"My best friend would make fun of me for "being too fat" and "not being able to see my ribs when I breathed in" which I'm sure was her way of projecting her own insecurities onto me, but being told that at a young age was scary." Emily, Syracuse, NY.
"As I have gotten older, I have learned to have an appreciation for the pale skin and freckles, largely because it resembles my mom's complexion. And just last week I began a new treatment to help treat my psoriasis. I am hopeful that it helps, and maybe I will start to feel less insecure about my skin - and about me in general." Kristie, Syracuse, NY.
"I compared myself to my beautiful friends and those around me which created a lack of confident growing up. 2020 was the year I regained my confidence and said goodbye to the little chubby girl I always saw myself as." Jessica, Syracuse, NY.
"I think what allows me to be confident is remembering no two people look alike, and I should be proud and rock what I got. If you act more confident, maybe you will be more confident! Who knows?" Fredaye, Syracuse, NY.
"It started with my mom and then her mom and her mom. "I used to be skinny too." "Enjoy it while you have it because at 27 your metabolism will slow down a lot." How do I unlearn it? How do I learn self love? What if healthy isn't skinny? I know I'm okay.. but I don't always believe it." Lauren, Syracuse, NY.
"I always struggled with self-confidence since I used to compare myself to everyone around me constantly. In high school, I regularly was approached by guys who thought my friends were attractive, and I took this to mean I was not attractive and took it out on myself." Molly, Syracuse, NY.
"I'm trying to love the scars I have, it's hard. How does it get easier? I know what they all look at when they see me. How can you not?(ugly eye catchers) Those clearly aren't cat scratches. Forever feeling sorry for the hospital bills I've made my parents pay. Forever hoping I'll one day love my body enough to be kind to her." Maddi, Syracuse, NY.
What we live in is a piece about female body insecurities. There is a societal pressure for women to look and be a certain way causing many women to feel insecure about how they look if they don't feel as if their body fits the "norm." Through this project, I wanted to collaborate with women and produce a piece that acknowledges how women deal with their own insecurities. For more on this project, visit: https://whatwelivein.com/