My artwork is rooted in my personal experiences. To create my paintings, I use poetry and my own family photographs. I either begin with a poem and then find a family photo that relates, or I pick a family photo that resonates with me and then write a poem in response. I am inspired by Black female artists such as Augusta Savage, a sculptor who made monumental figures of Black people that not only showed their struggle, but also emphasized their beauty and importance, and artists like Deborah Willis and Carrie Mae Weems who use photos to show the raw and real beauty of Black women across the many spectrums of identity. I am putting real images of Black lives out into the world in order to have a positive impact. Everyday media bombards us with negative images and stereotypical portrayals of Black people from the news, to music, to reality television. However, real experiences like mine can act as a positive image, not because it is all pleasant, but because it is all real. I am also giving young girls an artistic role model that looks like them, and the ability to read a book with images and stories of lives that may resemble theirs. Lastly, a major purpose is sharing a social commentary and a collection of poems from my perspective that sends a message of one Black woman's view about the world around her through the lens of family life in a low income neighborhood.