I Was Removed From the Picture — And I Refuse to Be Erased

When You’ve Been Erased One Too Many Times

Recently, a photo was shared—meant to honor my partner and uplift a collective win.

But I wasn’t in it.

Even though I was there.
Even though I contributed.
Even though I showed up fully.

I had been digitally removed.

Maybe it was a mistake. Surely it wasn’t meant to hurt.

But it did.

It hit a nerve—an ancestral one.
A sacred one.

And in that ache, something ancient and powerful awakened.

The Pain of Erasure Black Women Know Too Well

For Black women, especially those who live at the intersection of art, spirituality, and leadership—this isn’t new.

This is the wound.

Whether you're a creative, a healer, a visionary, or someone simply holding space in a world not built to hold you—

You’ve likely felt this too:

✨ Being left out of the conversation
✨ Getting erased from the credit
✨ Watching your truth be edited out for someone else’s comfort

This kind of creative erasure and emotional invisibility is not only painful—it’s a continuation of generational silencing.

And I refuse to let that continue in my lineage.

It’s Not Just a Picture. It’s a Pattern.

That image wasn’t just a photo—it was a mirror.
Reflecting every time I’ve been cut out, overlooked, or erased without apology.

Because erasure doesn’t always look like harm.
Sometimes it sounds like silence.
Sometimes it hides in phrases like:

“It wasn’t intentional.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“I didn’t realize.”

But our spirits always realize.

And here’s the truth I’m claiming:
I will no longer shrink to fit into spaces that refuse to honor me.

Choosing Remembrance Over Silence

This isn’t about ego.
This is about dignity.
This is about sacred self-witnessing.

I spoke up—not to start a fire, but because I am the fire.

🔥 I am reclaiming the voice I once silenced to make others feel safe.
🔥 I am holding space for the women like me who are done being cropped out.
🔥 I am writing myself back into the story.

For the Ones Who Feel Invisible

If you’ve ever been erased—literally or emotionally—this is your invitation to rise:

 🌺 You are not too sensitive.
 🌺 You are not imagining it.
 🌺 You are sacred.
 🌺 You are the altar and the offering.

And you deserve to be seen—not just in photos, but in presence.

Final Reflection: Your Truth Is the Resistance

 I am not here to perform.
 I am not here for approval.
 I am here to be witnessed—in full bloom.

Because I know what it means to carry sacred fire and still be told I’m not enough.

To all the women, especially Black women, who are reclaiming their voice, visibility, and value:

We rise.

 Not louder.
 But deeper.
 Not for applause.
 But for truth.

 
So Tell Me…

Where in your life have you felt erased—and what part of you is still waiting to be seen, named, and honored?

What came up for you? Share it with us in The Garden.

Read: True Connections and Healing from Burnout

#BloomDontShrink #BlackWomenRest #VisibilityIsPower #SacredWitnessing  #CreativeReclamation #EmotionalHealing