Christina
What places on your body do you hope to see differently?
The places on my body I hope to see differently are definitely my thighs and butt. I have a couple stretch marks and cellulite and I feel they are the biggest parts of my body. When I look at myself in the mirror, I always have loved my stomach, my arms, and my back, and even my feet; but, my thighs tend to bring me down. So I just want to embrace them and love them no matter what they look like. I feel they are too big, and I constantly wish there was more of a gap between my legs, and I was less wide.
How do you react, what happens, when you see these parts of your body negatively?
When I see my thighs and butt negatively, I definitely feel bad about myself, and think I need to be training harder, or feel bad about eating so much candy and ice-cream. But I love it so much that I then don’t care. It’s very conflicting. Because I want to look “good,” whatever good and perfect is? But I love the sweets!
Who would you be if you really loved your body?
If I REALLY loved my body for how it is, no matter what, I feel I would be unstoppable. I am already sooooo comfortable in my skin, so no one really knows that I shame myself at home. I’m a "secret shamer," and it doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it’s intense. If I see a picture of myself where I feel I look fat, or wide, I start to tell myself so many negative things, and the negative self-talk starts. But, if I truly loved myself in public and in private, I would so happy, and in love with myself!
What hopes do you have that would arise when other people see these images? When you see this images?
My hope when people see these images is that I will be completely free and confident within revealing my vulnerability. When I first saw this project, I told my friend Allie about it because she is very into loving herself, and self love, and positive body image and I thought it was perfect for HER… but not me. Then I realize this project is perfect for ALL women, all shapes and sizes. Because although society might look at me as a woman with a “great body” I sometimes don’t see myself that way. And I realized I was hiding and not really being true to myself. And that I too have been shamed. There have been photographers who have told me to suck it in, or fix this, fix that, and maybe even some castings. In this world of entertainment there is always someone who thinks you’re “not good enough” and it is up to us to truly love ourselves no matter what!
