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Diverse Works
“The flower that grew from concrete is a poem about [how]… if you see a random flower growing through a crack [in the] concrete, you're amazed [that] it has the capacity to do [so] and are stunned by it. Much like if you were to see someone who overcame all the adversity and odds they faced, you are more stunned at where it grew from rather than simply admiring the flower for the beauty that it is. For people who face intersections of oppression in society and … neurodiversity, we too would like to be admired simply for being a flower … and not for the concrete we had to find the sunlight to grow from.”
Inspired by “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” by Tupac Shakur, this piece represents people looking in at the participant’s mind. Like a flower growing in concrete, they faced hardships and strife for being neurodiverse, but they simply want their experience to be admired for its beauty rather than its difficulties. Neurodiversity has not limited their ideas, thoughts, and achievements, but it has made their life vibrant, bright, and beautiful. To see the beauty of the flower for what it truly is, it is important to look away from the concrete.
"I chose the cat because as I get older the more exhausting masking gets. I may be different but I’m not a threat to anyone. My brain functions on it’s own accord. think when these processes are respected from the atypical, [then] we can evolve in the way we collective[ly] relate to our educational systems.”
This piece uses a white cat with orange cow spots to represent how this participant hides their neurodiversity to blend in with other students and prove that they belong at the University of Texas at Austin. Although this participant feels like they do not belong in their classes, they have found a sense of belonging in a Greek life organization and their religion.
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