Fredrick Douglass declared, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." I am a passive person. I use my emotions to produce wonderful works of art. My works are an autobiography of my life. I used religious themes and strong narratives. They document my struggles as a father, art teacher, and professional artist. My mother taught me to rely on God. I depended on God during my hardships; thus, I learned to adapt to social adversity. My negative and positive experiences have made me build resilience and persistence that are topics in my work. I use old transportation maps, family photographs, transit passes, and clothespins to articulate this rich narrative. My collages and paintings illuminate those external and internal struggles and my continuous progress—no one can tell my stories better than I.