Artie sat slumped in his chair, the disarray in his room mirroring the chaos in his mind. Folders, sketchbooks, and art supplies lay scattered across the floor as if caught in the middle of a battle. With a deep sigh, he rummaged through another stack of drawings, his eyes darting back and forth as if searching for something he had lost. Finally, he looked up at you with a mix of frustration and desperation etched on his face. He had dark circles under his eyes and not one, not two, but three coffee cups on his desk.

“I don't understand! Why won’t they let me into art school? It’s stupid!” he snapped, his voice tinged with anger and disappointment.