Many people brush off extracurricular subjects like art as a waste of time, but my high school art teacher changed my life more than any core curriculum teacher ever has. I did not like Mrs. Ender very much at first. She seemed mean and harsh and never seemed to have anything good to say about my work. I had always been complimented for my artistic talent, but she always seemed to find something about my work to criticize. I even considered dropping her class and changing my endorsement so I would not have to take any more of her classes, but I stuck it out because of my passion for art, and I could not be more glad that I did. To my surprise, at the end of my ninth-grade year, Mrs. Ender asked if I would be interested in taking AP Art next year, a privilege reserved only for students she deemed capable. I was taken aback. I had been convinced she did not like my work at all. She hardly ever complimented my pieces like people had in the past, so I figured she must think they were subpar. However, I realized then that she did not critique me because she didn’t like my art; she wanted to push me beyond my limits. I had become so used to compliments and praise that I became complacent in my art journey. Mrs. Ender aimed to push me past that complacency and into improvement. During the two years that she taught me, I explored so many new forms of art that I never would have thought to try and pushed past the limits I had unknowingly set myself. She taught me how to sculpt with clay, how to paint with oils, how to make photo collages and paper mache statues; all forms of art I never would have tried on my own. Because of Mrs. Ender, I allowed myself to fail for the sake of progress. I allowed myself to experiment, knowing there was no guarantee of success. One of my clay pots broke, and most of my oil paintings looked terrible, but I learned more in those two years than I had in my entire life. The lessons I learned extended past my art and into my everyday life. I realized that complacency stifles growth, and progress can only be achieved by pushing past my comfort zone and being unafraid to mess up. I began to push myself more in my school work, in my relationships, in dance, and so much more. The way I approach improvement in all areas of my life has been forever changed for the better because of Mrs. Ender and her unique way of teaching, and I am forever grateful to her for changing my perspective.