PROJECT #IWULT

[iwultohio]

We end this series of #iwokeuplikethis with this lovely woman here. One of my favorite photographs I've ever taken happens to be of my long-time friend, Ashley, my sista from anotha mista. I'm happy to have her be the end and the introduction into another series down the road. This photograph is proof that there is always growth in the process, that there are many beginnings and endings and they are constantly developing as long as you keep going. It is proof that this project has changed and shaped me, as much as I had hoped the project would change and shape the conversation we were bringing to the front lines.

A huge thank you to all the #iwult girls. You're all my hero's and I admire you. Next week there will be one last comment and I hope you'll all be a part of the discussion. For now, enjoy our 19th and final #iwult of this series:

"I was extremely self-conscious when I was younger, but that has faded as I have become much more in tune with myself. I know my imperfections, and I am okay with them. They don't necessarily make me self-conscious anymore.

Beauty can mean so much. It can be physical or metaphysical. I believe beauty is more about a feeling and less about an observation, unless, of course, it's an observation of feeling. Beauty is experiencing something and becoming so overwhelmed with joy that you can't help but smile or even laugh."

Ashley Davis

[iwultohio]

“The word beauty to me means both how you carry yourself on the inside and out. To me, beauty is nice, caring, and loving. 

It is important for me to be honest about my own beauty because I should not try to feel more confident than I should about the way I look, but also I should not bring myself down with the thoughts that I’m not pretty enough. Therefore, I need to be true to myself and not think of my beauty as any more or any less.”

Jessica Flower, age 14

[iwultohio]

"I feel like to honestly be happy with your looks, your life, anything, you have to have a happy heart. I feel that, that's what makes me beautiful now. It's the things I do for others that makes me feel beautiful, not how I look."

<3 <3 <3

Raia Presto

[iwultohio]

"I think it's important to be honest about your own beauty because when you see the beauty within yourself it shines through. The confidence in knowing your own beauty lets you have control of your life. I think it's important to not let society tell you you're anything less than because of your looks. I think to be honest about and to know your beauty empowers you to be unapologetically you."

Cody Hinkle

[iwultohio]

"You have to get to a place where you accept what you look like, embrace your own particular brand of beauty. It takes awhile... but it's important, otherwise, other people, other entities have too much power over you. Having a solid sense of self helps prevent people from selling you too much garbage."

Allyson Drinkard

YES.

ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION YET?

[iwultohio]

“I wanted to be a part of this project because I love the truth. Sometimes it’s good to know that everyone doesn’t wake up perfectly.”

Kaelan

[iwultohio]

"I think it's important to be honest with myself about my own becauty because I feel like it's another step forward in a struggling, personal journey to gain self respect, love. Because looking at yourself & saying so many negative things you believe them. Because it imporoves so many areas iin your life & within to be truly honest with myself about my own beauty... to be more comfortable in the soceity we can't escape, and also to be so confident & have the ability & strength to ignore judgement or comments. It builds strength in myself. I still am not honest to myself about it...." The quote continues ",but I try to be more aware & stop a negative thought & try to be real & loving to myself. Also because when you can openly show that confidence, I could only hope it would inspire other women to try & be more aware & respect & love themselves more, because they deserve it,e verybody deserves to love themselves honestly & to be loved. Being honest about my beauty to myself is one big leap toward's that!"

Also written: "I was thinking about how even if it's just a picture of my face, I never know what to do with hands, haha. How getting this photo today- instantly brought awareness [to] how many times we face a reflective object & feel forced, an obligation, mostly subcouncioulsy to take even a quick look at yourself & have some thought or judgement whether it be positive or negative."

Hannah Knapp

[iwultohio]

"It's important to be honest with yourself about your own beauty because it's one of the harder things to do... but I believe it's imperative to finding self-acceptance. To accept yourself is perhaps the only way to truly feel at peace with simply being. Happiness/being content only fully comes with that internal peace- money, things, people can only bring us a certain level of joy, but to be truly peaceful and happy in order to then project those things onto others, you have to feel and believe that in yourself. It can be a beautiful, reciprocal thing we can do for one another- feel and share a feeling of acceptance and peace."

