Simply look for grammatical errors. How can I make this paragraph sound smoother?

My parents were surprised at first to see my ertiveness and well articulated explanation that art and design are not limited to florists and painters and the fact that I wanted to use art someday to participate in making creative products. Then again, they in turn surprised me by openly accepting my views. At that moment it dawned on me that my parents were not out to limit what I can do in life, but it was just the opposite. They wanted to equip me with values that will allow me to overcome hurdles in life so that my life would not be limited.