I stand at the water’s edge, the cool sand beneath my feet, and gaze out into the vastness of the sea. In my bikini, I feel every breeze on my skin, every little bump on my body, every curve that I would have tried to hide in the past. Today, I just let it all be—without sucking in my stomach, without checking to see if I measure up to some ideal.

As the waves come and go, I notice how quiet I become inside, the less I look at myself from the outside and the more I perceive myself from within. Today, I live in quiet opposition to beauty standards: they don’t decide what I feel comfortable in! I do, here, in my body, on this beach, in this moment.

Pencil on paper, 19.5 x 24.5 cm