to make art her career.

“I want to be a tattoo artist when I grow up,” she says. “That way my art will be on people. I think that is pretty cool.”

Jill says she hopes for a forever family with two supportive parents.

“They don’t have to be artists, they just have to be supportive,” she says, adding, “I would like at least one sibling so I have someone to talk to.”

Watch the stories of children in foster care waiting on forever families each week on the Wednesday’s Child segment between 5-6 a.m. on 12 Today.

For more information on children eligible for adoption, call Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK) at 602-930-4900, or visit www.aask-az.org.

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