Strength Embodied
by Kari Vanderburg
I appreciate the pleasures my body accords me, the way it moves with other bodies, the unity between my it and my emotions that makes me feel whole and connected. I love that I can taste pad thai and smell lilac and orange peels and receive magic via vibrations through the folds in my ears. My scars form a partial map of my history; tracing their parallel paths reminds me that my flourishing branches needn't mirror the roots from which they've sprouted, and that joy still emanates from behind the veil of the body's lachrymose inscriptions. - Ashia
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I used to hate my body. Hate it. Because of this I made a lifestyle change and lost 35 pounds and that's when I realized it didn't change anything. Just because I am "skinnier" now people don't treat me any differently, men don't treat me any differently, and society stills tells me I have unrealistic ideals to match. - Emily
I view my body as beautiful even if the meaning of beautiful for me is different from others' definition. I embrace my natural cycles and let my hair grow. This is my own agenda but I think that it is ridiculous that many girls grow up viewing hairless-ness as beauty. - McKenzie
I love my toes! They are long and often hairy. They look like my grandfather's toes. I enjoy walking through campus on the warm bricks and accidentally getting leaves stuck in them. They are very emotive. I started realizing this soon after I began dating my partner, Thomas. We would be in the shower together, he would kiss me and I would start "snapping" them on the smooth echoing white ground. We both soon realized that they are a window into how I am feeling and I love any opportunity to express myself! - Rebecca
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Recently I was in a pretty serious climbing accident and broke my back and foot. I appreciate how much my body has been able to heal in the past 7 months. What my body has been through and where it is now still mesmerizes me! The healing process seems to take forever and I am (and will probably never be) as strong as I was before I got hurt. - Zoe
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Strength Embodied began as an act of resistance against the unrealistic representation of women in the media. Why, I wondered, are images of women heavily altered before they are considered beautiful? Why are we constantly being told by society that we need to improve our appearances to be happy, loved, successful? My own battle with anorexia ultimately opened my eyes to the epidemic of low self-esteem in young women. I realized there were stories that needed to be told and myths to be dispelled. The name Strength Embodied comes from the bravery of these women who have bared their skin and their souls to the world. They inspire me.
For Comments and Questions [email protected] A huge thank you to Jolie and Jon at Bell Tower Studios for their generous donation of space for this project! |