Make the canvas bleed!

I had to learn to fall in love with
skin
body
weight
Had to learn the art of acceptance.

Could brown ever be in?
Could skinny ever stop being in?
Could I humanly be loved for me?

Had to learn to love
Erased traces of hate, self-hatred, desired to enable others to re-evaluate
society's standard of beauty and appreciate women of all colors and sizes. Beauty is not the stick figure embraced by MTV and magazines nor is it solely 5'7" blonde, blue eyes, ladies, it is a variety of color, a variety of souls. And yes ladies, healthy is beautiful.

Scars would not fade
Memories would not cease
but eventually, I learned to care for me.

Learned to make the canvas bleed!
Preserved skin
so now I paint
dance
create

wherever I find strength and courage
and can make the artistic medium bleed...
to keep my life alive, thriving even,
is where I need to be.
Where I can make the canvas bleed... instead of me.

-Jennifer Lawrence

Video Poetry: Make the Canvas Bleed