Colorful Women Thoughts and Stories Vol. 6

COLORFUL WOMEN THOUGHTS AND STORIES - SERIES 6

To view all the images from this exhibition (She Said No), visit www.dmjstudio.com/no

She Said No In 2018, I got the opportunity to take part in an exhibition in my home state of Michigan called ArtPrize. All over the city of Grand Rapids, artwork from artists from around the world are displayed and enjoyed by viewers from all over the world. I’ve always wanted to take part in this exhibition but 2018 was the first time I actually applied. I was ecstatic to get an invitation. This series of poems, thoughts and stories are inspired from the works I created for this exhibition.

Some people see the work and the words and assumed they are in honor of the current #metoo movement. If that is the interpretation you get from these works, I am honored and I can actually see how these fall in line with that movement.

These images also mean something else to me. She Said No is also about the many times, as a woman, I heard the word NO as I made a life for myself and how many times, as a woman I use this word NO to grow, empower and protect myself in society. NO is such a powerful little word.

Whatever your interpretation is of these words, I hope that you receive something from them.

Read and Enjoy.

MOVEMENT Taking the groceries from the car up three flights of stairs in one trip. Eight bags. Five in one hand and three in the other.

Eight hours at work. Stand up, stretch, grab my coat and bag and run to the elevator.

Carrying one child in left arm and holding the hand of the other in with the right. Loving them and keeping the safe.

Taking down my hair. Putting on the black dress with those amazing shoes.

Walking To the bar to sit next to you.

To your car, to your porch, to your bed.

Under- thing I can take it off.You can watch. One strap. The other.

Freeing myself.

Rosa Parks She Said No

Which Side: Sometimes I think if they look at me from a different angle, just maybe they will see me as I am.

Things that She Says I love you.

Come with me.

Don’t go over there.

I understand, I do.

I’m grateful.

I don’t know.

Call me.

Text me.

Like me.

Enjoy your day.

Touch me.

Don’t touch me.

I’m qualified for this job.

I love my children but they get on my nerve sometimes.

I’m alone.

I’m not sure if I love you.

I am so happy.

Shut the hell up.

I didn’t hear you.

I love you.

I hate what you are doing to me.

I’m ugly right now.

I can’t believe it.

Let’s not argue.

No. Yes I will.

I’ll wait for you.

Not right now.

I don’t know how to say this.

Listen to me.

I’m trying to help you.

It doesn’t fit anymore.

Hold me.

I love you.

No. Not with my hair like this.

Let me put on some makeup.

He didn’t come over last night.

She said she doesn’t love me anymore and I don’t know what to do.

I miss them.

That is amazing.

Really, It’s okay.

We can go next time.

I love you.

I can stay a little l longer.

I am here.

I can’t stand her.

Such a liar.

What do you want me to do about it.

I cant do this anymore.

NO. I don’t want to have any more kids.

It’s my body.

He didn’t say he liked me I assumed.

Where are we going with this?

I don’t believe you.

I am better at this than I thought.

I just wanted to get away from him.

She’s lovely.

I love you.

I want to be with you.

Everything was perfect until you screwed it up.

Why are you here.

It doesn’t matter.

I love you.

I am beautiful.

I am brilliant.

I am a woman.

I love me.

I make the world amazing.

You can’t take that away from me.

Life can be hard.

I know. I know.

I. No. NO.

Flowers She loves me. She loves me. She loves me. She loves me.

She loves me not. She loves him. She loves him.

She loves him. He knows it. Does he love her?

She doesn’t know.

INSIDE OUT Beautiful outside.

Abandoned inside.

CROWN We all came into this world with a crown on our head.

Royalty to humanity, to our spiritual selves.

Stripped away by life’s pain, ego, lack of love.

Let’s take our crowns back. It’s easy.

Love ourselves, love each other, know your worth.

GROW You are like beautiful trees. Strong bodies of different shapes and sizes, firmly rooted, nourishing the world with light and energy. Tresses, like leaves, stretching and expanding to the sky.

Let me sit next to you and be free.

ARMS LENGTH: Don’t come any closer. I love best from afar.

America This America...It is not for me.

Gentrification: Colonization Same. Thing.

Locked Out The darkness caged in all of us is needed to become the human beings we are meant to be. Let her free.

Beautiful Becky She is beautiful. Lean and tall, straight, dirty-blond hair. Her skin white. Her eyes blue. The world has created its standards and she is it. She is beautiful. She is lovely, without question, but what about me?

My eyes dark, rooted in history, knowledge, and curiosity. Body curvy and round. Lips full. I see this looking back at me in the mirror. Hair genetically silver, just like my grandmother and her daughter; masked by hemp and indigo.

Am I beautiful? Am I?

Dream At times I dream about you when I feel unsafe and alone. It is a simple dream.You hold me tell me, “you are loved.�

Lips My lips are shut because I’m not sure what to say. My lips are shut because you aren’t listening and don’t want to hear what I mean. Let my lips touch yours and maybe then, you can understand.

LISTEN Stand here. Look at my lips move and sound reverberates from between them to your heart. I want to be heard.

I want you to listen to me and understand. No.You don’t have to agree unless you do. No. you don’t have to disagree unless you do. All I need is for you to listen.

Colorful Women is a series of illustrations and paintings of women.

Through color, shape and the use of the human female figure, this series’ objective is to open viewers eyes to feminine beauty that is beyond the curves, clothes, make up and teased hair. These images convey a beauty that comes from the colorful nuisances of women’s personalities, emotions, and experiences.

WWW.DMJSTUDIO.COM/COLORFULWOMEN

S

T

U

D

I

O