Bits of Inspiration ~ Frida Kahlo

Today I want to inspire you with the life and art of Frida Kahlo. Frida was born on July 6, 1907 in Coyoacán, a village on the outskirts of Mexico City. She was a painter who often painted self portraits. At age six she contracted polio and at age eighteen she was severely injured in an automobile accident. It was because of her accident that her plans to attend medical school were ended and the childhood hobby of art led her to pursue becoming an artist. Much of her art was painted from her experiences with pain.

There is so much to learn about this amazing woman. I think I am so drawn to her because she was a woman who suffered incredible pain, and chose to let it be her muse, her inspiration to create art. I made several attempts at doing a Reader's Digest condensed version of her life for this post, but I simply couldn't do it. So after all the head scratching I settled on sharing her image and some of her quotes as inspiration.

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me, too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.” 

― Frida Kahlo

Self portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, Link

"The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration." ~ Frida Kahlo

“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to better.”

― Frida Kahlo

“They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn't. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” 

― Frida Kahlo

“Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.” 

― Frida Kahlo

For today's challenge choose a quote, a photo, one of Frida's art pieces as inspiration or like Frida, choose yourself to paint with words. As always write a new poem for the challenge, post it on Mr. Linky, and take time to read the work or your fellow poets. (Learn more about Frida  and view her art here.