The document describes the author's experience in their 7th grade art class where they made their first clay project - an ashtray for their father. Their art teacher publicly humiliated them about their creation, making hurtful comments that made their peers laugh and causing the author to feel like a failure. This stagnated their creative side and made them unsure of themselves for years. The teacher failed to recognize the author's individualism and diversity, hindering their self-identity and ability to freely express themselves creatively.

2. Once upon a time in the 7th grade all students at
Valencia Jr. High had to take art. At that time of my
life I had not tapped into my art ability, but I was
very creative, because we made our toys like pop guns
And pop bottle dolls, using sseagrass, a coke bottle
and clothespins. My 7th grade art teacher had us to
create an object of our choice out of clay so that we
could bake it in an oven and paint it. This was my
first experience with a clay oven or anything like this. I
decided to make an astray for my dad.

3. There were no guidelines, nor correct right or
wrong way to do it, we could use a model from
any source. My finish product hinder me from
years of tapping again into art as I felt like a
failure because of remarks made by my about my
creation of an astray. My instructor humiliated me
with the comments she made about my ashtray
that made my peers laugh. Even though I received
a passing grade for that course it stagnated my
creative side and made me always unsure of my
self.

4. The self identity was hindered because my
instructor failed to see who I was and where I
came from as I expressed my creative effort.
And hindered my individualism to express
myself freely which as long as I don’t directly
hurt another I should have been able to freely
do and my diversity as a human.
The next NAAAC she did not allow my
innovation skills to be developed and let me
bring in my home and school experience.