To Write Love On Her Arms

    One of the most impactful organizations in my life has been To Write Love On Her Arms. As someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety for a long time, the people at TWLOHA are a huge help in finding resources, inspiration, and ultimately just knowing that I'm not alone. If you read my other blog, Adventuring As An Artist, you may have read the Suicide Prevention Week post, or the post in which I asked readers to vote for TWLOHA to win funding to launch IMAlive, now I ask you to vote again for To Write Love On Her Arms to win $1.25 million from Vivint Gives Back. It's easy, follow the link, vote, and promote TWLOHA!

 http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/117

Born This Way

     Sorry to all of you who thought this was going to be a post about Lady Gaga. Maybe another time. It is, however, partially inspired by her recent hit song, "Born This Way," which has been taken up as an anthem by weird, awkward, unpopular, quirky, and generally strange kids everywhere. As a song coming from a usually brash, often abrasive artist, "Born This Way" is a surprisingly tender exhortation to be who you are, love yourself, and not let anyone else tell you that there is anything wrong with you ("I'm beautiful in my way, cause God makes no mistakes. I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way.) Plus it's set to a really great dance beat.

     So, in the tradition of "Born This Way" and the Glee episode modeled around it about accepting and loving the awkward things about yourself, here is my inspiration today, this is me, unedited and uncensored:

     I am "that quirky girl." I do crafts. I am 19 and I do crafts. I'm a little overweight, but I prefer the term "curvy." I'm short, but I'm actually okay with that. My art infiltrates every area of my life. I love music. I'm always listening to it, singing it, or wanting more of it. I hate hate hate having nothing to do. Very little bugs me more than sitting at home when I could be out doing something. I have freckles everywhere, though I mostly think they're cute, I sometimes wish my skin was all even and tan. Speaking of tan, I'm obnoxiously pale. So pale, in fact, that the only foundation that matches my skin tone is Manic Panic's goth make-up. I'm a little bit indie, a little bit hipster, and a little bit rock n roll. I love going to local shows in really neat venues. I have this thing for boys in bands. It's ridiculous, but if you play me a song I will probably give you my heart on a silver platter. Okay, so that's a little bit gross, but I really like boys in bands. One of my greatest fears is having no close friends, nobody that really cares about me. I have always had this weird fear that I have ugly feet, like I think they're an awkward shape. I like skirts, but when my thighs stick together it really bugs me so I often pull a little kid type move and wear shorts with mine. My room is a mess. Between being generally disorganized and moving back and forth to school 2 times a year, my belongings get a little shuffled, and not in a good way. My hair is obnoxious: it sticks out at odd angles, dyes awkwardly, and is the source of frequent frustration, but it is just so ridiculously "me." I have -at one point or another- had a crush on almost all of my guy friends ( I said ALMOST, so don't get your hopes up!).
So, this is just a little bit me of me. The short girl with freckles and glasses, dancing through life with my arms in the air and my heart on my sleeve.