CategorySketches

“Don’t worry about giving your kids a good future. Give them a good past.”

The Censor

(from reading the Artist Way)

For years I locked away the colors that made me—me.

I used to talk a lot.
They taught me silence in their own colorful way.

No social media apps on my phone.

It’s been great... my mood’s lighter, and I swear I feel hope all the way down in my pinky toes again.

Imagine little me at six years old, adorable, obviously.

Big belly poking out from under a shirt that’s losing the battle. Hair for days. Like a mini lion cub.

All they need is curiosity, plus a jolt of fear, anger, or disgust… and you’re hooked.

Paleteros still bring a smile to my face, even to this day.

The sound of their little bells echoing down the block was like magic—it lit up the whole neighborhood.

“Papi siempre se iba a la chingada… hasta que me dieron ganas de alcanzarlo.”

"Generational trauma is like a fire in the woods, taking down everything in its path until one person in one generation has the courage to turn and face the flames.