We as humans are all broken and flawed in one way or another. But that's what makes us beautiful. Our resilience and adaptability is truly amazing. Once broken and repaired we can become something even stronger more beautiful than before. For me, this piece represents becoming a mother. First I was physically and then mentally broken. Like all parents, I realized there's no easy way to transition into this new phase of life. The parts of me remaining did not fit together in the same way as before. However, I love the person I have built myself into over the last five years. I am different but still distinctly me. I wear my "golden scars" proudly. I hope the nature of the piece translates to all who have been through a difficult time and are proud of who they've become. We break in so many ways. Let's show off and applaud who we are today! This piece was inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery using gold to highlight the beauty of imperfection instead of hiding it. Breaks become part of an object's history. My composition consists of photography, collage, painting with real gold, and color editing.