Why would we get undressed to feel more confident in ourselves? Do women need to feel beautiful?
We are exposed daily to images of sexy women. The female physique has been alluring for all time. The abundance of magazines, billboards, social media posts, and more sell products by displaying sexy women. The hint of sexual allusion was extremely popular to show sexy, and sex sells. With professional models and image filters covering magazines, billboards, TV, and social media, we start young by benchmarking our body expectations.
We start to judge ourselves and doubt our body image. What we should be, what we could be, and the beauty product industry is proof at $500 billion annually. On average, women spend $150 on keeping up their beauty in a year.
Keeping up your appearances and wanting to feel pretty is perfectly normal.
Sometimes we drown in the notions of our beauty not being precisely up to par with our dreams or what we think society’s illusions are.
Over the years (I am guilty of this too), I hear women say, “I don’t see what he sees. He tells me I am beautiful, but he has to say that”
Our mind bank has stored so many images of what women should look like that when we get to a mirror; our minds find fault in what we see.
Why do we have some perceptions of how we should look like? No one wants to feel that we are too consumed with our appearance.
That is where self-confidence comes in. Self-confidence is the trust in your abilities and judgments to value yourself and feel worthy regardless of any imperfections or what others think about you.
When we get dolled up and feel pretty and sexy to boot, it shows us that we can be beautiful, sexy, and powerful. We recognize that our bodies are just as gorgeous as the next girl in line. We do not want or need to look the same or bring the same amount of passion. Having a broader exposure to beauty allows us to expand our minds to include our body image.
Photography captures a woman’s beauty as proof of self-confidence that already resides inside. Once shown that we are more than mothers, sisters’ daughters, and wives, we gain a more robust sense of self.
I went in search of women in the Boudoir Photography business. I needed to ask questions, and I loved the answers I received.
Some of my questions:
*Why boudoir?
*How long have you been in business? What have been your struggles?
How would you describe your clients in general? Before and after? Why the nerves?
*Have you been on the other side of the camera? How does this work affect your confidence?
*Your best advice to someone who is thinking about it?
*Why does this build self-confidence? Does it last?
*How do you defend what you do to your critics?
*How do your clients defend doing it?
My first conversation was with the very talented Jennifer (website)
She has terrific insight into women's sensitivity to looks and self-confidence.
"It is not very often you can make a living doing what you adore."
My following conversation was with the lovely and insightful Marina (website)
"You're ready. If you're thinking about it, you are ready."
This episode is one of my favorites. We will continue this conversation further, so grab more wine and get ready to explore more about self-confidence.