Have you experienced a pivotal moment in your life? You know, the moment when you know life will never be the same after that particular experience? 

Our Spark Alumni often comment that their time in our Studio, at their Spark Session, is one of their pivotal moments. The vulnerability required is momentous. The entire day is a journey filled with emotions and the shedding of layers of doubts, insecurities, and past pain.  

Empowerment photography helps our clients learn to be at peace with their bodies and with the core of their being.  

This pivotal moment is not only experienced but is documented in the form of beautiful artwork, to be treasured and reflected upon for many years!

Please continue reading to learn more about this pivotal moment in our recent Spark Alumni’s life.  You won’t want to miss her eloquent story-telling!

Editors Note: This post contains nudity, and is NSFW

Worthy of self-love

My journey, like that of so many other women, has been one with its fair share of challenges and obstacles.  I spent the first decades of my life battling against myself. In those years, I developed an eating disorder that consumed me every day.  It took years of working with wonderful professionals to help me heal and overcome. Today I am fortunate enough to be in recovery from my eating disorder and have been for many years.

Becoming confident in my own skin

I met my (now) husband when I was 19 and he was the beginning of my journey for self-discovery and becoming confident in my own skin. He’s always seen me as beautiful, strong, worthy of self-love. Through all the doubts and insecurities, he was there, taking me just as I was, knowing who I had the potential to be. We have been together 20 years and have three remarkable children ages 7, 5, and 3. My family is my light, my hope, and my joy.

Pushing past comfort zones

During my healing journey, there have been pivotal moments, moments that you know will alter the course of your life forever. For me, these moments have always been about pushing past comfort zones and taking a leap of faith into the unknown. On that precipice, I’ve said to myself “If I can do THAT, I can do anything.” This is what booking a Spark Session was for me. It was one of those moments that feels monumental, the gift of years of hard work and self-acceptance. Having boudoir photography done, exposing myself in a raw way, always seemed like an act of bravery and empowerment but one that I was not quite ready to take. 

Coming home to myself

Making the decision to finally go for it, to embrace the experience, and to surrender to the process changed something deep within me. Walking into the studio shifted a piece inside of me that had been lurking in the darkness, tentatively questioning whether or not it was worthy enough to emerge. Initially, I could feel the tightness and withdrawal that comes with being afraid, nervous, anxious. With the passing of each moment, guided by the nurturing encouragement of Lindsay and Michelle, I felt this loosen up, layers begin to shed, and finally, the sense of completely coming home to myself.  

No old voices could be heard

As we changed outfits and took photos, each pose seemed to add a lightness to my spirit, a greater sense of exploration, and an eagerness to surrender and be present in the moment. 

Ready to soar

When it was time for my artistic nude shoot, the epitome of pushing boundaries and claiming my body exactly as it is, something remarkable happened.  In this nakedness, entirely open to the world and without any barriers, no old voices could be heard.  There were no doubts or judgment, no discomfort with the imperfections of my body, no regrets or questions of whether or not I was beautiful enough, powerful enough, myself enough to do this.  It was just my body, the camera, and my spirit ready to soar.

Freedom to own my space unapologetically

I remember standing in the middle of the studio overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude that this is where I was, where I was able to be, and that I was at peace. Show Your Spark studio gave me the freedom to own my space unapologetically.  A space that was mine to fill, the culmination of my growth.

I will never see my body in the same way

Going into the session, I didn’t know how I would react in the showing, seeing myself up on a large scale.  Tears of surprise, gratitude, and awe began to flow freely seconds into the presentation. The photos were of a woman who was beautiful and strong and confident. – I was beautiful, strong, and confident.  I could see it, right in front of me, but more importantly, I could FEEL it and trust it and know that it was true. I will never see my body in the same way that I did before my session. If self-doubt creeps in or my head begins to judge, I remind myself of what it felt like to be in the studio, to express myself with freedom, to find joy in every moment, and to celebrate who I am.

Magic becomes reality

I would encourage every woman, wherever they are in their journey, to book a session.  It is impossible to come out of the Show Your Spark studio unchanged and transformed for the better.  Magic becomes reality in the space that Lindsay creates.  The energy and the spirit of the women who have been there, who have posed, cried, and shed their barriers; it resonates within the walls.  There is no greater gift that you can offer yourself: the knowledge that you can do ANYTHING when you’re willing to stand at the edge and take that leap.