Remember Your Voice - 36x24

For the ones who have a lot to say - you're not defiant and you're not difficult. You need to express yourself and you're strong in your conviction. Honour the audacious boldness inside of you and always remember that your voice has a place in this world.

Details: Acrylic, ink, graphite, chalk pastel, confetti on 1.5" deep canvas. Finished with matte varnish and framed in black float frame.

INSPIRATION:

Outspoken Girl was told she’d make a good lawyer. A favourite story to share at family gatherings was how she frequently advocated for the wrongful timeouts of her fellow kindergartners. Yes, when she was 5. She possessed a strong sense of right and wrong and didn’t hesitate to insert her unsolicited opinions into other people’s conflicts. 

Outspoken Girl made it known when she didn’t agree with silly rules or unhelpful behaviours even when she was told “adults know best”. She threw all of herself behind her convictions because she knew what adults didn’t: that kids can know things too. But what Outspoken Girl couldn’t have known at the time, was how her perspectives were often limited by a lack of experience, and sometimes knowledge. 

Rather than being taught to get curious she fell in line and learned to be quiet. See, other people didn’t take too well to strongly opinionated little girls. So, she fumed in silence when teachers insisted certain rules be followed, and felt anxiety bubble up in her stomach and chest at the thought of voicing what she really thought because she was too often told she was wrong.

And then one day, Outspoken Girl couldn’t bear the thought of dying knowing she lived a complacent life that never really felt like her own. So she learned to choose her moments intentionally and developed the skills to have inviting conversations. 

She directed her focus to challenging her own opinions until she realized there’s rarely a true right and wrong, only what’s best for others, and what’s best for her. 

Now, Outspoken Girl isn’t afraid to speak up and voice her thoughts, but she keeps a loose grip on her opinions and is open to what she hasn’t previously considered.

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