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She’s familiar to plenty but do you know her story? Frida Kahlo, an icon for female creativity, is an exemplary individual who everyone should aspire to be; I definitely do!

Frida’s early years were spent sullenly as her parents were often ill and had a broken marriage. She describes her mother, Matilde Calderón y González, as “calculating, cruel and fanatically religious”. Whereas, Frida’s relationship with her father, Guillermo Kahlo, was “Marvelous! He was an immense example of tenderness and taught me photography and how to paint, but above all understanding for all my problems”.

Frida Kahlo battled polio during her childhood which resulted in the deformation of her leg; bullied for her disability, she was encouraged by her father to show everyone what she’s made of by encouraging Frida to play soccer, swim or ever wrestle; which she magnificently did so.

Frida attended the National Preparatory School in Mexico city in 1922; only thirty-five female students were enrolled in that school. She joined a rebellious gang there of fellow classmates who shared similar political and intellectual views which led to Frida being famously titled as a brave and outspoken woman.

Frida experienced a fatal accident during her adolescence when a steel handrail impaled her through the hip, fracturing her spine and pelvis. She was bedridden with a full body cast for three months; that didn’t stop her from discovering herself through her passion for painting, “I paint myself because I am often alone and I am the subject I know best”.-Frida Khalo

Frida fell in love with the renowned Mexican muralist Diego Rivera and married him in 1929 despite her mother’s strong objection; a few years later, after her two miscarriages, Diego returned to his womanizing habits and had numerous affairs, one of which was Frida’s younger sister. That didn’t let Frida lose faith in love; she detached herself from the toxic relationship and gave love another chance by remarrying.

Frida felt strongly inclined towards her Mexican heritage during the civil war while she lived in Morelos. It inspired her to change her artistic style to Mexican folk art. Apart from art as a form of her personal expression, Frida expressed her Mexican identity through fashion and began wearing traditional indigenous Mexican peasant clothing to emphasize her mestiza ancestry which consisted of long and colorful skirts called huipils, elaborate headdresses known as rebozos, and masses of jewelry. Her favorite was the dress of women from the allegedly matriarchal society of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The Tehuana outfit allowed Kahlo to express her feminist and anti-colonialist ideas and also allowed her to hide her damaged body.

Frida refused to let life’s traumas and her chronic health problems fade her passion for painting; in 1938 her artwork was exhibited at the New York City gallery and in 1939 she exhibited her paintings in Paris where she befriended renowned artists such as Marc Chagall and Pablo Piccaso.

Frida was diagnosed with gangrene in her right foot in the year 1950 resulting in her being bedridden for nine months post multiple surgeries. Still, she was persistent about her passion and continued to paint masterpieces.

Frida’s poor health led her to be immobile; but despite that, she had a solo Mexican exhibition where she arrived in an ambulance, welcomed the attendees and celebrated the ceremony in a bed the gallery had set up for her. A few months later, part of her right leg got amputated to stop the gangrene.

Frida’s depression led to her contemplating suicide, though it didn’t stop her from taking a stand for social justice. Before her death, Frida’s last public appearance was at the demonstration against the US-backed overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala.

Everyone should aspire to be like her; passionate enough to not lose your identity along the way and a be a fighter against all odds when life throws its utmost morbid curveballs.