plan your photo playdate
you may have read these words from me before:
a woman tries on many versions of herself. the day that she finds the one that is a perfect fit? that is the day that everything changes.
i still believe these words. the you that fits perfectly is the one that reflects your core, your ethos, your drive and your dreams. she is the one that just feels right — no tailoring required.
but that doesn’t mean she looks and feels the same every day. our trust that she will show up each and every day, though, means we can brave enough to explore everything that she can do and be.
and so i suggest you consider a day of playing dress up, grown up style.
as little girls, we don’t know that purple doesn’t go with yellow or that it’s weird to wear a crown to school. we just know our purple dress with our yellow tights, topped off with that sparkly crown, is the perfect outfit for school and we know in our hearts that we are amazing and powerful and indeed we might just wear the whole get up to bed too.
happily, grown ups can play dress up too. and there happens to be a really great way to do just that.
many women arrange “boudoir” photo shoots to gift their partners. i know this because i did just that — but armed with dresses I loved and the good luck to find a woman photographer who made me feel great about being quirky and silly, I found out that a photo shoot is a really great gift to give you. by the end of the shoot, I didn’t have a single boudoir shot. instead I had a day of sheer fun and play. just as importantly, I had a ton of photos that let me see, well, me. the powerful me that I hadn’t known was so powerful, the funny me that I hadn’t known was so funny, the introspective me that I hadn’t known was so introspective.
that’s not to say boudoir shots can’t be a gift to you too. i haven’t done it yet (I enjoy dress up too much), but I can easily imagine how going bare is a wonderful way to enjoy one’s own body, to explore how it moves when it’s moving not for anyone else except for me. maybe it’s feeling sultry. or maybe it wants to do a cartwheel.
so for your next birthday, or holiday, or even your next tuesday, I hope you consider playing dress up (or dress off, as it were).
a few suggestions:
find a photographer that you (1) feel really comfortable with and (2) who is equally talented at bringing out the authentic you as they are at creating the images that scream you. check out their websites but make sure to chat with them too. is this someone you want to play dress up with?
create a playlist that you love and makes you want to move. play it loud. and then turn up the volume.
treat yourself to a makeup artist if you can. feeling your most beautiful is really fun too.
enjoy being you. dance. swing your arms and blow kisses to the camera. wear purple and yellow plus a crown if that’s your thing.
remember: this is a gift to you.
* if you happen to live in or near New York City, check out Catherine Leonard at http://www.celimages.com. she created all the photos here and is a lovely person. she introduced me to parts of me that I’m not sure i would have found on my own.
And if you are facing a moment of frustration, fear or failure? Well, a great photographer can take those emotions and, with a bit of luck and your willingness to be just you, create an image that makes you think: “exactly! I can’t describe all my swirling emotions, but this photo is exactly how I feel.” Is it the photo you use for your holiday card? No. But it may well be the photo that inspires you to move beyond the moment. The photo that gives you the clarity to pursue change.
#nextchapterbegins #thefutureiswaiting #thenextyou #lifepart2 #seeyou
