The challenges of vulnerability

Vulnerability does not come naturally to me. At least, my understanding of it didn’t. I’ve come to believe that true vulnerability is being fully honest with yourself. I’ve never had a problem speaking truth out loud, so I thought I was vulnerable. But it wasn’t until I took the time to face myself that I realized how much scarier it is to have brutal honesty with yourself—and even more so when that honesty is kind.

I had to practice many forms of self-love, shifting from tough one day to graceful the next, in order to truly get to know myself. Once I could do this, I was able to create art solely for myself and find love in the act of creating. For me, the fact that I now have a physical collection of work is an act of vulnerability in itself—something I could not have achieved without the foundation of my spiritual practice.