This Artist Is Turning “Flaws” Into Colorful Art To Promote Self-Love

"Loving yourself is a revolutionary act."

Barcelona-based artist Cinta Tort Cartró is turning what society has deemed "ugly" into art.

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She told BuzzFeed that she's painting over people's stretch marks to promote self-love and acceptance.

Instagram: @zinteta

"Ever since we're little, they make us hate everything about our bodies, and they constantly try to convince us to eliminate anything that isn't 'normal,' like skin blemishes, freckles, body hair, and an infinity of other things," she said. "Stretch marks are part of our essence, our moments, our stories. They're so beautiful, I don't know how they've convinced us to hate them."

Cinta, whose artistic name is Zinteta, said she spent years hating the way she looked.

Instagram: @zinteta

"Throughout my life, especially my teenage years, I struggled with beauty standards. When I was a teen, I suffered from anorexia. I wanted to be skinny, I wanted to get rid of the hair on my body, and I wanted to eliminate my stretch marks. In other words, I didn't love myself. I've always used art to express what I feel, my battles, and how they affect me."

With time, she learned to accept who she is and what she looks like, allowing her to practice self-love.

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"I learned that in order to get to know, and ultimately love myself, I had to start with accepting who I was, and what I looked like," she said. "I wanted to show this process of acceptance through art. Women battle with these things every day, so this project is about understanding there's beauty in all of us."

In addition to stretch marks, she's also given period stains a colorful touch. This is part of an initiative called #manchoynomedoyasco, which translates to "I stain and I'm not disgusted by myself."

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"I make art to express everything I feel, live, think, and struggle with. It's amazing that I can reach a lot of people with it, so they can think about these personal battles and get inspired to fight against the ridiculous beauty standards that oppress us."

She uses a colorful palette to normalize her process and make her art accesible.

Instagram: @zinteta

"I wouldn't call it a rainbow; I just like using color. Color is something I identify with a lot, and I love experimenting with it. I use it to normalize this process so people can think about what my art reflects."

Zinteta just wants people who aren't comfortable in their own skin to love themselves without letting anyone or anything interfere.

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"Don't let them mess with who you are and what you have. Loving yourself is a revolutionary act."

*self-hug*

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