There was a time where I felt alone, uninspired, and hopeless. This idea creeped into my consciousness and convinced me that I was not good enough, for anything. From an outside perspective, it might sound strange, but no matter what my friends said, or what my mom told me, I didn’t feel worthy of love. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that you are loved and wanted because you don’t always feel loved or wanted.
There are many personal reasons why I felt this emptiness and loneliness. I am fortunate enough to recognize that a mental illness was enclosing me and after a while, I realized that I am not alone. I am privileged enough to have friends and family that love and care for me. It’s important to take a step back and recognize your privilege, recognize the opportunities you have, and to recognize all the beautiful things life has to offer.

Not only that, you need to identify the issue — put the time and energy into making yourself better — because ultimately, you are responsible for your own happiness.

By dealing with my well-being and filling that empty void in my life, I was inspired me to shoot this series. It focuses on the idea of conquering the emptiness and loneliness, and realizing the power of the mind in order to harness it to produce great things. I want you to remember that sometimes, your mind is a trap and regardless of what your sub-conscious tells you, you’re not alone. There are always people surrounding you. You are loved. You are worthy.

Photos by Jacqueline Ashton
Assisted by Sofy Mesa and Ivan Maychak
Featuring Rene Harding, Summer Ruddock-Ellis, and Aminata (of BizZarh)

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Jacqueline Ashton is an artist based out of Toronto. She works with primarily lens-based mediums and focuses on collaborating with women of colour. Check out her Tumblr and Instagram to see more of her work!