As You Are

Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be As a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy

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From the Butch series, by Meg Allen. Gender non-conforming women posted every Sunday :)

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Love Your Body - Radiant Heart Healing Arts

Loving your body isn’t the easiest thing to do. More often than not, it can be one of the most challenging journeys of a lifetime. Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. There are more souls than not out there who feel the ache of wishing their body was something different; different size, different shape, different color, you name…

“You, the perfectly imperfect expression of your unique and beautiful-self, are deserving of friendship, love, peace, acceptance, sweet thoughts and gentleness just as you are. Your body is a magical vehicle that will carry you through this life, it does so much for you and it too deserves to be considered with compassion.”

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"One of the most radical things women can do is love their body. The truth of the matter is, every moment we spend worrying about our bodies, and not necessarily taking care of them, somebody is figuring out how to take money away from the poor, destroy the environment, drill, frack, burn, rape and violate women, and we’re not paying attention. Be radical: Love your body!” --Eve Ensler

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Nothing in nature blooms all year... Be patient with yourself. 

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“Be you. Believe in yourself.”

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“I feel like I have a responsibility to my community and other young girls to help redefine what it looks like to be a woman. I don’t believe in men’s wear or women’s wear, I just like what I like. And I think we should just be respected for being an individual.” ~Janelle Monáe

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“Your inner wise self loves you unconditionally.” 

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“Be you. Find you. Be happy with that.” 

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“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” ~Oscar Wilde

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Dandy Queens - Black Attitude Magazine

New Editorial from Blackattitude Magazine Puts Spotlight On Stylish Sartorial Black Women.

Whether in real life or re-imagined through the pages of fashion magazines and on runways, we’ve seen black women don dandy menswear clothing and kill it - from the likes of Gladys Bentley, Ethel Waters, Stormé DeLarverie, and the stunning individuals in this vintage group portrait, to a young androgynous Naomi Campbell for Italian Vogue, Jeneil Williams walking the runway for Paul Smith’s Sapeur inspired collection, and of course, Janelle Monae.

Titled ‘Dandy Queens,’ French magazine Blackattitude and photographer Prisca M. Monnier visually channel this trend and culture, adding beautiful and elaborate hairstyles to the mix, put together by artist Nadeem Mateky.

Photographer: Prisca M. Monnier Stylist: Nafoore Qaa Models: Aurélie Lamalle, Marama Lee, Khady Diallo Hair: Nadeen Mateky Artistic Director: Catia Mota Da Cruz Shoot Coordinator: Vanessa Bul’An’Sung Makeup: Michaelle Pamphile

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Meg Allen is a photographer, adventurer and amateur philosopher. At the moment, she is freelancing in all aspects of photography and image making to fund her art habit. She is finishing her first major body of work called “BUTCH” for book release by 2016. She loves a good story and travels whenever the opportunity presents itself. She prefers freedom over stability and quality over quantity. She currently resides in Oakland, California.

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Imagine stepping into a lush forest of ancient trees, footfalls softened by lichen. The dappled sunlight reveals a clearing nestled in the heart of the forest. In the midst of it all is your inner wild woman. She beckons toRead more...

“Self-love is the foundation on which we build absolutely everything. Without it, we are more susceptible to the needy voices of our egos.When we step away from our ego mind and into a place of compassion, we allow our true selves to blossom. This means wholeheartedly accepting our desires and releasing what no longer serves us.”

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Meanings can shift.

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“honey, you don’t owe anyone a damn fucking thing.”

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What we are not, we each could be, and every woman is myself.

Sally Miller Gearhart; “The Wanderground, Stories of the Hill Women” (via hot-flanks)