Being a girl in middle school is tough. It’s just a rough couple of years because there’s more academic pressure, more cliques, and don’t forget puberty. All those factors make this time of transition challenging, but one school in North Carolina is trying to make things easier for middle school girls through an art installation that’s all about positivity.
Fayetteville Academy commissioned local artist Shari Jackson Link to paint murals
all over the girls’ restrooms that promote positivity, inclusion, and inspiration. She covered the walls, stall doors, and walls around the sinks and mirrors with messages that’ll build these girls up.
So when the tweens and young teens head to the bathroom, they see, “Be a pineapple: Stand tall, wear a crown and stay sweet on the inside” beautifully painted on the wall. Other messages include, “You are amazing, you are brave, you are strong,” and “Every day may not be good… but there is something good in every day.” And these words stick with them, hopefully helping them deal with the drama that is middle school.
The head of the school, Ray Quesnel, says Link’s words “strike a chord with everyone.” And now that the girls’ restrooms are finished, the artist is moving on to do something similar in the boys’ bathrooms. Because everyone’s day would be better after reading, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
Source: Scary Mommy