Portrait Artist Blog

This endeavor came about when I approached The Giving Gown Foundation about a self-esteem exhibit that I have always wanted to do, but hadn't been able to before. Approximately 8 or so years ago, I was introduced to The Giving Gown Foundation and asked to speak to the girls on the subject of self-esteem. It came about because I shared a bit of my story with then-president, Ashley Atnip, who was a friend of mine from church. She saw potential in me to be able to relate with the girls who attended the Boutique, and share my story of triumph. She wanted me to be a role model for the girls, and show them how I came from a similar place as they did, went to college, and was working hard to break my generational curse. She believed I could inspire them to love themselves enough to go the distance in life, and to believe in their own beauty. As it turns out, I was still struggling with my own self-esteem, but didn't realize how much until I started teaching the positive messages for Giving Gown. Ashley encouraged me to use the self-esteem lessons that were produced by the Dove Redefining Beauty Campaign to help me along, and it was in exploring those lessons that I was inspired to create an exhibit like this. 

I was challenged each year about my beliefs on beauty-both in the way the world defines it, and my own. As the years passed, I grew through self-reflection, prayer, and study, all for the sake of being genuine for the girls I was presenting to. Did I truly believe for myself what I was asking these young ladies to believe? I would tell them they were beautiful just as they were, but did I believe the same for me? I learned pretty quickly that I had some deeply embedded issues to face, and for several years, I challenged my own thinking, what I had been told, what society pushes, and my own terrible memories of being bullied as a child about my looks. 

Each year, I kept getting stronger and stronger, until I fully accepted myself as beautiful, scars and imperfections and all. After all those years, The Giving Gown Foundation was good to me, and I was still involved with the self-esteem workshop. 

Enter 2020, and COVID-19. We had to cancel last year's boutique, and that broke all of our hearts, but my presentation partner and I did an online presentation instead by Facebook Live to spread our positive self-image message. This year's boutique was also canceled, and I still really wanted to spread our message somehow. So, I remembered the Dove video I had seen all those years ago, and I felt it was a good time in my life to finally try the exhibit out. After all, I had all the ingredients to hold a successful exhibit. I pitched the idea to The Giving Gown Foundation's president, Bobbi Jo Miller, and she was excited! We set up a time to pitch the idea to the rest of the board members, and they loved it too. I had the green light to move forward with an 8 year-old dream! 

The Giving Gown Foundation chose 10 participants for me to photograph and empower, which I did. They each were able to choose their favorite image during their portrait viewing, and I worked on their image to be a part of the exhibit. Each participant had a blast at her shoot, and they all gave feedback that they left in higher spirits than when they entered while feeling beautiful, empowered, valuable, and loved. That was good enough for me right there, but there was even more to do! You can see their portraits and read their bios here.

In preparation for the exhibit, the studio got a major renovation. We installed new ceiling tiles, a new ceiling-mounted projector (my old one was done), and replaced my flowers among many other things. I stored most of my studio clutter elsewhere to make it look as much like a museum exhibit as was possible. I ordered artwork and frames for the walls, and hardware to hang the portraits from the ceiling. It looked GREAT in there! GGF had a balloon column donated by Bon Bon Events, and another balloon arch from Lauren Alvarado, and we set up some easels outside to make it inviting. This exhibit was such a success due to The GGF and their connections!

As people began to come, I enjoyed having conversations with them about self-esteem, and our main belief that words matter. The interactive exhibit allowed those who attended to write positive messages to the participants on sticky notes and leave it for them to keep forever. This practice was life-giving and a welcome respite from the usual negativity we face in the world today. Most of the attendees agreed that the words they say to themselves and others truly do matter, and they appreciated the reminder. The gold, however, was found when I came across someone who understood how important it was to be open to complimenting themselves just like they were complimenting the strangers in the hanging portraits. They were open to improving, to learning and listening alongside their daughters, and were willing to try making that day a day of change. There were some attendees who heard my story and the way I used to talk to myself, and it related with them. Through conversation, I taught them how to take control of their own inner voices and begin to think differently. When we think differently, we act differently and we speak differently. When we think differently, we watch what we say to our loved ones and friends. When we spread positivity, it affects our community and the world around us. In my triumph over my own self-hatred, I was able to become a force for good, and teach others to be and do the same. Now THAT is powerful, and I am grateful for the opportunity!

Everyone loved the exhibit, and I was receiving screenshot texts of some social media posts that weren't visible to me from women who felt like this exhibit was the best thing they had attended in a long while. That filled my heart, and as if that wasn't enough, The Giving Gown Foundation took a moment during our VIP night to announce that they had chosen me as their honoree for Montgomery County Women's Honor of Distinction. View Video