"I appreciate my body, my skin, and its scars that tell a story"
Model Beatriz Komor | Photographer Marcola Santos
Take us back to the moment you decided “This is my body and I love it”. What led you to this point?
The moment I decided that I should love my body more was when I heard from friends that my body had changed, but I was still the same person. That sentence didn't make sense, because it was always me and not the way others saw me. That phrase hurt me and made me spend some time distant and ashamed to go out. So a good friend told me to look deeper and listen to my heart instead of absorbing mean criticism.
How do you showcase body positivity in your creative work?
I see the body as music, its lines and textures as a score, and its shape as a frequency, resulting in the work of art that would be you as a whole.
Model Pyro Little
Photographer J "Slim" Robertson
Creative Camp Studio
Who are some of your influences when it comes to body image and body positivity?
Ren Hang's work inspires me, due to its uniqueness, aesthetics, and lack of censorship. Photographer Michael Aboya, on the other hand, brings in his images something that refers to poetry, about the freedom to be happy.
What helps you to feel comfortable in your skin?
What helps me to feel good about myself is listening to good music, sleeping well, and always dreaming of better days. But in a poetic way, which helps me a lot, is photographing and creating with people who live my reality.
When you find yourself critiquing your body in front of the mirror, what positive words of affirmation do you tell yourself?
When I'm in front of the mirror, thinking things that make me feel bad, right away I say out loud: I'm much bigger than this suffering, I'm a beautiful song with verses from a lifetime. Then I smile again.
What do you appreciate about your body, unrelated to appearance?
I appreciate my body, my skin, and its scars that tell a story, making me feel nostalgic.
What does a positive body image mean to you?
A positive body image gives me strength, as it shows that many people are loving themselves more, and the world is becoming less sick. This helps motivate me to create more and contribute to a less sick world.
For the critics of the body positive moment, what message do you send them?
For critics, I say only one thing: Life is not standard, so let everyone live their happiness, according to their needs.
What advice would give someone struggling to love their body?
The advice I give to anyone who struggles to love their own body is to listen more to your heart and less external influence from people who don't live your reality■
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