"I am small, but I am mighty. I am magnetic. I am multi-dimensional. I am genuine.
I make my own rules. I can do anything and so can you."
“This is a gift to myself. I want to love myself the way other people do.
I want to gain a sense of empowerment from this experience.”
“I have always tried to hide my body because I'm embarrassed by it. I never believed anyone when they say I look good. I try to put all my effort into my hair and face and just hide behind that.
I am a lively, bright, rainbow of a person inside but I'm trapped behind this fear of my body.
I want to break out of my comfort zone.
I spend every day hiding, I didn't really want to spend THAT day hiding.”
My boudoir photos make me feel empowered because they illuminate who I am.
Inside me, I have a fire and a light and a sparkle and those things get dulled and diminished sometimes. These photos show who I really am. You can see in my eyes that I am playful, and joyous, and sensual, and passionate. You know something about me before you even meet me.
How do I pick a favorite photo?! I would describe my current (it will probably cycle through several) favorite photos as: Sultry AF. It's dripping with desire. That photo is my favorite because of the chiaroscuro (that's right, I took Art History lol) with the shadows on my face and the light hitting my chest and my profile. The expression on my face and the movement in the feather make it electric.
I'll say it a hundred times: I got more out of my one day with Betsy than I have gotten out of five years of counseling. I left Betsy's house loving myself louder and louder.
It's been almost a month and I am still riding that euphoric wave!
One word that would describe my experience would be “powerful” because I truly felt like I could do anything. I felt like a superhero or a goddess.
How I felt that day and how I feel right now, that's real.
It doesn't have to go away just because time passes or just because I'm not dressing up and having my boudoir photos taken every day. I could feel the way I felt in those photos right now if I wanted to. I can do anything.
I am STRUTTING my stuff. When someone compliments me, I don't disagree and argue with them anymore. I thank them. Sometimes I even agree with them (respectfully of course)!
I have gained so much self-love.
SO MUCH self-love.
Has your boudoir session caused you to do anything differently in your life? Have you found that it’s carried over to other areas of your life?
My boudoir session in Michigan has caused me to approach things differently in my life.
I have tried things that I would have never had the confidence to try before. I attended a public, social event where you could wear as much or as little as you wanted and, before my session, I would’ve made sure I covered every “problem area” of my body. I would’ve essentially been in a snowsuit. I wore a form-fitting bodysuit and tights and not only did I not feel insecure—I felt powerful and sexy, just like I did in my session!
Yes, my thighs were thick and probably jiggling when I walked. Yes, my tummy wasn’t flat. I was still a goddess that night.
Since my boudoir session, I don’t look in the mirror and think, “I look sexy despite this part and this part of my body.” I think, “I look sexy. Full stop.” It’s funny because I would receive compliments from other people and I would think, “They’re just being nice to me, they’re just telling me that because they know it’ll make me smile.” But now I’m seeing myself the way others have seen me this whole time. It’s like I had blinders on or something and this session helped me shed those.
“I gained knowledge of how breathing can affect a photo and I’ve carried that into photos since. I shared my boudoir experience pretty publicly on my Facebook which consists of friends, family, and co-workers and I found by doing that, I inspired other women to make an appointment with Betsy. I also just inspired others to put themselves first for once.”
I really have been saying YES to myself more since my experience. I’ve focused more on self-care, I’ve gotten myself into therapy, I’ve allowed myself to try things I wouldn’t have had the confidence to try before.
Do you have any advice for babes who’ve been on the fence about booking a GRIT&GRACE shoot?
Make the appointment! You’re always going to come up with 100 reasons not to do something and you’re going to really limit yourself. Say YES to yourself. It’s not a gamble if it’s a sure thing and it’s a sure thing!! You’re going to be thankful for this experience.
“I'd love to do this every year. It was so important in my journey of self-acceptance and self-love. This was so much more than just a boudoir photoshoot!”
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