monika jia rui

I’ve always wanted to fit in, trying to smooth my rough edges so I wouldn’t bother anyone. But I can no longer ignore the fact that the system that’s supposed to provide us with stability and safety is nothing but a cage for me. Constantly having to justify my needs and choices – as if something was wrong with me – is tiring.

It’s a painful process. I have to reconsider the values I grew up with. Question everything I believe in. Turn around every freaking building block that makes up my being. Look what lies beneath, figure out who placed it there, and whether it deserves to remain a part of me. Maybe it’s better replaced by a rock I handpicked according to my own criteria.

It’s time to allow myself to be who I am.

(from the project «we're too young to run in circles»)