Gentle Strength by B.B. Rich

A Softer Kind of Strength

When you think of the word "strong," what kinds of things usually come to mind?  It's easy to picture someone hitting the gym, lifting weights, or maybe a huge, powerful animal; phrases like "strong as an ox" might come to mind.  When I drew this, though, I wanted to portray strength in a different way.  

There is a kind of strength that manifests itself in less obvious ways than muscle and raw physical power.  *Gentle Strength* shows a woman who is demonstrating, by her calmness, dignity, and poise, that she's strong.  The fullness of her figure gives her a sense of solidity and substance as well.  She demonstrates her strength in a way that's uniquely feminine.

In some ways, she reminds me of some of the women in my life as I was growing up.  Many of them had this kind of calm, dignified strength about them.  It had an effect on me too, as I still admire this trait in people to this day, and try to cultivate it myself.

I hope you can relate to this piece, and that you can find your own unique strength and value it.

- B.B. Rich