Pablo Picasso once said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” While some people have trouble keeping the artistic fire of creativity burning as they get older, Olivia Crosby ’15, like fine wine, gets better with age.

While some people specialize in a certain aspect of art, whether it be painting or drawing, Crosby is a jack-of-all-trades. Her versatility has allowed her to become one of the most lauded artists in Inklings history.

“I’ve always been really creative and crafty, ever since I was really little,” Crosby said, “I never took art classes, but I would sit at home and draw my pet bird all the time… over and over and over again.”

When Crosby came to high school, Inklings was the first place to give her creativity a place to shine.

“Ben Reiser ’13 saw a piece of art I had left lying around the Inklings room. Next thing I knew, he got me involved by assigning me graphics, and from there on out I was a part of Inklings,” she said.

Reiser had a lasting impact on Crosby’s Inklings career, as she cites him as one of her mentors. “He always made me feel like I was very appreciated and important even when all I did was sit in a corner and eat their food.”

Reiser’s confidence in Crosby allowed her to shoot up the Inklings rankings, ultimately allowing her to become the creative director. Since her freshman year Crosby has created 231 art pieces for Inklings in the past four years, spanning from graphics to drawings.

No piece of art was more significant than the Sandy Hook graphic she made during her junior year. “The Sandy Hook lunch boxes were my favorite,” Crosby said. “Thinking about who would see it, I knew I wanted to do a great job. I wanted every parent who saw it to say ‘wow’. When I finally finished the drawing it was really rewarding.”

Crosby finally got recognition for her hard work when the Journalism Education Association (JEA) named that layout one of the ten best in the country.

For as much as Inklings has gotten out of Crosby, she still credits the paper for helping her mature as an artist.

“I feel like when a lot of people see art, they assume it has to have some greater meaning about the human condition. Inklings taught me how to take an article and then make a graphic in a more literal and simple way.”

The humor, creativity and talent that Crosby showcased the past four years gave Inklings a unique personality it never had before and may never have again.