Robert Macias, who goes by the name R. M. Drake, is a self-published writer. Known for his gray paper and typewriter font, he has taken over the world by storm with his beautiful words. With over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, 48k on Twitter, and 96k on Facebook, Drake has touched millions of people through his books and his pieces of poetry.

Drake was working as an art director for a television company when he began posting his work on social media platforms, such as Instagram. Through the comments and shares that his work generated, he began to build a massive following. With the combination of celebrity interest and a strong fan base that dutifully shared his work, he was able to sell his self-published work through booksellers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. His writing allowed him to leave his full-time job and dedicate his time fully to writing and publishing his work.

Through his perspective that we are all connected, Drake aims to improve the world of his readers through his raw and powerful thoughts. His ability to find the beauty in being broken has personally inspired me, and I hope these ten poems do the same for you. Drake reminds us that not everything is beautiful, but that doesn't mean that there's no beauty to be found in picking up your damaged pieces.

Drake describes in the most raw way how it feels to lose someone. Your eyes might burn and your chest might ache, but don't lose yourself.

People always seem to want what they can't have, and ignore the things that they do have.

The beauty of breaking yourself down, in order to look your demons in the eye and say, "I'm stronger than you."

You have the power to create yourself. You have no commitment to be the person you were a year ago, a day ago, or even a minute ago. If you are seeming to forget the person that you desire to be, remember what you aren't, and start there.

While most people would wither at the thought of being lost, Drake looks forward to the opportunity for something magnificent to come around.

There's a power that lives inside of you, and maybe it just takes a little darkness to release your brilliant light.

I would have to say that this is my favorite piece of R. M. Drake's writing. How alluring is it that at one point, the pain that you're going through stops, and everything else falls into place?

Once you begin to breathe, once you begin to heal, you begin to see things in a new way. You grow confident. You gain a new perspective. You discover that the world is in your hands, and you are only a step away from uncovering everything beautiful about yourself.

Wolves can always tell when a lion is among them.

In the most refreshing way, R. M. Drake reminds us how beautiful it is to feel. He lets us in on the secret that it's okay to hurt. It is acceptable to yell and scream and feel as though you're breaking down to your core. Through this, he explains that each and every one of us are on the verge of discovering our true selves.

Whether this is your first time reading R. M. Drake, or you've known about his work for years, I hope that he continues to inspire and feed your soul. Go today knowing that not only is it encouraged to feel everything... it is simply human.