b'In high school, my sense of self was unstable and unsure. Discerning themeaningthatranthroughthecurrentofmyexperienceswashardto find, and so it was ignored. Far from unique, this experience resonates with manystudentsinourclassrooms.TheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO, 2024) defines adolescence as a time of significant mental and social change. Generally, this period is characterized by identity exploration (Erickson, 1968), high-level stress (Kelsey & Simons, 2014), a desire for peer relationships, and an increased attunement to society and culture (Orben et al., 2020). Through increased awareness of self and others, students may feel a disconnect from their lived reality and who they are told they should be (WHO, 2024). Far from linear, adolescent identity development is relational, fluid, and emergent (Wexler & Eglinton, 2015), especially as young people see themselves differently with peers, parents, and teachers (Harter, 1998). Taken as a whole, this life stage lays the groundwork for each students sense of self and may have long-lasting effects on their future in terms of resilience, health, and opportunity. As such, helping young people make meaning of their experiences should be central to the goals and purpose of the art classroom.Before we can begin to question what stories are being shared through student artwork or how our classrooms can encourage storytelling, we must question what a story is, what stories students tell themselves, and how stories affect their sense of self. According to Giroux (1992),it is necessary for teachers to incorporate into their pedagogies a theoretical understanding of how the production of meaning andeconomiesofpleasurebecomemutuallyconstitutiveof studentsidentities,howstudentsseethemselves,andhow students construct a particular vision of their future. (p. 31)As both audience and author, our students are the ones most impacted by the stories they craft. Yet, as my introductory narrative expresses, these storiesareoftenhidden,ambiguous,andshifting.Discerningthenarrative becomes a complex task.In what follows, I suggest an alternative approach to storytelling that highlights the beauty of being in the middle of change and becoming. Taking cues from the arts-based research methodology narrative inquiry, this article provides educators with both theorization and practical application by exploring an example of how I have personally undertaken an autobiographical visual, digital storytelling project that could be modified to the adolescent context. Based on my own experience, I believe this proposed process holds promise forempoweredmeaning-makinginthesecondaryandpost-secondaryart classroomasitallowsstudentstoconsiderchoiceandenvisionpossible futures through introspection and speculation.TRENDS 202547'