It’s incredible how drawings and images can provide so much impact. Brazilian design and illustrator Carol Rossetti began creating inspirational drawings for women and posted them to Facebook. Each image was shared thousands of times by people around the world and the response pleasantly surprised her.
Originally, all drawings were in Portuguese but Carol Rossetti worked with an Australian woman who translated them to English. From there, interest grew and Israeli feminists translated them to Hebrew and other groups showed interest in translating them to German, Russian, Chinese, and many more languages.
1) Inspirational drawings for women by Brazilian design and illustrator Carol Rossetti.
“Rose decided not to have kids. No worries, Rose. Motherhood is a choice and your decision does not make you any less of a woman!”
2)
“Amanda has decided that shaving is not her thing. Amanda, it’s your body and you do whatever you want with it. No social convention should have a say in your identity!”
3)
“Helena avoided wearing high heels because everybody told her she would be too tall. Then, Helena tried on the Louboutins and has never wanted to take them off.”
4)
“Larissa heard a thousand times she’s not a “Real Woman.” But that’s exactly what you are, OK, Larissa? You are the only authority of your body and your identity!”
5)
“Mariana has always loved going to the beach. However, it’s been some time since people started badmouthing her body, and they even suggested she retired the bikini and wore something more discreet. Mariana, your body is not an ornament made to please the public. You go to the beach however you like it! Those who don’t approve your looks can always look the other way.”
6)
“Silvia has white hair. People have been telling her to dye it so she doesn’t look old. Silvia, dying your hair is a choice, and never an obligation. If you like your white hair, nobody has anything to do with it. Age is no reason for shame. Your hair is beautiful and the choice is yours!”
7)
“It was at the 3-year-old birthday of Samantha’s son that an aunt asked, ‘Haven’t you outgrown this hair color?’ No. Your freedom has no expiration date, Samantha!”
8)
“Camila & Patricia hear all sorts of things when they go out together. After 1 year together, they are almost experts in ignoring this crap. That’s right girls. F*** it.”
9)
“Maira loves her afro! But rumor has it that her hair is ugly, wiry, kinky, nappy, bad. Maira, don’t straighten it just because of that. Your hair is memory, ancestry, strength, beauty, identity & tons of love! Your hair, besides being gorgeous, is yours. You are in charge.”
10)
“Babi is seven years old. Her parents found it a bit odd that she chose to take karate instead of ballet. Babi, gender conventions should never limit your identity. You can do whatever you want!”
11)
“Whitney has spent 10 years of her life trying to lose weight so she could be happy then. Then, she realized her body didn’t stop her from doing what she loves and trying to find happiness. That’s the way, Whitney! You don’t have to allow that an excluding and discriminating model be put between you and your happiness. Everybody is entitled to self-respect!”
12)
“For so long Bia has heard men saying it was hard to find a woman who preferred books to shoes. Bia loves shoes and is also a Ph. D. in French literature. She never really understood the so-called incompatibility between her passions.”
13)
“Clara is an engineer and she’s done hearing about women and mathematics don’t “Go together.” Relax, Clara. Those who think that gender determines intellectual performance can’t really have a good logical thought.”
14)
“It took Lorena a long time to find her sensuality because she has never seen herself represented as beauty, only as a tragedy. But you are so much more than the way the media portrays you, aren’t you, Lorena? Your wheelchair is freedom and it can run over anyone who reduces you to stereotypes.”
15)
“Jane was told that she would be really pretty if she lost some pounds. Jane, your beauty and your self-esteem are not defined by your weight. (And it’s likely that those who said that would be prettier if they knew when to SHUT UP.)”
16)
“Marina loves her striped dress, but the fashion magazines said horizontal stripes didn’t fit her body shape. Don’t you care about those magazines, Marina. The important thing is for you to wear what you like, and to feel comfortable with your own body.”
17) I hope you enjoyed these inspirational drawings for women by Brazilian design and illustrator Carol Rossetti.
“Laura only wears loose clothes ’cause she has never felt comfortable with the so-called “womenswear” collections. Laura, gender does not define clothing. Everybody can and should wear whatever fits best their own identity. You have the whole store to look for the perfect outfit, not just the womenswear section.”
H/t: Mic
Some of the situations portrayed by Carol Rossetti apply whether you’re female OR male and each illustration provides a strong statement. Please share these inspiring illustrations by Brazilian artist Carol Rossetti with your friends and family.
