Clara Smith

I’m in my third-year at One Stone, and I’m passionate about digital art and baking. My Why statement is “to grow and change, and to live my most fulfilled life.” In these times, I often feel like there’s a lot of pressure to hold it together, to keep on smiling. I’ve been told to “stop crying, someone has it way worse than you.” This message is pushed on us by society as a whole, and it’s a very harmful mindset. We have generations of people who think talking about mental health, or even expressing any dissatisfaction with their lives, is bad, and that they don’t deserve to feel that way. We’re all just broken pieces of people, trying to hold it together and “put on a brave face.” This piece is meant to reflect that sentiment, showing a figure that’s literally falling apart being forced to “keep on smiling” as everything, and everyone crumbles around them. For me, “being the good,” is looking past that, and really seeing someone. It’s seeing them and all their pieces, and saying, “I see you.” It’s being there to help someone pick up the pieces, even when everyone else refuses to look. That’s what it means to me. Through One Stone, I’ve been lucky enough to find those people, and hopefully, I’ve been that person for someone else. There have been so many people here who have supported me during difficult times, in big and small ways. Sometimes we’re all a little like that broken person. We feel alone, like no one really sees us. But just out of sight, there’s always someone there who wants to support you, who wants to help you, who sees you, all of you. You just need to let them in. You aren’t alone, and I see you.