EMPOWERED - 003

So, we’re back with another installment of ‘Empowered’, the series where I interview a bunch of incredible women about their bodies, why they love them, why they don’t and then turn each of them into a gorgeous painting inspired by what they’ve shared.  

I hope you’re enjoying this series so far; it’s been so eye-opening for me. Here’s Episode Three of ‘Empowered’.  

What do you love about your body? 

I love my figure, it’s something I can control by going to the gym and I love how strong it is. It’s also something I can see I let go but gain back control. My body is often a reflection of the season of life I'm in. 

What are you most insecure about and why? 

I am most insecure about my skin. I've had issues with eczema and acne so have never felt like it does what it’s meant to do and brought me most pain. 

What colours do you associate with yourself? 

The first colours that come to mind are soft pastels. I am gentle and soft, which I often see as a weakness but actually is beautiful. Just like pastel colours are, they’re the soft versions of powerful and loud colours. 

What is your best non-physical feature? 

My creativity. It’s something that comes naturally and brings me so much joy. I am learning and growing in it and love that I'm able to do so.  

What made you want to get involved in this project? 

I'm excited about this project and to see what comes out of it. I love Amelia’s paintings and trust anything she creates will be beautiful and speak louder than words. 

This lovely lady shared the most wonderful answers, I love the way she spoke about herself so gently. I had a lot of fun with this painting and we chose the colour scheme together so it was exactly what she wanted. Thank you for sharing another side with me, and thank you again for trusting me with this painting! 

EMPOWERED - 002

Welcome back to ‘Empowered’, the series where I interview my incredible female clients about their relationship with their bodies, in the hope to spread a lot of love and encourage you all to love the skin you’re in. Thanks for coming back, this one’s a good one x 

This interview was incredibly eye-opening for me, I totally related to it and it changed my own perception of my body. Not only that, I think I want to be this lovely ladies’ best mate because doesn’t she sound awesome x 

This is exactly why I do what I do, to help people fall in love with their bodies a little more and to be able to feel confident in their own skin. Thank you for trusting me to paint you, (I know you’ll be reading this) and thank you for sharing your journey with us - I know you’re going to help someone out there. 

I hope you enjoy reading this one. Thank you for all the continued support, you guys really are the best. I'm really loving this project so far and it seems you guys are too which makes me super, super happy <3 

What do you love most about your body? 

I love my curves, I love my bum, I love my hands, I love my eyes, I love my boobs. Thankful to be at a point where I'm really a fan of how my body looks and I love the things it can do for me and the possibilities that come with having it. 

What are you most insecure about and why? 

If you asked 20-year-old me I would have said ‘the cellulite on my legs’ or ‘my chunky arms’ or ‘my big nose’ - I had a list of things I hated and wished I could change. As I've gotten older, I've learnt to love and appreciate all the external things and I'm actually more insecure about the internal and the workings of my body as that dominates the relationship I have with my body in general. I still have wobbly days about the way I look but it’s always temporary. I'm a type 1 diabetic so my body doesn’t do the stuff it should and over the years the insecurity has meant me secretly injecting insulin in toilets so people wouldn’t stare or ask questions, hiding my chronic illnesses from dates so conversation didn’t get too heavy or serious, not looking after myself properly to make myself seem/feel normal. This insecurity has made my relationship with my body a complicated one as it’s had a negative impact. Surface level I'm happy with now but beyond is where I struggle. 

What is your best non-physical feature? 

I think my ability to always try and be compassionate and kind. I’m that person that you can text and will come running any time with a giant dairy milk and gin if you’re having a shit time. I love making people happy and seeing them having a good time which drives how I treat and interact with people – like I could have known you for 5 minutes or my whole life and I will try and put a smile on your face in any circumstance. 

What made you want to get involved with this project? 

Firstly, because I've been following your page and your art journey for a while and I love what you’ve been creating, you’re smashing it! And then I thought it might help me think a bit harder/deeper about my body and what I actually appreciate about it. Like I'm not shy at all when it comes to the physicality of my body, I will happily get naked in front of anyone (within reason obviously) but I need to learn to embrace every single piece of me and I'm not quite there yet but on the right path. Hoping this can nudge me in the right direction. 

 What colours do you associate with yourself? 

I think because I'm quite a mellow person and a bit introverted. I would say orange/brown. Like I'm a warm person but it can take some getting to know me before you get a sense of who I am. 

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Welcome to my new project! I’ve been working on this for a while and it’s finally time to share it with you!  

I’ve never understood why nude art is sexualised, at the end of the day, it is literally just art. I get that we don’t all walk around naked for a reason, but there is literally no reason to get offended by a painting of some boobs, half of us have them after all.  

