(Source: jennascoleman)
I recently had the privilege of being photographed by Courtney Lindberg for bodyheart - a campaign started by Amber Krzys, who I met when we both spoke on a panel at WonderCon.
Amber told me to show up however I wanted, wearing whatever made me feel beautiful. I decided to use this opportunity to embrace my past fears and show myself exactly as I am - no hair/makeup, wearing my favorite old shirt that has been with me for over 15 years (through all the manifestations of my body shapes + sizes). I didn’t even shave my legs or pluck my eyebrows.
Diving a little further into vulnerability, I also chose to photograph the body part that used to give me so many issues - my stomach. Whenever I eat (I didn’t until after this shoot) my tummy always sticks out, no matter how many sit ups or pilates sessions I do. When I was heavier, people often mistook me for being pregnant. And after years of trying to have children and being unable to, my stomach became another reminder of how I thought my body had “betrayed me.”
I have since learned to embrace not only my forever-bloated belly, but my infertility.
Looking at these photographs, I am really proud of who I have become, and how things that once caused so much suffering can truly be beautiful. If you want to take part of the bodyheart campaign, visit the site and please share if you do!
- Lynn
Anchor yourself to something special
Lucky ball…
Lisa Nilsson - Tissue Series (2012) - Anatomical cross-sections in paper
Artist’s statement:
“These pieces are made of Japanese mulberry paper and the gilded edges of old books. They are constructed by a technique of rolling and shaping narrow strips of paper called quilling or paper filigree.
Quilling was first practiced by Renaissance nuns and monks who are said to have made artistic use of the gilded edges of worn out bibles, and later by 18th-century ladies who made artistic use of lots of free time. I find quilling exquisitely satisfying for rendering the densely squished and lovely internal landscape of the human body in cross section.”
(Source: sarahseeandersen)
No matter who you are or what you look like, just remember that Aang thinks you’re interesting and would like to be your friend.
#seriously though aang is the nicest guy ever #you can literally try to kill him and his friends and he will still think that you are worth his friendship #no mistake you ever make will stop him from loving you #he didn’t let prejudices (even justified ones) stop him from being friends with and helping the fire nation students #he gave the spirit a second chance even after it attacked him and sokka because he knew what it was going through #and he respected the fact that we all go through stuff and we all need the benefit of the doubt sometimes #and because he’s a kickass avatar #his biggest regret and his biggest fear is letting down the people he loves #he thinks he did it with the air nomads and he was so afraid that he’d do it again #but he didn’t let it ruin him #he went through so much suffering and loss and he didn’t close himself off #he was still so open and loving and he was always there for others #and wow i just love aang so much
You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions.
