Lately, my “living” has been anything but artful—and as I walk through one of the darkest seasons of my life, I wonder how on earth do I write about this? About five minutes ago, I thought it wasn’t possible. But, then I read these words by Morgan Harper Nichols again and it’s as if the beauty of life washed over me—reminding me that this darkness is temporary and the sun still shines. When I think about “the art of living” I feel it’s not a one-size-fits-all idea, concept or lifestyle. It’s all the beauties, joys, laughs, adventures, and glimmers of magic that light your soul on fire.

To the Girl Who Can't Love Herself... [An Audio Letter]

At what point in your life did you first feel uncomfortable in your own body? Do you remember the very first moment you were embarrassed with yourself? Or, when did you first feel the pressure to look and be like everyone else? How about that first moment you looked into the mirror, like you’d always done before, but instantly everything changed? When you entered this world, you felt no shame, no fear, and there was certainly no judgment. Your itty-bitty frame, delicate and soft, was absolute perfection. The way you arrived into existence was a bonafide miracle, and that’s damn right beautiful. So, what happened to her?

What's in a Name

Naming my kids was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. How do you choose what a child will be called her entire life? How do you know from the moment you look at him, what name will fit his personality? It is a huge responsibility to choose what name a child will answer to, what name she will write on every form, what name she will speak over herself every day for the rest of her life. “Hi, I’m…” I believe there is power in a name. What is spoken over you matters. The words you use are incredibly valuable, and a person’s name is spoken over them again and again from birth until death.

Those Lies in Your Head Don't Know Beauty

I am sure you have been bombarded with all the clichés about self-love and how your truest form of beauty lies within. If you are like most women you might have even saved a motivational quote to your phone, laptop or printed it out and hung it to your wall. If you are like me, these reminders may sit on your heart — yet so many times I will forget they pertain to me. Many times I forget my own beauty. I fall into the trap of lies that I am not enough, or I am too much.

God Defines Beauty, Not Me

Before I fell in love with Jesus and took the time to learn the truth about who He made me to be, I was always desperately searching for ways to become beautiful. I thought beauty was something to gain outwardly. Every morning I would wake up, watch YouTube tutorials on how to beautify my face (since I had no idea how to do makeup without assistance) and put on an outfit I had spent hours planning out over the weekend.

For the Girl Who Feels Self-Conscious Without Makeup

You probably woke up this morning to begin your day just like any other — start a pot of coffee, brush your teeth, tame your wild, out-of-control hair, and cover your imperfections with concealer. You would argue there’s nothing wrong with your routine and at surface level, there isn’t. However, I’m here to tell you it’s OK if you don’t want to follow your daily routine to a tee. On those mornings you wake up unexcited about the time it’s going to take to put on a full face of makeup, guess what — YOU DON’T HAVE TO. I give you permission to use that extra 30 minutes or an hour to instead find something spiritually and emotionally fulfilling.

Being Vulnerable is Actually Beautiful

The most beautiful people aren’t those who always come across as confident, successful and put together. True beauty can be found in the moments when a long day finally gets the best of you and you allow yourself to have a full-on breakdown. True beauty is admitting you made a mistake and accepting the fallout. True beauty lies in the moments when you embrace your faults and accept the fact that you’ll never fully live up to other’s standards. Because letting yourself be vulnerable is just as hard as achieving the perfect winged eyeliner or molding your body to fit into a size two.

Series Video Introduction: True Beauty

For the month of August, Crowned Chics is taking a step back to question society's idea of beauty and instead, replacing it with a refreshing message — embrace you and all of your flaws. Founder, Nikki Michelle Charnstrom sits before the camera makeup-free to introduce this new series to you in a real, heartfelt conversation.

Put on Your Crown of Personal Acceptance

In a world where beauty seems to be defined in materialistic, physical attributes, it can be difficult to find the truth in it all. While there is nothing wrong with dressing your lips in a pop of color and strapping on your favorite pair of heels, beauty goes much deeper. What if we leveraged our God-given beauty to carry ourselves through the day? We couldn’t help but walk a tad bit taller as we shamelessly fall in love with the skin we’re in — wearing our crown of acceptance.

Current Blog series: Purpose