I have a body, I am female and I matter

You may have noticed that we live in a world that often prioritizes the male perspective and male bodies.

We live in a nation that has only ever elected male presidents. 

You might take a pharmaceutical drug that was only ever tested on male bodies.

You might buckle up with a seatbelt that was only ever tested for safety with male-sized and male-proportioned crash-test dummies.

In many, many ways, we live in a world where the male body is the default and the female body is the exception to the rule.

We also live with a steady drip of beauty standards for female bodies that prioritizes thinness and youth above all else.

Beauty models and messages that have convinced women that the smallest version of themselves is the best version of themselves.

We also find ourselves in a world that is up to our eyeballs in technology.

Zoom meetings, AI generated artwork, virtual reality and online chat groups are ubiquitous and in many cases have replaced what used to be IRL “in real life” experiences and communities, where our body was present in the same place as our mind.

With this potent combination of a male-first world, unrealistic beauty standards and a tech dominated life.

It no wonder that many women view their experience in a female body as uncomfortable and disorienting.

It is no surprise that many women feel as if they are engaged in an all-out war with their body.

That many women view their bodies as something to be conquered or deprived.

Women often feel apart and separated from and often deep shame from their bodies.

Many of us have become disconnected from the tactile, concrete experiences that connect our bodies and our spirits.

Many women have lost touch with what it means to joyfully exist in a human body.

Many women believe that if their body must be small to be valuable, then their self must also be small.  They must play small, act small and be small to be worthy of love or success.

My mission is to help women feel confident and empowered in their own bodies. 

To feel integrated and connected to the human experience of existing in a female body. 

And then to carry that integrated power into all areas of their lives. 

To feel confident to stand up and show up in big ways.

Hearing that this is my lofty mission, it may surprise some of you then to learn that I’m in the business of boudoir photography.

What is boudoir?

“Boudoir” is a fancy French word that means a woman’s bedroom.

But for me at the Chicago Boudoir Photography studio, boudoir means a Victoria’s Secret style photo shoot experience for the everyday woman.

Boudoir is an opportunity for women to come to my photo studio and create a gallery of images of themselves in a sensual way - artistic depictions of their body in a sheer dress, lingerie or fully nude. 

And over the past few years, I have had the privilege of photographing more than a thousand fabulous women at my studio.

So what does boudoir have to do with women claiming their power and feeling at home in their bodies?

You might be thinking: “Isn’t lingerie about voyeurism? And about presenting the female body for male consumption?”

Let me tell you about Adrian who came to the studio recently for a boudoir photoshoot. She emailed me a few weeks later and told me that the confidence she felt from her photoshoot gave her the courage to leave an abusive relationship after suffering for many years.

Or about Sarina who told me that the newfound excitement that she had recently infused her 27 year marriage - an exciting newness and fresh spark.

And Carmen who told me that feeling more connected to her body and feminine power gave her the courage to bring a child into this world.

And Marta who felt emboldened to take a leap of faith with a new job opportunity overseas.

It can be really hard to BE what you can’t SEE

And when you see yourself as the confident, powerful goddess that you are - you can start to be that.

Boudoir is my way of helping women integrate their bodies and their souls.

Boudoir is an act of celebrating you, just as you are, right now.

Boudoir is a way to record your body as the work of art that it is.

Boudoir says, “I am powerful, I am human, I am female and I matter”

I know that an afternoon at my boudoir studio might not seem like it will change the world.

But women who claim their bodies and their power and who stand up with confidence will always light the world on fire.