I almost destroyed this one too many times. Painting yourself on a giant wall makes you feel all kinds of ways but the best word to describe it is vulnerable. I am still not comfortable with my portrait skills so naturally, being insanely hard on myself as I am I almost destroyed it, not once but every single day I arrived back to see myself staring back but I stopped myself. I stopped myself, not because I thought this was a grand beautiful portrait, but because it would defeat the whole purpose and reason as to why I decided to do it in the first place. As a Latina, and as a women, I feel like my whole life I’ve been made to feel small. From when I was a young chubby girl navigating through life being treated like a punching bag, to instances now when I feel my women-hood gets me less respect in the field that I’m in, to sometimes being treated as my only value is beauty. I’m tired of it all, I want to celebrate my women-hood, celebrate myself, for how far I’ve come and to encourage other women that’s it’s okay to do the same. I’m still here and for those who know my suicidal past, that in in itself is amazing. So I’m unapologetically taking up space. We deserve to be celebrated, to have our stories told and to be quite honest it warrants no type of explanation. So for now and the rest of eternity, if you wonder where I am, I’ve gone to search for the love within 💕#selflove #sandiegomurals #losangelesmuralist #latinaartist #latinamuralist #muralist