Get it, girl.

[iwultohio]

"I wanted to be a part of this project because I feel like it's important to embrace who you are as a person. It's an admirable quality to be honest with yourself, since in this world there are too many fakers. People are afraid to expose who they really are, in fear of judgement. The moment you seize that and make it yours, nothing can hurt or stop you. And I think people forget about that strength they truly have locked away.

I think everyone is beautiful. It saddens me when people think they are not beautiful because of the norms society has placed on us. It makes us believe that we can't compare to others, who look like they would just exude rays of sunshine when they would awaken in the morning. But the truth is, the beauty is there. It's just hidden away. Bringing that beauty to light is empowering. It's comforting. It brings forth confidence and potential you never knew you had. So embracing that inner beauty is a true feat of strength, and I think it's so important to have."

Thank you, Lauren Svoboda <3

[iwultohio]

"So in Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig sleeps with a guy and the morning after before he wakes, she gets up and freshens up her face with makeup. She then goes back to bed so she'll look "beautiful" to him when he wakes up. I love that movie but society has really screwed up what beauty is. Beauty is being yourself and loving yourself for all that you are. Even in the morning."

[iwultohio]

“I think that we’re being so bombarded with beauty tips and beauty advertisements about how to make yourself ‘better’ but there’s not enough attention towards being comfortable just being yourself. It seems like being who you are naturally isn’t important. It’s like people expect you to be done up all the time and not living up to those expectations can feel really shitty.”

[iwultohio]

Sara didn't originally sign up for #iwokeuplikethis. She was in the bed sleeping while I took photos of her girlfriend and last weeks #iwult, Rosie. She ended up waking up and agreeing to being photographed right on the spot. You can't get a much more pure #iwokeuplikethis moment than this one. It was so awesome!

Thank you for making this happen, Sara! "Anything in the name of art, I guess," she said.

"I'm sure I don't look good, I still have yesterday's make up on. And I wasn't very clothed, so there was definitely a new level of vulnerability... I'm just glad I had clothes on period.

Usually depends on the night I've had. The older I get the more comfortable w/[with] myself I am. I know the person lying next to me loves me, so I wake up usually feeling pretty lucky."

[iwultohio]

“I don’t think I look as good as I probably would like to look in a portrait. But when it comes down to it, sometimes less is more.”

[iwultohio]

“I wanted to participate because I feel like the internet makes people feel insignificant. Especially the ‘I woke up like this’ trend. It’s strange to see people feel badly because others stage their lives online. I’m always trying to be ‘real’, but it’s never as easy to portray that as I’d like to think.”

Thanks for rocking, Jessica Conti! 

[iwultohio]

“I wanted to do this because I think I’m beautiful no matter what. I don’t need any make up to look beautiful. I stopped wearing make up awhile ago and I feel good. People see the real me. I see so many women that can’t even go to the store without getting dolled up. Usually when I get up, I put my hair up or put it to the side, brush  my teeth and walk out the door. When I get to work, my co workers say ‘aw you look so pretty Salina’ and I say ‘thanks, I truly woke up like this’ flawless.”

[iwultohio]

Guess what?! ‪#‎iwokeuplikethis‬ is making an early appearance today. So many people hate Monday's- here's a reason to like this one. Heck yah! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I asked each woman the same questions. 1. What do you think you look like in the portrait? 2. What do you say to yourself when you see yourself first thing in the morning? 3. How did you feel as your portrait was being taken? 4. What were you thinking? 5. Why did you want to be a part of this project and why do you think it's important to be honest with yourself about your own beauty? Here are Taylor McCary's answers to the first four. I've really enjoyed how different all of the women have been- from their appearance to their answers down to their handwriting. Different, yet they are all working together toward the same idea. They put trust into this idea, into me, and most importantly- themselves and each other. We have created a community. Thanks for letting us inside your head Taylor.

[iwultohio]

“I am learning to come out of my shell and be more confident and just okay with myself. I wouldn’t say it’s low self-esteem but I’ve always lacked confidence, even at the things I’m good at and know I’m good at. I’m hoping by being a part of this it will help me learn to love myself more for me. Just being me.” Josey McCary, 27