You’re beautiful—but I don’t really need to tell you that, do I?

You must know that you’re beautiful, right?

Do you really need some stranger to be your spiritual cheerleader? Reminding you that you’re awesome inside and out?

Do you need words sugar-coated with the zest of glitter and fireworks?

Does anyone—let alone me—need to cheer you on, bursting forth #greatquotes to make you remember the inner beauty shining so brightly from your eyes?

Nope—I’m an artist, not an effing cheerleader.

I create works of art, inspired from my own experiences of “going deep.”

True, it’s scary to feel those emotions—the torture and the bliss—but that’s how we figure out what’s going on, so we don’t stay caught in the hamster wheel of fear.

You own the experiences of living, and you can create your own sense of self-worth not based upon some trite spiritual cheerleading prose—even as uplifting as the words can be for your soul.

Believing in yourself is an act of bravery—and not always an easy one.

As you dive into the feelings that you uncover in the spiritual process—especially when you hit upon uncomfortable emotions—that takes a lot of guts.

Yep, those are the feelings that make you reevaluate your world.

Stay with them. Honor them. They are beautiful in their uncomfortableness.

Dig deep into what you are feeling. Sit with the emotions for as long as you can, and learn from them, because then you will be so much closer to stepping through to the other side of okay.

There are no easy paths in the spiritual journey.

True, there are some things that are too intense to deal with alone, so seek out a counselor or close friends—maybe even create some art—but stop relying on the advice of spiritual cheerleaders, as they are masking the truth of being you.

Yes, you’re beautiful—and it’s a lovely message in the photo above (words scribbled on a bridge near my home).

But—be your own beautiful—because the words are right there inside your soul.

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Author: Jessie Wright

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Author’s own.