I suppose I should start this out with a bit about myself before I jump into the meat of the matter. I’m a local body and sex positive artist, you may have even seen a few of my body positive art prints hanging in Erika’s studio if you’ve already shot with her. I am also a crazy cat lady, a voracious reader, and huge geek. I also have spent the last several years coming to terms with disability. 

Body Positive Art: From Artist to Subject

So, how did all of that lead me to want to join Erika’s Ambassador program and go from artist to subject? Well, my work tends to focus on helping people see things we’ve been led to believe are flaws as beautiful. Be that stretch marks, folds, body hair, whatever. I love nothing more than getting a message from a follower that a piece I painted helped them love something about themselves. Or watching someone flip through prints and grin as they exclaim, “she looks just like me” with a huge grin on their face. This is a sentiment I know Erika shares which is why I was drawn to her work. Her blog post 10 Reasons to Fall in Love with Boudoir Photography sums it all up pretty perfectly. Particularly “7 – You get to see yourself from someone else’s perspective”.

In fact, I put so much of my energy into making sure others see the beauty in themselves that I have let my own self-empowerment practices slip by the wayside. Especially in coming to terms with the body I have now. The body that often needs a cane and is stuck in bed most of the time. Or is covered in physio tape, and needs light filtering glasses that hide my cute makeup look. It’s still my body. It still deserves love.

So, I decided to put it in Erika’s capable hands. To let her body positive art love my body, the way mine loves others.

BOY was it worth it.

Even just having what felt like a grown up dress up date to look forward to! Then came shoot day. A day of self pampering, looking gorgeous, AND having someone cheer for you every time they coax the exact photo they wanted out of you? YES, PLEASE! And at the end you’re left with gorgeous photos to look back on that bottle that wonderful feeling. I hope my art gives people one tenth of that. I can’t wait for the next one! I’ll have to show off my cane.