"I am as strong as strong gets. I can endure anything set in front of me." These are the words I have been telling myself lately. When you are lost in a world of thoughts (often negative ones), your conscience blocks itself from creating. I was playing a cat and mouse game with myself and my creativity. I was being attacked by my lack of confidence and often lazy spirit. It was a game that for some time laziness had been winning, until recently.
This past week I decided I needed to make something happen. I ignored the possibility of failing as well as the hesitation on whether my idea could actually be brought to life. I mean, I don't have a natural uni-brow, I am not a makeup artist, and I don't have a round facial structure.
While I wanted to do this project simply to explore and realize my artistic side, I truly did it to empower myself. Frida Kahlo was a woman who suffered a lot, with her husband and her health, her depression and her loss. However, she always seemed to convert herself into something beautiful. I think it is a beautiful thing to make yourself immortal, especially when honesty is the main goal. It's beautiful to carry yourself with grace even when everything is not okay. I am not speaking of pretending to be someone you are not, no. I am speaking of acknowledging your faults and your situations and working with them to portray yourself as true, sincere, and strong.
I decided to portray Frida Kahlo because like her, I am strong, I am beautiful, and I am art. I can make art because I am a beautiful creation. There are no limits to my influence and I should be able to express myself freely, unafraid of judgement. Frida Kahlo was unafraid to show her flaws, feelings, and fears. She used her canvas to immortalize her reality. Most importantly, she used her canvas as an ongoing conversation with herself, as a reminder that she was important, worthy, as well as fragile.
Now that I think about it, her art (more than ever) brings comfort to my undying thoughts of my own life and experiences. Her art, too, reiterates the importance of interpreting negative and often painful situations in life as a blessing. And to be honest, I have recently been struggling to keep my mind sane. I am also not going to lie and say that I have everything together, or that I am unafraid to express a personal side of me. No, I am scared. But it is a process that I am currently learning to apply. I am starting with this.
These images are self-empowering portraits that although simulate someone else are all full of ME.
I'll leave you with some black and white beauty. It was so hard to choose, but here is the work of art.
I hope this post shows you how beautiful and inspirational you can be. I was so astounded by the final product; I couldn't believe it was me and that I had realized my vision. I swear with all my heart that I have never been so in love with being true to myself as well as with creating.
I hope you enjoy these self-portraits just as much as I did. I hope you find your inner muse to create that which you love. Plan something out (but not to the exact detail) and Wake up one day and make it happen. When you do, remember you are taking a step towards becoming a better version of yourself.
Until Next time,
Ria
P.S. I don't smoke, and I don't think I ever will. It's a habit that is not attractive to me by ANY means. This is simply a portrayal of a woman who has inspired me.
ALSO Many thanks to my beautiful mother for helping me out. Without her this would have not been possible!
If you want to know what makeup products I used here they are. Most of them are super affordable!
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