“Authentic Capacity” is a conversation about loving myself and allowing that love to be fully expressed. The colors are bright and alive, yet the piece carries a feminist undercurrent, a sense of both vitality and restraint. I layered vintage ephemera reflecting the 1950s view of women as solely homemakers, a noble role I’ve been blessed to hold for 23 years, but one that never defined all of who I am. I often think my foremothers weren’t afforded that same freedom. The lace tablecloth overlay ties back to domestic expectations, but here it transforms into a symbol of strength, reclamation, and self-worth.