Strength in Vulnerability

Having been born into discrimination, I had no say about some of the things that occurred. I did not understand why, particularly when I was younger. Was it what I had said? Was it the way I looked, or the way other people perceived my parents? I kept quiet. My quietness earned me avoidance, gossip, and bullying. That aside, I learned to let go. That is all thanks to my friends, the ones who endured the same.

Life was difficult, but the only reason we endured was the sharing of our hardships, our good qualities, and even our place of belonging. The bond was unbreakable. Everyone attempted to shatter us, to make us turn against one another. But our openness and truth tore down every misconception. There was no space for division in our bond. We grew up together, and each person built a personal identity, different but attached.

I had discovered my purpose in life, and the day had arrived to realize a big dream. Time waits for none. Years of grit, patience, and scrutiny finally yielded fruits, which I would never regret.

When I woke up, I was strong, financially and in reputation. No one dared to challenge me, and yet no one could be frank with me. The close friends grew distant. We did not fight, and I do not hate them. We merely lost touch, attracted by different forces in life and varied goals.

I still have that sense of belonging that held me together when I needed it. I find myself missing it from time to time and sometimes wishing that it had never ended. Maybe that is too much to ask; it would have held us all together. Whatever the case, I do know that despite distance, we still look after each other. With a smile, I carry on with life.

Strength in vulnerability, shows when we have nothing, true grit comes from support built on friends and family. Even for those that seem to be invincible. It reminds us that we belong and that even though our input might seem insignificant, we still matter. This is a one-of-a-kind piece of art (12×16 inches) painted in acrylics and overlaid with colored pencils. It has been well polished to present how the support of loved ones and friends pushes us through difficult circumstances.

The painting is based on our very own Creativebrosis reference photo. There will be only one piece available, which can be ordered from the Paint section of the Gallery tab

The Enchanting World of Juvenile Caimans

Caimans are cousins of alligators but belong to a subgroup under the same family. They inhabit Central and South America, from southern Mexico to the Amazon Basin, to northern Argentina. Caimans normally inhabit freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes, and swamps.

They are nocturnal predators with the active hunting style of ambush attacks to take down their prey. Juvenile caimans often reside in small groups that contain members of similar ages and both related and unrelated members. At this age, they are also attacked by several predators like anacondas, boas, herons, eagles, and jaguars.

Female caimans that give birth to eggs at the same time also usually stay close to their nesting sites and may answer distress calls from their own young or even those of other females. Grouping is used to help keep young caimans' body heat while basking in the sun, something that cold-blooded animals like them need.

Other than that, living in groups helps make feeding simpler because younger caimans will simply imitate the feeding behavior of the older ones, an effortless social learning. Caimans, as they grow old, begin dispersing and establishing their own small territories. Adult caimans are solitary but only during mating season.

Question time

What is the trend that you notice in the fun fact of Juvenile Caimans in the back story of the painting? Is Vulnerability a weakness or the first step in obtaining strength?