Photo compilation of photos of Hannah Xu and Kristin Aldridge

Inspire Your Heart with Art: Hannah Xu and Kristin Aldridge

From the stages and classrooms of the newly expanded Maltz Performing Arts Center to collaborations with nearby cultural organizations, Case Western Reserve University is home to incredible opportunities in dance, art, theater and music. Students, faculty and staff at the College of Arts and Sciences and beyond routinely showcase their talents through exhibitions, productions, concerts and more. In honor of Inspire Your Heart with Art Day (Jan. 31), The Daily is putting a spotlight on individuals across campus who have a passion for creating—whether that be through painting, theater or even baking. We were so blown away by the volume of submissions—and the talent in our community—we’ve decided to dedicate a whole week to showcasing some of the many artists at CWRU.

Today, we’re highlighting two more artists: Hannah Xu, a fourth-year student majoring in psychology and minoring in marketing who creates greeting cards, and Kristin Aldridge, a first-year student in the Master of Science in Biology program (entrepreneurial biotechnology track) who is a dancer.

Hannah Xu

Photo of Hannah Xu
Hannah Xu

For most people, special occasions are marked with generic cards purchased at a drugstore—if they’re lucky enough to receive one at all. But for friends and family members of Hannah Xu, birthdays and holidays are often celebrated with special, one-of-a-kind gifts.

1. Describe your art. 

I like to make birthday/greeting/holiday cards for my friends and family. These cards are highly personalized to the individual. I often combine various interests, talents or quirks about the recipient in a combined digital and hand-drawn art form on the front of the card to communicate that I care about and affirm their personhood. 

2. What intrigued you about this art form? 

I love how each card turns out very differently, and, to me, a couple of them look like they have been made by different people. I like how each card is able to stand on its own as a display piece and can be enjoyed even after the holiday it was made for. 

3. Where do you take inspiration from? 

I take inspiration from the people around me! I keep a mental list of what makes them unique along with memes, inside jokes, art from the internet, and other people’s cards to create something new and personalized to them. 

4. How have you shared your work (if you have)? 

The best part about making these cards is giving them to the people that they were designed for. As I grow busier, I usually reserve my card-making energies for Christmas with my family. I love being able to hand out multiple cards at once and being able to see the recipients’ reactions. 

Photo compilation of artwork by Hannah Xu; one of a 'C' surrounded by black and white swirls and another of a glass jar covered in flowers and the words 'happy mothers day'
Artwork by Hannah Xu

5. What do you love most about creating? 

I love creating something that brings me joy in two forms. First, expressing myself and having a creative outlet by combining attributes that I love about the people around me gets me very excited. Second, being able to give someone else a gift that I made just for them is a joy in it of itself. 

Kristin Aldridge

Photo of Kristin Aldridge
Kristin Aldridge

While her research and studies in her master’s program are rooted in science, Kristin Aldridge spends her time outside of the lab tapping into her creative side. Aldridge began dancing at a young age, but recently returned to the art so that she could focus on something other than cells, molarity and genetics every so often.

1. Describe your art. 

My art is dance, but specifically ballet. When I was around 4 years old, I enrolled in ballet and tap and performed on stage; when I was 14, I enrolled in hip-hop classes even though that kind of music is outside of what I listen to but I wanted to learn a different form of dance. 

Now that I am 30, I have gone back to ballet because I feel like it is a nice compliment to my life—the flow is gentle and graceful but also strict protocols must be followed in order to appropriately perform the dance. My current life as a scientist follows protocols but there’s no grace in culturing cells, so this is a great balance. 

2. What intrigued you about this art form?

I don’t consider myself a very flexible or graceful person; I’m constantly dropping things or knocking things over and I feel like my body is a gangly mess. Ballet allows me to focus on coordination and poise, to become flexible and more aware of my movements. It also allows me for a short while to forget about all the stress in my life and just focus on myself.

Photo of Kristin Aldridge in the passé pose
Kristin Aldridge doing a passé

3. Where do you take inspiration from?

Music! I am constantly dancing or singing, usually terribly, but a good song can really reflect the emotions of a person. 

4. How have you shared your work (if you have)?

My class doesn’t allow adults to showcase their talent but I would love to perform again. I have done a few shows when I was younger and I am hoping after I become a better dancer that I can move to a different studio that allows adults to perform. 

5. What do you love most about creating?

I love that I have something that releases the stress of the day and allows me to focus solely on myself. Ballet is the perfect form of art to compliment my life as a scientist, both involve protocols and focus, but ballet allows freedom to express and just has something magical to it.