Oklahoma Arts Institute, Quartz Mountain State Park, 2023 @oaiquartz has been my safe place for three years. When I attend OSAI each year, I am able to be authentically me without fear of being judged or hated. I come from a very small town where the arts are neither prevalent of appreciated. No one understands them, no one cares about them, and no one wants them. The norm is sports, and if you stray away from that norm, very few individuals will accept you. You are told to not be too colorful, bright, loud, artistic, or rebellious. The expectation here is to be exactly like the people around you are. At OSAI, the “norm” is being different. The norm is being you: authentically you. Here, everyone is accepted. No one’s existence is trampled upon or silenced, but rather celebrated and loved. From the top down, president to art student, the entire Oklahoma Arts Institute makes a point to ensure this environment stays this way. That is what makes leaving this place so hard. I celebrated escaping my high school on graduation night, but yet, on my last day of my last year at OSAI, I wept like I’ve never wept before. OSAI, I am so grateful for the impact you have had on my life. I simply could not be the person I am today without the friends and mentors I have met, the clinicians I have learned from, and the yearly camp that I longed for each and every year. Until we meet again, OSAI. 💓 #osai2023 #quartzmountain @oaiquartz