I found this artwork to be extremely meaningful to me. It represents a connection to my past and offers insight into who I am as a person. The manner of creating this artwork has aided me in confronting the struggles of identity. As a child growing up in a broken family, mental health, poverty and sexual identity were a problem for me, and this followed me into adulthood. I chose these materials because they have a strong connection to my past. Photographs have a way of capturing time, emotion, and memories. The desk is a powerful symbol of knowledge and learning, and connects what I have learned and what I will learn as I continue my journey in this life. The incorporation of the travel luggage represents my struggles with moving around as a child. Growing up with a feeling of insecurity, it is a reminder of what little I could fit inside. It is a representation of my family life, religion, and self-worth. The religious textbook illustrates the friction within my religious upbringing and speaks to my sexual identification as a gay male. My religious affiliation disapproved of my sexual orientation. This disapproval would bring great uncertainty in my world and would cause me to re-evaluate my belief system of my faith.