In this piece, I defy the tradition of holding back and instead galvanize women to own their own individual value and worth. The visual push and pull of this work allows the viewer to empathize with the disorientation of societal pressures on women and the need to break down these barriers.

Summer has always been my favorite time of year. I hated school when I was young, so summer meant freedom for me. It’s all about the smell of freshly cut grass, bike rides, swimming pools, and the untethered ability to explore and play.

Don't forget to take some moments to soak in all of the goodness around you. Time passes quickly; use these mental snapshots to keep a scrapbook of your life.

Oh, what treasures we would find: earrings and pendants and pearls and more. Keys and lockets and watches galore, things left over from World War. All these treasures we would find whenever we snooped in their dresser drawer. We played and played until they shooed us away. Later we grew up, and soon the treasures couldn’t stay. As adults, we snooped again, and the treasures still remained—but we lost those who would shoo us away.