This story is not about how senior Laila Ashanti Soileau cannot speak.

It’s about a life drawn in shades of grey, existing between black and white, sound and silence.

It’s about worlds of color out of graphite. Palaces out of pencil.

Soileau began drawing when she was in third grade. Patterns, mostly. Doodles at the margins of her homework, scribbles on scraps of work that soon spiraled into something more. Scratches that shifted into something cohesive.

Patterns morphed into drawings into pictures, until in sixth grade, Soileau stopped drawing. She left a gallery of unfinished art, chalking it up to un-inspiration, a lack of ideas.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Provided by Leila Soileau

Soileau draws a picture of a tiger, which took her three hours to finish. Nature is Soileau's favorite topic to sketch.

But beginning in ninth grade, she committed to refinding her passion and drawing again, often for hours a day. In an unbearably loud world, art communicates things that her words cannot and is a way for her to focus on how she is feeling.

“As Laila is someone who does not speak (non-verbal), her art is a medium for self-expression,” senior Sophia Dinh said. “In my opinion, [it] often exceeds what one could achieve with just words.”

The art Soileau draws reflects her emotions. Whether she is relaxed, sad, happy or somewhere in between, the colors and tone of the drawings mirror her mood. Often, Soileau finds that just sketching out her thoughts is enough to cheer her up, regardless of her mood. Perfecting the fine details of her drawings – like capturing finicky hands – has aided her in processing her life’s difficult experiences, chief among them mutism.

“When I see her art, I feel very inspired,” Dinh said. “As someone who used to draw but has mostly quit due to personal circumstances, Laila’s determination and improvement have hit quite close to home for me.”

Soileau has several notebooks full of drawings, both in black and white and color, of topics from famous celebrities to anime characters to outdoor scenes.

“Since the first day of class, she has awed me with her notebook of drawings,” special education teacher Heather Ross said. “She loves to blend two things unexpectedly together in a juxtaposition of sorts. Her drawings of animals practically leap off the pages.”

She struggles with artist’s block and self-doubt, especially with human drawings, but calms down by playing music. In response, she loves to try something radically new when it comes to her art, and her next subject will likely be nature or city buildings.

“Whenever asked, she always has a new, amazing artwork to display,” Dinh said. “Each piece holds its own unique qualities, and the improvement has been noticeable.”

Soileau is particularly drawn to nature, with animal and plant sketches among her proudest drawings; they express how everything in this world has come from Earth.

“She often draws music artists that she enjoys (i.e., SZA), animals (such as leopards or dogs), and my personal favorite – flowers,” Dinh said. “I think her semi-realistic art style is both aesthetically pleasing and indicative of her skill. For example, when she draws roses, she perfectly captures the flow and the arrangement of the petals.”

Soileau said her most difficult drawings are those of humans, and particularly of human hands, a well-known gripe in the artistic community.

“To me, Laila’s art is beautiful and expressive of her as a person,” Dinh said. “When drawing more complex subjects, such as people, her attention to detail makes each artwork just as eye-catching as the previous.”

Art has helped Soileau form several meaningful connections, such as with Dinh.

“Thanks to her art, Laila and I have been able to birth and cultivate a friendship,” Dinh said. “Laila’s art motivates me, not just as an artist but in general, to continue pursuing my passion and hobbies.”

Outside of art, Soileau relishes making others laugh and smile.

“Laila may not use her voice to speak, but she speaks volumes through her artistry,” Ross said. “She drew a portrait of me that hangs in my office at home. Her closest friends at school are lucky to receive an original drawing of her’s, on their birthdays. She may not use audible words to communicate, but how she feels for you, is palpable in the art she creates for you.”

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to Soileau if her work looks like an actual drawing to other people. Rather, she has one simple hope for when they experience her art:

It was good.