Last weekend I hung out with Melodie Jeng and she shot these beautiful natural light portraits of me at her apartment.
It’s a little bittersweet for me because now that I’m not using Photoshop to edit my skin anymore, I have to accept every photo for what it is, and looking at these I realize just how imperfect my skin is and will always be.
But trying to embrace these photos is helping me on my path towards self acceptance.
This is EXACTLY what I looked like at this EXACT moment in time and there’s nothing I could have done otherwise.
I think Melodie beautifully captured me.
She wanted the photos to be serious. When I smiled she told me to stop smiling, which only made me smile more.
It’s like telling a kid not to push the red button.
I was really hungry. I’m probably staring longingly at the Starbucks across the street.
(because to me, a Starbucks decaf vanilla soy latte = food)
OM NOM NOM NOM NOM
Anyways, I hope you all have a magical Halloween tonight.
I absolutely hate Halloween because I usually end up at some crappy party dressed like a fool when I’d rather just be in bed eating Starbucks.
Be safe tonight, love yourselves, be kind to yourselves, and eat SO MUCH CANDY!
HOTPANTS LOVES YOU!
LATER DUDES,
XX-HOTPANTS
Since overcoming Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder, Dana Suchow has become an expert in the field of body image and eating disorder prevention. Offering a nonclinical and holistic approach, Dana will teach you how to put your child on a path towards body love, empowerment and self-acceptance.
You’re more beautiful without photoshop in my opinion, cause I think it’s the imperfections (what a silly word!) that create uniqueness and that is what makes a person interesting and real. :)
Stay positive and have a great Halloween, be it in bed or at a party :D
Love,
Verena
Thank you so much for your constant love and support Verena. Reading your comments help me get through days when I’m not feeling so great about myself. Sending you hugs and kisses !!!!!
:*
LOVE YOU and LOVE this natural light series! I see nothing but the beautiful, effervescent DANA in these pictures. MOAR MOAR MOAR.
I wish I was there right now to give you a huge hug for this. Love you Viv. To the moon! <3 <3 <3
You are amazing. An authentic woman, putting it out there, all the good, the bad and the in between that makes up life as we know it. You just gave me the strength to get out if bed and just be who I am. It’s been a struggle.
So, thank you, with all the appreciation I can offer.
Lisa
Lisa, I’m so happy to hear this. I hope you can find the strength to get out of bed everyday and love yourself for who you are. If you’re ever feeling terrible, reach out to me on social media. I might take a while getting back to you, but I can direct you to some really great body positive stuff online. ALso there’s some really great TED talks I would recommend. Here’s one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-HYZv6HzAs&feature=youtu.be
Thank you encouragement. I will keep being honest with myself and my readers. sending you love!!!!!
Love these photos!! The final image is so different to anything you’ve shared before. I tweeted you a link to a TEDx talk on peoples’ perceptions go themselves in front of a camera and after reading your blog it seems even more pertinent. In the talk they suggest people should read out and finish the following statement: “I am a person who…”. If you did this Dana then you’d have SO many positive things you could say about the person you are. You would never say “Hi, I am a person with imperfect skin”. Not ever.
When people visit your blog they don’t view and think “her skin isn’t great”, no, they think “wow she looks great” or “her eyebrows are perfect” or “look at (all) her hair, it’s fabulous” or “she has a really fantastic smile” or they’ll read your text and realise that you have a beautiful mind. Like I said to you the other day, spots just can’t compete with everything else you have to offer.
You and anyone else can watch the talk here: http://youtu.be/oYJCDYNsL6A
on peoples’ perceptions OF themselves* – autocorrect fail.
BEST…TED TALK….EVER
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <# <3<3<##<#<3<3,3<#<#<#,# ;)
You look so strong and lovely in this pics, thanks for sharing them au naturel!
aww thank you!!!! appreciate the comment so much!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3