I Don’t Empower You — Evansville Indiana Boudoir Photographer

Can we talk about empowerment today?

During your 1-1 consult call before your session, I often ask what makes you feel empowered. The answers I get span from doing a good job at work and accomplishments to putting on a cute ass outfit and feeling good about body image. I love hearing what makes my clients feel empowered because it’s so different for everyone, and let’s be real… during your session, I am not empowering you. I couldn't possibly. I can (and will!) help you feel empowered, and I’ll celebrate you and hype you up and remind you how amazing you are just as you are. But empowerment is about you.

Only you hold the power to control your life. Read that again. You hold the power to control your life. You are the only person who can empower you; all I do in my work is remind you of your innate strength and power. That's it. You make the choice to schedule a session, you make the choice to show up and do something for yourself, and you take control of your confidence after you leave the studio. I’m so lucky to have the opportunity to be by your side throughout your journey with self love and self confidence, but you’re in the driver’s seat. Not me.

I don’t empower you; you are empowering you.

It's up to you do to things that make you feel empowered, whatever that may be. Maybe it's moving your body, putting on makeup, wearing your hair natural, taking off your clothes, putting clothes on, practicing a new language, playing an instrument... it's really endless.  Empowerment is all about your independence, freedom, and autonomy. It's about building your confidence and doing things that remind you of your strength.

Maybe that next step on your journey is with a boudoir session. (My fingers are crossed!) In my studio, we celebrate all that you are, and you’re encouraged to take up space. It’s alllllll about you, and you have the freedom to be exactly who you are. There’s no judgement, only acceptance and a ton of celebration. That’s the magic of the boudoir experience that I offer.

Boudoir isn’t just about having great photos of yourself. It’s about the experience of embodying all of who you are and being celebrated for it. Doing something that makes you feel empowered.

I find that to be true for myself, too. I unlock a new level of myself and my confidence each time I get in front of the camera. After years of introspection and doing the work to love myself and my body, I’m finally beginning to get to a place where I love and accept my body more consistently. I’m doing things to care for my body that I thought I might never do. (Like eating breakfast! I had no idea that would ever be a priority for me.)

The most recent boudoir session I had was different than any I’ve done in the past. Of course the photos were amazing, but what was even more amazing was how the experience empowered me and helped change my mindset. Something about investing in myself, showing up for myself, and going through with this one small act of self love while accepting and celebrating myself and my body helped push me over the edge.

After wanting so desperately to change my body for so many years, this boudoir session pushed me over the edge to a place of acceptance.

Some days I love my body and feel like the baddest bitch who walks the earth, but the real success is in the bad days. The bad days used to be filled with thoughts about how I could change my body the fastest and thinking about how maybe plastic surgery would help me love myself. But now? I don’t have days of these thoughts anymore. Now when I have days where my body image isn’t at a 10/10, it doesn’t affect my life. I’m finally to a place where I can shut down the negative self talk, hold space for myself and care for myself, and move along with my day. I don’t have days and days of hating my body anymore. And I never thought I’d be able to say that.

I only know one thing to be true: this self-love journey is never ending. I will never get to the “end” of this and say, yep I made it! It’s valleys and hills and it fluctuates forever. Our journeys with self-love and our bodies aren’t linear, and are constantly changing and evolving, just like we are. Boudoir has empowered me, but the reality of it was that I was able to empower myself through boudoir. And my journey has given me peace in my body and gratitude for all that I am and all that I can give back to the world, and I hope that your journey brings you those things as well.

Did you enjoy this post?

I would love to have you in the studio so you can have an experience like this for yourself! Whether you’re all in and ready to go, need some more info before we get started, or are on the fence and want to talk things through before you commit – I’m here for ya! Click here to get in touch!