Hello, my dear readers! I’m back to introduce you to a new adventure! I am starting a new business – Body Issues. It’s a photography business focusing on all things MAN!
We live in a society plagued with masculine toxicity (the idea that any deviation from stereotypical manliness is “wrong.”) Men, I see you. I am here to bring you out of the shadows and work to break the stereotypes with you. You, afterall, are human, too. You are filled with emotions and thoughts and vulnerabilities! And you deserve to be noticed.
Welcome to Body Issues! Here is a blog that will be featured on my new website bodyissues.me. It isn’t quite ready to launch yet, but it’s coming! Keep checking.
As always – so much love to you all.
“Men don’t have feelings.”
“Men CAN’T show their feelings.”
“Man Up!”
Right?
Ugh…..
No!
Society has made it so difficult for men to be human. Men are not allowed to be vulnerable. It’s a sign of weakness. Men are taught that. Man up. Bury your feelings. Oh, and you’re incapable of being a good father without your child’s mom’s influence and help.
During divorce, so many men are told they won’t be able to make it. How are they going to work and manage taking care of their children? They lose custody. They’re told by their ex-wives, the courts, and so many others that they can’t. They aren’t capable. So they start to believe it. But these men can’t feel their feelings. They have to bury them. They have to man up. Nobody sees the weight of the loss. The weight of the pain from the perceived failure.
But men are walking around everyday with this immense hurt and sadness and frustration and guilt and so many other heavy feelings. They’re weighted down from so many moments that have hurt them but they haven’t had a safe space to take time to process these feelings. Men are not encouraged to talk about their emotions. In fact, men are encouraged to stifle all this pain and just keep taking care of everything and everyone else. With no regard to taking care of their own self. Self-love, self-care…sadly, it’s not a widely accepted thing for men.
We live in a society of toxic masculinity. It isn’t safe for a man to exhibit any quality that isn’t stereotypically “man.” But it’s time we change that!
Men are human. They have feelings. They feel failures and sadness and guilt just like many women do. They just aren’t “allowed” to talk about it. And they rarely give themselves permission to feel these heavy emotions.
But here, at Body Issues, and especially during your photo shoot, permission is granted!
Be free. Be vulnerable. Be you.
I see you and I feel your pain. I believe you are amazing fathers and caregivers, professionals, and workout enthusiasts, and humans just doing the very best you can. The way you work so hard to keep all your identities in balance is admirable and should be celebrated!
So, book a shoot and let’s work together to break those toxic stereotypes. Let’s redefine the “Man Up!” concept and show the world exactly what men are made of! I can’t wait to work with you!
A Graceful Catastrophe 