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Finding Myself Beyond the Margins

By KomalPublished about a year ago ‱ 2 min read

Author's Note : Ever feel like you're waiting for someone else to tell you where you fit in? This story is about that moment when you realize you’ve had the power all along to create your own place in the world. If you’ve ever felt invisible, stuck, or like you’re waiting for your story to start—this one’s for you.

I had always felt like I was wandering through someone else's story—like I was an extra in a film where the lead characters were already fully formed, already sure of who they were. I thought maybe one day I’d figure out where I fit, but the older I got, the more it felt like I was always standing just outside the frame, watching.

By Jacqueline Day on Unsplash

It wasn’t until I visited a small art exhibit in a quiet corner of the city that everything changed. It was one of those pop-up shows where local artists display their work—nothing flashy, but deeply personal. I didn’t expect to find myself there. I was just passing time, wandering through the pieces, when a single painting caught my eye.

At first glance, it was a simple portrait—a person standing in front of an empty picture frame, staring at it as if trying to figure out where they belonged. But what struck me wasn’t the figure. It was the empty frame. The more I looked at it, the more I realized that I had been living my life like that painting—waiting for someone else to put me in the picture, to give me a place, a narrative, an identity.

I stood there for what felt like hours, staring at that frame. And then it hit me: I was the one holding the brush. I had been looking for myself in all the wrong places—expecting someone else’s story to be mine. But that frame was always mine to fill. I just hadn’t realized it yet.

"The moment you pick up the brush, the world becomes yours to shape."

Walking out of that gallery, something shifted in me. I didn’t need to wait for the world to give me permission to exist in the story. I could paint my own, carve my own identity, create the representation I had always searched for.

It was like waking up to the fact that my life wasn’t just a missing frame in someone else’s gallery—it was a blank canvas, waiting for me to create something new.

"The frame doesn’t define you—it’s what you choose to create inside it that matters."

That experience wasn’t about finding representation in media, art, or literature—it was about realizing that I am representation.

Every choice I make, every path I walk, is another stroke on the canvas, another part of the story that only I can tell. And that’s when I stopped waiting.

I started painting.

"The world may offer you a frame, but only you can fill it with your story."

Author's Greetings:

Thank You, Seriously!

Hey, just wanted to say a huge thank you for taking the time to read my story. It means the world to me that you stuck around until the end—whether it made you think, feel, or just took you on a little ride for a while.

Writing these stories is a passion of mine, but knowing that someone out there is actually reading them? That’s the best part. So, thank you for being here, for giving my words a chance, and hopefully, for sticking around to see what’s next.

You rock. Seriously. Can’t wait to share more with you!

EmpowermentHumanityIdentityFiction

About the Creator

Komal

I write poems and stories that hit the feels.

When I’m not lost in my own plots, I’m either daydreaming about the next big idea or just winging life with a grin.

𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 đ•„đ•™đ•– ℙ𝕠𝕹𝕖𝕣 đ•„đ•  𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕒𝕟 𝕀𝕄ℙ𝔾ℂ𝕋

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insight

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

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Comments (6)

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  • Rowan Finley 8 months ago

    Re-read this one. It is just as inspiring today as it was when I first read it.

  • Rowan Finley about a year ago

    This one really resonates. Let’s get painting and adventuring in life! ❀

  • Pamela Williamsabout a year ago

    This is a beautiful insight.

  • kikiiabout a year ago

    Wow! girllllll You just nailed it ;)

  • M K Giri (AI Writter)about a year ago

    Nice one

  • Maryam Batoolabout a year ago

    "The moment you pick up the brush, the world becomes yours to shape." struck me really hard. Now I can clearly see the meaning of "paint your own life" - the personification of ones rank in life with the empty frame is just a wholesome and complete example to display. I know how good it feels to have someone to read what you write. You stood by me, I'll read your journey throughout.

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