Hey babes, B here! I attended The Heart and Heat boudoir workshop, where they spoke about the power of stepping in front of the camera yourself in order to fully appreciate what a vulnerable and transformative experience it can be. I figured, fair enough – if I’m going to sing the praises of self love and ask you to strip down to your skivvies for your own liberating nudes, I better walk the walk.
I got home from the workshop and immediately opened my computer to Ashley Jackson’s website. I stared at the inquiry form for a good 20 minutes before filling it out, taking a deep breath, shooing away my self doubt, and pressing send.
I told myself I was booking it to have a first hand experience of what I would be asking of other women. But to be honest, that was only half of it – I needed to learn to see myself from the outside looking in, and appreciate what my body had carried me through over the last 10 months. I’ll just come out and say it – 2020 was a dumpster fire! I gained weight because my gym had to close, I wasn’t eating very well because I didn’t have the energy to cook nourishing meals, and my mental health hit an all time low – I was not feeling myself.
I was SO nervous. I started out with my inner critic whispering in my ear – “Are you sucking your stomach in?” and, “Do you think she can tell you’re sweating like crazy?!”.
But, something magical happened somewhere in those two hours, and by the end, I was feeling on top of the world – energized and exhilarated.
When I saw my images for the first time, I cried. How had I never seen myself like this before?! I looked like a freaking badass. It was best gift I could have given myself.
I have no ragrets. Not even one letter.
I love a good bath and face mask, but let me tell you – that is NOTHING compared to the self care of an empowerment photography session. And it brings my heart so much joy to be able to give this experience to other women.
May 3, 2021
Let's connect: @jessewilliamsdesigns
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