But if you’re still asking why, I do this because I'm trying to teach women to be proud of their bodies, to love their bodies and to feel empowered in their bodies. I could never explain the feeling when someone tells me that my art has helped them to love themself a little more, or that they finally got to wear that dress they love because they felt more confident after seeing my work. It's bloody incredible that I get to work with such amazing ladies and I am so proud that this is my career.  

In this new project, I'm going deeper than just painting. I'm learning about my clients and the relationship they have with their body, asking them why they feel the way they do and trying to break the stigma that we should all look a certain way – whilst keeping them anonymous so they have a safe place to share all of this. I really hope you take something from this, I've already learnt so much. 

Last year, my Mum asked me why I've never painted myself after dedicating my career to painting other women, and to be honest, it’s because I never had the confidence to have a go at it myself. Completely ironic I know.

So, now it’s my turn and I'm telling you it’s me, so you know that even I struggle sometimes with my body, but also maybe to inspire some of you to look in the mirror and point out something you love. 

Thanks for being here! 

EMPOWERED 001 - AMELIA 

What do you love most about your body? 

I want to say my eyes because I think they’re a pretty colour, but in the context of this project, that answer is entirely unhelpful. I guess I never really look in the mirror and point out things that I love about myself, I’m now realizing we should all be doing this more because everyone should be able to answer this question without having to think about it.  

I think I'm going to have to say my legs. They’ve taken me to some pretty cool places and they’re really strong. They’ve also handled some pretty mental fashion choices over the years, so for that and a few other things, I am proud of these legs.  

What are you most insecure about and why? 

My body doesn’t work the way in which it should and often I really hate that. When I was fifteen, I fell quite ill out of the blue, I woke up one day and my legs just wouldn’t hold me up because they were in so much pain, I was sick from the pain and I couldn’t understand it. I was fit, I was healthy, yet there I was lying on my bathroom floor completely immobile.  

After 8 months of tests and countless trips to the hospital, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness called Fibromyalgia. I’d never even heard of it before, I had no idea you could be sick in that way, let alone so young. There are hundreds of symptoms, I won't bore you with them all but here’s a few to help you understand what it’s like: extreme tiredness, constant pain, hypersensitivity, brain fog, memory loss, hair loss, mental illness, insomnia and one long constant headache. These are just a few I've dealt with this week, or am dealing with as I write this. Fibro is also chronic, so it looks as though it’ll be sticking around for a while.  

Right, now that’s out there, back to the question. I'm insecure because my body doesn’t work how it should. My central nervous system got confused a while ago and now I'm living with the consequences. You would never look at me and know I was sick, 99% of the time it is completely invisible, yet somehow, I feel like everyone can see it. This is my biggest insecurity. When people look at me, I feel like they can see right through my skin to the confusion in my brain on a bad day or literally see the pain running through my arms and legs. I don’t even see it, but I really feel like people can see right through me.  

I spend 90% of my time wearing tracksuits that are three sizes too big for this exact reason (it also hurts to wear clothes sometimes, so the bigger the better). I want to change this; I want to learn how to be proud of my body for persisting despite the pain and I want to feel strong when I look in the mirror.  

You might be glad to know that now, five years later, I've learnt (and am still learning) how to manage it. So, it’s rare I spend too much time lying on the bathroom floor immobile these days.  

What is your best non-physical feature? 

I've got a lot of love to give and I'm also bloody strong. I don’t admit that often but I am. Despite everything, I still show up every day with a big, cheesy smile on my face. I’m grateful for this strength, I don’t know where it comes from but I sure as hell wouldn’t still be here without it.  

What colour do you associate with yourself? 

I've asked a few of my favourite people to help me out with this one.  

Mum said green because I'm calm and laid back, yellow because I'm happy (most of the time) and pink because of my passion for art. Dad said red for the days when I'm hurting, and yellow because when I'm not hurting, I’m yellow. My brother said bright colours because they remind him of my art. My boyfriend said pink because it’s bright, and also my favourite colour. My cousin said purple because it’s passionate .  

I asked two of my best friends, one said orange because I have this raucous pair of orange trousers that I used to wear all the time, I love that this is what he thought of first. The other said warm colours and pink because I'm fiery and feminine. 

Before you start thinking I did this to boost my ego, I promise I didn't, these colours are going to be important for this painting. 

…

I’ve worked with a lot of women and they’re all so inspiring. It fills me with so much happiness when they see their painting and they say it makes them feel strong or beautiful or feminine or proud. I love that so many people trust me to do this job and I'm so excited to work with more of you. You've all inspired me to start my journey to loving my body, it would be hypocritical for me not to after all. So, thank you for trusting me, but also giving the confidence to have a go at this myself. You're all legends and I'm lucky to know you. 

Love always, 

Amelia x