Artifact 5
The pride flag is a representation of my culture as part of the LGBTQ+ community. When thinking of what represents my culture during this activity in Module 3, I immediately thought of the rainbow flag used by most in the LGBTQ+ community to show representation. The community has grown immensely in the past 50 years and has opened its arms to me and others who are finding themselves. Whenever I pass a flag, I feel a sense of pride and warmth as I think about those who have fought and those who continue to fight to keep our rights and our place among everyone.
Artifact 4
The picture below was drawn to represent the most significant experience in my childhood that shaped me into the person I am today, as assigned for the Module 6 artifact. The picture shows me at my 11th birthday party and my friends and mom are grayed out while I am crying. Hours before my party my grandmother, whom we lived with, was upset about something I either did or said, decided she wasn’t going to attend my birthday party, and abruptly left the house. This caused me to spend my whole party thinking about what I could have done to make her react like this and leave rather than celebrate my birthday. While this may seem like a trivial moment to most, this is the moment in time where I learned to walk on eggshells around certain people and my anxiety began to only increase from here. This one moment in time was something that stuck with me well into my adulthood as what set my people-pleasing characteristics in stone and has led to many years of reworking my thoughts and actions to better take care of myself instead of making others happy with no regard to my own mental health.
Artifact 3
In the picture below are myself and the two women who raised me, my mom and grandmother. Although my mom and grandmother are no longer on speaking terms, I chose to include both of them in the Module 5 artifact activity because both of them have had a profound impact on my life, how I grew up, and how I continue to live. My grandmother, in a defiant, burn-down-the-world tone, had always told me growing up that I did not need a man by my side to accomplish anything. This was her response to being in a controlling relationship with my grandfather for most of her life. My mother, however, wore her heart on her sleeve and I witnessed her ups and downs through several relationships during my childhood and into my adult life. Through both of these conflicting examples I was able to discern my own path and take bits and pieces to create a woman who has love for other people but has also learned to make herself a priority.
Artifact 2
The below image from the Module 10 artifact activity represents what time means to me. I personally feel as though time is a very valuable resource that is always running out and no matter how much I want to share with others or keep to myself it is never a resource that is regenerative. This activity made me aware of just how important the idea of time is and how valuable both my time and others can be. A previous assignment that was relatable to this topic was how long someone should wait for people of varying importance in their life, ranging from a parent or spouse to a boss or coworker. I think that when you learn how to value your time it is important to take into consideration how other people value your time as well.
Artifact 1
I enjoyed this artifact because it made me more aware of and have to face on negative attributes and tendencies that I have. This activity was cathartic for me in the sense that we as people are often told to look at our positive characteristics in order to feel better about ourselves and promote ourselves to the world. Instead, this activity had me examine areas that I am not my best self such as when I am impulsive with what I say during disagreements with my husband. By examining different areas, even those that do not shine the best light on ourselves, I am able to hold myself accountable and do better.
