Who I Am, What I Do
So, who the heck is this woman?
I'm a model and an advocate of positive body image and body acceptance, but before that, I'm a mother. Becoming a mother is actually what started my modeling and my push for the chance in societal beauty "norms". I grew up with terrible body issues. I was to heavy or too thin, too pale or too tan, my hair was too curly or I didn't straighten it enough. My mother, who is one of my biggest supporters, always reminded me that not only was I smart and beautiful, but I was my own person, yet it was hard to believe a lot of that when I saw someone as smart and beautiful as her wasting away because of an eating disorder. Her negative image of her own body affected me as a child, and even affects me today.
I love my mom, but I didn't want to be her. Even more than that, I didn't want my daughter to be me. I didn't want her to get support from someone who can't support their own self esteem, I didn't want her to let her peers judgement burrow into her mind, and I didn't want her to seek acceptance in...errr...unsavory places, like from older boys who will use flattery as a means of manipulation. How could I keep her from becoming me? By not becoming my mother (love you, mom!) and learning to love myself, flaws and all.
What do I do?
First and foremost, I'm a mother. My kids (daughter and a son on the way) will always come before anything else. When I get a break from the mommy gig, I do photo shoots with local photographers. This not only helps them build their portfolios, but it helps me build mine, while learning what works best for me, and makes me see my flaws. While that sounds pretty crummy (who wants to see their flaws?), it has helped me see that they are just as much a part of me as anything else, and they should be accepted. When I'm not doing that, I'm pushing people to love the body they have (flaws and all!), and trying to lift other women up rather than tearing them down, like what is so often seen. I want to help change the world, I want to make it more individual-friendly, I want to make the world a more accepting place for my children.
I'm a model and an advocate of positive body image and body acceptance, but before that, I'm a mother. Becoming a mother is actually what started my modeling and my push for the chance in societal beauty "norms". I grew up with terrible body issues. I was to heavy or too thin, too pale or too tan, my hair was too curly or I didn't straighten it enough. My mother, who is one of my biggest supporters, always reminded me that not only was I smart and beautiful, but I was my own person, yet it was hard to believe a lot of that when I saw someone as smart and beautiful as her wasting away because of an eating disorder. Her negative image of her own body affected me as a child, and even affects me today.
I love my mom, but I didn't want to be her. Even more than that, I didn't want my daughter to be me. I didn't want her to get support from someone who can't support their own self esteem, I didn't want her to let her peers judgement burrow into her mind, and I didn't want her to seek acceptance in...errr...unsavory places, like from older boys who will use flattery as a means of manipulation. How could I keep her from becoming me? By not becoming my mother (love you, mom!) and learning to love myself, flaws and all.
What do I do?
First and foremost, I'm a mother. My kids (daughter and a son on the way) will always come before anything else. When I get a break from the mommy gig, I do photo shoots with local photographers. This not only helps them build their portfolios, but it helps me build mine, while learning what works best for me, and makes me see my flaws. While that sounds pretty crummy (who wants to see their flaws?), it has helped me see that they are just as much a part of me as anything else, and they should be accepted. When I'm not doing that, I'm pushing people to love the body they have (flaws and all!), and trying to lift other women up rather than tearing them down, like what is so often seen. I want to help change the world, I want to make it more individual-friendly, I want to make the world a more accepting place for my children.