Once upon a time in my former life at work, a colleague told me I had to grow a thicker skin. And I did. I grew a skin that repels comments like that one.

You see, my tenderness and my toughness are not mutually exclusive. My heart is tender, and fierce as hell. I am compassionate, and there is courage in that. I am emotional, and there is bravery and authenticity in that. I am affected by what people say. I am affected by the actions of others. And that affect drives me to serve others and stand up for them and myself. It fires up my fierceness.

I don’t want to be unaffected. I want to feel. I want to be open. Don’t you shush me or my beating heart. It’s simultaneously more vulnerable and more powerful than you could ever comprehend.

Go ahead, try to tell me toughen up. You’ll only fuel my fire.

Or try telling me when I cry that I should shake it off. My tears are a sign I’m alive and they’re gearing up to rain down a fiery storm of fierceness.

Stay tender, stay tough my loves. xo.

This digital download is available to you in an instant!

Print on 8.5x11 paper in your own home or at your favorite copy center and trim easily for an 8x10 frame or pin it right to your bulletin board. Instant good juju!

Please note: You'll have 24 hours to download this file and save to your device of choice. Due to copyright and distribution concerns, we are unable to send the file a second time, so please plan your downloads carefully!

Art Prints

+SHOP

Makes You Feel Alive

Loving Loudly

Hooray Gay!

Courage to Become Who You Are

We Rise By Lifting Others

Goddess Pledge

We Were Seeds

BRB Changing the World

L<3VE

Stay Tender. Stay Tough.

We Were Seeds - Digital Download to Support Black Visions Collective