Beauty in the Bathroom: How an Artist Paints Inspirational Affirmations for Students

Story by Christopher Southerland Jr. Photo courtesy of The City Paper.  

DEC. 2, 2019: Cierra Lynn is a single mother and artist who lives in Washington, DC. Cierra prides herself on uplifting students with positive messages. She wants scholars in school to feel good. I firmly believe that the artist does not wish for kids to be bullied or feel bad about themselves. She is trying to encourage everyone to feel good about who they are and to have confidence.  So she paints the bathroom stalls as an act of kindness for everyone in the school. Cierra is trying to boost the students' confidence by reading daily affirmations by channeling positive thoughts.

Art is a way to express how you feel, and in this way, Cierra Lynn spreads the word about happiness in her phenomenal pictures. When asked what inspired her to spread her messages using this method, she said, "The bathroom has become a place of fear. It is typically the first-place kids run to when they have an issue at school, or the place kids go to bully other kids, fight and attempt suicide. I was inspired to bring awareness to those issues through art, and also encourage and empower the youth to make a positive choice."

Telling yourself how awesome you are can seem pretty bizarre, but after taking a look at the bathroom stalls, I know that it can be powerful.

Christopher Southerland is a 5th grade scholar at Friendship Woodridge International School.