Just Keep Smiling Jasmijn, They Won’t Notice
2022“Back then there was so much going on. I was undiagnosed, going through puberty, constantly praised for my appearance, seldom for my academic performance. I felt pressured to behave and look a certain way. I felt like my body was the only worthy thing about me. At the same time that body felt broken, as I was experiencing a lot of unexplainable pain. I remember thinking over and over: Don’t make any weird movements, make sure your make-up looks perfect, just keep smiling, that way they won’t notice. The culture I grew up in taught me that I could never take care of myself and that I would always have to depend on someone else. Looking back on it now I think that, what helped me most of all, was teaching myself that I can do more than be pretty and smile.”
Just Keep Smiling Jasmijn, They Won’t Notice is part of the ongoing project Chronic.