I was very nervous announcing my new company, Cheeky Lady. I was afraid that I might offend some people, and I still find that is something on my mind. So I wanted to write a little on the subject.
As many of you know, I have some very strong feeling about pornography. In short, I feel it creates a less than human image of women. Instead of portraying individuals pornography displays body parts and the idea of sex, even when a face is in an image. This detachment creates so many issues, especially when combined with our societies self-made taboos of the human form and the all so natural (and essential to our species)act of sex. I can't bring myself to start writing about these issues, because this blog post would become a novel.
Cheeky Lady is not pornography, by my definition. Cheeky Lady photos do not have the disconnect that pornography has. A Cheeky Lady photos are for the Lady, and might be shared with her Lover. Cheeky Lady is so much more than photographs. Cheeky Lady is really about the experience. You get to feel like a super model!
About a week before a client has their Cheeky Lady photo shoot, I send them an email or give them call. In this conversation I talk to that client about what they can expect for the photo shoot, ask them if they have any ideas they want to incorporate. It is at this point I stop being a business person, and I talk to them as a woman. I tell them I know how in our society we have been told that we need to look a certain way, and as much as we hear that we shouldn't feel pressured... we do. I feel that way. I have talked to hundreds of other women who feel that way. But, I tell them it can be overcome. First you need to start looking your self in the mirror, and instead of picking your appearance apart (cause I know you do!), look yourself right in the eye, and say "You are beautiful. You are sexy. You are confident." And if those negative criticizing thoughts start up, forget them, say it again "I am beautiful. I am sexy. I am confident." Because, whether you know it or not, you are beautiful.
And that may sound like I am being insincere. But I am not. Everyone is beautiful, every single Woman. Not just from the inside either. We are all beautiful in different ways, and no way is superior to another. It is hard for me to explain that in way that other people understand... as is with many philosophy in my mind. Perhaps an example:
A woman may not have a look that would be on the cover of Vogue. However her mate sees her and although they can never express is quite right, they feel that she is the most beautiful woman in the world. (And if you are in a situation where that is not true, your mate is another victim to society, they know how much they love and admire you... but have warped standards. But can you blame them, when you probably have similarly warped standards. And to those women with mates that have bad intentions, and cruel words. You don't deserve that, you deserve someone who loves and appreciates you)
Skip ahead a week... A Cheeky Lady gets pampered. My clients usually treat themselves to a pedicure, a manicure, maybe a wax and hair cut and style, they get their make up done. All thing that they probably don't do for themselves on a regular basis (good for you if you do!!!). And then they have their photo shoot, and I am going to be honest. And I am going to tell them how beautiful they are. And I am going to help them so that they can have the most flattering pictures of themselves. My client start out nervous, but a few minutes into the shoot they always realize how good they look, and how awesome they feel, and the pictures are just amazing!!!
Perhaps because I grew up with art in my life, i learned to appreciate the human form for what it is... Art. Whether it is an Art of God or Science, or both... it is beautiful. And as a woman who grew up with a father who had a deep addiction to pornography, and who could not see women and people; I work hard to undo that damage in myself, and in other Women.
So I hope that those of you who have cared to read this, understand what I am doing. And hopefully you will try it for yourself at some point. Because it is so important to know you are beautiful. Because it isn't important what you look like, but it is so much easier to grasp that when you know you are beautiful!
(on a slightly related note, I am going to develop an Event with the same principles for young women... obvious they will not be in lingerie. But photo shoots that are fun, fashionable, and centered on making young women feel as beautiful as they are! I am still working out the branding bugs for this shoot... I like My Cheeky Lady brand, but I don't want any confusion!!!)
1 comment:
Miss ya! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
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