Spraying graffiti all over the back wall of a religion classroom will usually get someone suspended or kicked out of high school, but not in senior J.J. Meyer’s case.

Meyer was first introduced to graffiti by his street artist friend Daniel Silva. They started to mess around, turning concrete walls into creative inspiration. Eventually, graffiti became a way for Meyer to get away from reality. Recently, he added a religious twist to his street art, painting a mural in theology teacher Howard Place’s room.

Before ever picking up a spray paint can, Silva showed Meyer a YouTube video called Limitless by Sofles, in which he covers every wall of a warehouse with graffiti murals.

“After seeing how good they were and how they came to be,” Meyer said, “it helped me realize how much I can improve in not just art but in anything in life.”

When Place first heard about Meyer’s talent, he jumped at the opportunity, asking him if he would decorate his classroom wall with a faith related mural.

“It is a total AMDG piece,” Place said. “I was like ‘hey you have got this talent and I want to create an opportunity for you to showcase it for the greater glory of God.”

Meyer attributes his artistic and creative abilities to his grandmother who paints in her free time for a commission.

“I think having a good artistic ability is something that is very important,” Meyer said, “and something that you can use in day to day life.”

The Kosciusko graffiti wall is a mile long canvas along the Mississippi. It is a popular spot for graffiti artists because it is legal. It is filled with elaborate and stunning art work, some of which belongs to Meyer.

“We went down to the wall and just kind of messed around,” Meyer said. “Until [we] got really into it and started having some real fun with it.”

Even knowing that he can not make a living off graffiti, Meyer utilizes his craft as an outlet.

“Graffiti was never a huge thing in my life,” Meyer said. “It was more of an event for creativity. It was just kind of a way to escape.”