Dear Dr. Newt,

My parents don’t understand me. I am a sensitive, young man at the beginning of what I feel will be a meaningful artistic journey as an emo musician. But my father thinks I should try out for sports or get a part-time job. I tried showing mom my lyrics, but she thinks I should quit dreaming and concentrate on my schoolwork. How can I show them my dreams mean something to me?

A teen struggles with becoming an artist against the backdrop of authoritarian parents and a society that doesn’t understand him.