WORDS MATTER
Artist Jessica Tookey
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
Looking back on my childhood, I realize how untrue this statement is. Why do we teach our children that words don’t matter? They DO matter! I don’t remember ANY physical pain from my childhood, but boy oh boy do I remember the emotional pains. It is rare, if possible at all, to find someone who was not teased or picked on by someone in their lifetime because of their looks or because they were “different”. This sticks with a person and can contribute to depression and/or anxiety.
In October of 2014, I began my “What is Beauty” exhibit. I drew five young ladies who are not your “typical” beauty. Since then, I have added two faces and plan to continue to add faces as I meet more beautiful young ladies who were bullied because of how they look. I have incorporated these beauties into my “Words Matter” exhibit. This exhibit has the “What is Beauty” portraits as well as “Faces of Suicide” portraits. These images show happy, confident people. Even though they appear happy, each one struggled with bullying or mental illness and these smiling people ended their own lives. My goal with this exhibit is to get people to realize that their words could be the final push, or the saving grace, for someone who is struggling. Words can cause more pain than sticks and stone…words can kill.
Everyone dreams of having the perfect nose, the perfect lips, or bigger muscles…but you are all perfect just the way you are. YOU are beautiful! The people who point out “flaws” in others are the ones who are not. A beautiful person focuses on the positive things in life; they look at the world around them and see the good instead of pointing out what they think should be better or different. You never know what struggle a person is going through. Sometimes, people are fighting demons that you know nothing about. Your words could be the difference between life and death. Whether you are male or female, it is up to YOU to be a beautiful person. Make a positive impact on this world instead of causing harm. I dare you to be kind.
I strive to share kindness and show the beauty that is all around and within us. I have been creating all of my life, ever since I could hold a tool to make marks with. But, it wasn’t until 2014 that I felt the call to pursue art as a career and also had the idea to use my art to uplift the spirits of people. I draw and paint everything, but I focus most on portraiture. With portraits, I share love by bringing light back into the lives of people who have lost loved ones. It has been said that I “capture people’s joy and light” in my drawings and paintings. With this exhibit, hope to uplift people who have struggled with mental health, help families who have lost a loved one to suicide and hopefully keep someone from ending their life.. Why did I choose suicide? Throughout my life, I have often had thoughts that everyone would be better off if I weren’t here. In my childhood and teenage years, I even hurt myself…but not enough to make anyone notice. Thankfully, as a child, there wasn’t anything that pushed me all the way over the edge. As an adult, those dark times did come, I found myself sitting in the dark bathroom with a razor blade. But, by that time, I had my baby girl in the other room. I am grateful that she is a bright light that pulled me out of the darkness. You should not be embarrassed if you’ve had thoughts of suicide, instead, you should own it and talk to someone about it. Some of us are wired differently…that’s just the way we are. Through conversations, or art, we can heal ourselves and others. If you need to talk, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Artist Jessica Tookey
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
Looking back on my childhood, I realize how untrue this statement is. Why do we teach our children that words don’t matter? They DO matter! I don’t remember ANY physical pain from my childhood, but boy oh boy do I remember the emotional pains. It is rare, if possible at all, to find someone who was not teased or picked on by someone in their lifetime because of their looks or because they were “different”. This sticks with a person and can contribute to depression and/or anxiety.
In October of 2014, I began my “What is Beauty” exhibit. I drew five young ladies who are not your “typical” beauty. Since then, I have added two faces and plan to continue to add faces as I meet more beautiful young ladies who were bullied because of how they look. I have incorporated these beauties into my “Words Matter” exhibit. This exhibit has the “What is Beauty” portraits as well as “Faces of Suicide” portraits. These images show happy, confident people. Even though they appear happy, each one struggled with bullying or mental illness and these smiling people ended their own lives. My goal with this exhibit is to get people to realize that their words could be the final push, or the saving grace, for someone who is struggling. Words can cause more pain than sticks and stone…words can kill.
Everyone dreams of having the perfect nose, the perfect lips, or bigger muscles…but you are all perfect just the way you are. YOU are beautiful! The people who point out “flaws” in others are the ones who are not. A beautiful person focuses on the positive things in life; they look at the world around them and see the good instead of pointing out what they think should be better or different. You never know what struggle a person is going through. Sometimes, people are fighting demons that you know nothing about. Your words could be the difference between life and death. Whether you are male or female, it is up to YOU to be a beautiful person. Make a positive impact on this world instead of causing harm. I dare you to be kind.
I strive to share kindness and show the beauty that is all around and within us. I have been creating all of my life, ever since I could hold a tool to make marks with. But, it wasn’t until 2014 that I felt the call to pursue art as a career and also had the idea to use my art to uplift the spirits of people. I draw and paint everything, but I focus most on portraiture. With portraits, I share love by bringing light back into the lives of people who have lost loved ones. It has been said that I “capture people’s joy and light” in my drawings and paintings. With this exhibit, hope to uplift people who have struggled with mental health, help families who have lost a loved one to suicide and hopefully keep someone from ending their life.. Why did I choose suicide? Throughout my life, I have often had thoughts that everyone would be better off if I weren’t here. In my childhood and teenage years, I even hurt myself…but not enough to make anyone notice. Thankfully, as a child, there wasn’t anything that pushed me all the way over the edge. As an adult, those dark times did come, I found myself sitting in the dark bathroom with a razor blade. But, by that time, I had my baby girl in the other room. I am grateful that she is a bright light that pulled me out of the darkness. You should not be embarrassed if you’ve had thoughts of suicide, instead, you should own it and talk to someone about it. Some of us are wired differently…that’s just the way we are. Through conversations, or art, we can heal ourselves and others. If you need to talk, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)