The Scars We Bare
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When it comes to Boudoir Photography it is no secret that your body becomes the canvas for your portraits. To many women, the idea of being stripped down and vulnerable is intimidating!! Throw in some physical and/or emotional scars and it can be so easy to talk yourself out of an empowering boudoir session. Before you travel down that mental road, let’s acknowledge your concerns and talk about what is really holding you back. If you missed our blog post from last month, we talked about Embracing The Imperfections and this is no different!
So let’s talk about the scars we all bare. . .
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The Scars We See
Scars are unique! Although we typically don’t ask for them. . . they are, without a doubt, part of us every day and serve as some chapter in our story. Maybe you’ve had them since you were a child or found them as a necessity when you brought your child into this world. Learning to accept your physical scars is something that is ever-growing. You may think about it every day or be reminded of it by seeing yourself in the mirror or in a photo. I personally feel that sometimes our scars are not necessarily “ugly” all by themselves, but the story attached to it can be where the ugliness comes from.
My mom would be the first to tell you that “no one is looking at you that close.” It is just so easy to look at yourself under the microscope to find flaws. Especially in this modern age where we have GREAT cameras on our phones! What my mom says may not completely change your insecurities but here is the deal, the scars are there and it’s really something you cannot change. What CAN change is how you look at yourself in the mirror. Take a step back, maybe even 6ft back from the mirror, and look at all of you.
How can these scars be the reason why you are holding yourself back from loving and appreciating yourself?
There is so much more to you than the imperfection you analyze on your body. The stories we have been relentlessly rehearsing to ourselves behind the scars whether they are even true or not have a tremendous effect on our moods and mindsets. We need to give our scars more compassion and gratitude. It is amazing how well we can heal from the physical trauma our bodies have endured. Our scars should be worn proudly and honored for the life that they sustain.
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The Scars We Don’t See
We all carry emotional pain, what we may not realize is our pain and fears are also tied to our self-esteem. It can be natural to tuck away our emotional scars because it’s just too easy to hide them. We hide behind our “highlight reel” on social media, we avoid triggers to our emotional trauma, and constantly downplay how much of an impact these traumas have masked our lives. Our emotional scars can cause just the same amount of insecurities as the physical scars. Traumas from past relationships or even your childhood can hold you back from loving and accepting yourself. The physical reminder may not necessarily be there but those same thoughts can still chatter in the back of your mind.
Much like our physical scars, our emotional scars also deserve compassion and perhaps even need to be explored with love and curiosity. When our emotional wounds are reopened because of a trigger, this is actually a great opportunity to explore yourself and the root cause for your reaction. Maybe it stems from a deeply hidden insecurity or abuse. Perhaps now is the time to sit in your emotions and be truly vulnerable with yourself. Fuel the flame of growth and healing by taking your power back from those who have selfishly stolen it.
Are the emotional scars holding you back from getting to know yourself in a more deep and meaningful way?
Insecurities and thoughts of worthlessness can certainly be hard to shake. Having a pivotal moment of then and now can greatly improve your mindset. Have accountability over your emotions and give up the narrative of suffering and mark an ending of a chapter, with a start of a new you. We cannot undo what has been done and nor do we want to. The lessons learned from your emotional scars can strengthen you because they show that you have lived a purposeful life and have gained great wisdom.
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A boudoir session takes a great deal of vulnerability and bravery. Whether you have physical scars or emotional scars or both, a boudoir session is an opportunity to see the beauty that has always been there. Trusting in a boudoir professional is essential to making your experience life-changing. If you are looking for a boudoir photographer consider these 5 essential qualities your photographer must have to avoid disappointment.