readers speak: original talent.

My friends at The Letter tuned me in to Ariana’s work and I just felt she needed more than a typical two-sentence post.

Ariana has a skin condition called dermatographia, which means that upon scratching her skin, raised red lines appear. And here’s why I love her:

Rather than hiding under a rock, Ariana uses her condition to create temporary body art. And I should clarify: gorgeous temporary body art.

What an example Ariana is to the rest of our community. Are we allowing our originality to shape our artwork? Or are we holding back the “conditions” that we each have, afraid that we’ll be deemed too different, outdated or amateur?

I’d love to see more Arianas of the world. And I challenge myself and all of you to search within you to find what makes you different. For some of us, it’s more apparent. Maybe you don’t have a glaring skin condiiton, but you do have thinning hair that inspires you to create paintings with your hairbrush.

But for the rest of us, your “condition” lies within. Take a few days to find it. Whether you’re prone to stress/anxiety, have trouble spelling, or are working toward an incredible goal— let that speak through your artwork.

Chances are, the rest of us will notice.

Link: Ariana Page Russell

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