The World is Flipped Upside Down – Saratoga Springs | Albany | Troy | New York – Boudoir
There never was a time I thought that my little brother would become my light in the dark. We are so different in so many ways….he collects guns and votes for Trump and I am a wildly independent feminist who believes in voting blue no matter who…but when the Apocalypse has arrived on earth…those differences just do NOT matter any more.
(PS: “Apocalypse” (ἀποκάλυψις) is a Greek word meaning “revelation”, “an unveiling or unfolding of things not previously known and which could not be known apart from the unveiling”.)
I have found myself talking to my little brother and confiding in him more than ever. After all there are few people who really understand ‘where we came from’ and can see where we are now. Few who understand how my fear of losing it all came to be and understands the mountains we had to climb to get here….few that know my story (though he is 8 years younger and there is much I haven’t shared with him yet, one day maybe I will)
He said something to me in one of our talks recently that just hit such a nerve in me that reminded me how important the work is that we are doing.
He said: “This pandemic has taught us all how fragile life is. People are scared. They are realizing how fragile time and life is, and they need these shoots when the quarantines are lifted to make them feel on top of the world again and remind them of the fragility of life while they are still here.”
Because wow…Steven, I don’t often say this, and never do I say it publicly….like ever…..but you are SO FUCKING RIGHT!
Every day since this quarantine began I have been getting texts and messages from our clients showing me photos of their art hung up and telling me how it is helping them get through this unprecedented time.
One client this morning sent me photos of her art and sent a long message which I will share one snippet of. She said “…when I went to your shoot I was so uncomfortable of how to feel, how I’d look, what to wear. Now I’m so much more confident of my body image that I don’t need others to tell me how good I look to build me up. And now my daughter will never feel that way becasue I’m stronger mentally than I ever was because of YOU!!!”
I cried, obviously. I have been waking up crying alot lately…but I know that I am not alone. Not just our country but our entire world, economy and way of life have been turned upside down.
We have been taught to fear people and to isolate….that is just not the way that humans are meant to live. We are a tribal being, a creature that not only craves company but NEEDS it. Humans are not built for this way of life. Though we need to embrace it. We need to remember that it is ONLY FOR NOW (yes, that is a link, yes come back and click it after you finish the blog, yes it is a Broadway musical, because duh.) We are not stuck at home…we are SAFE at home.
We are safe because we are allowed to stay home. The reason we are allowed to do this is because of the amazing first responders, nurses, doctors, police officers, paramedics, cashiers, stockists delivery people, etc, are risking themselves to this invisible enemy.
Remember this is all just a temporary reminder of the fragility of life. Our world may have been flipped more aggressively than this babes hair in her cover photo, but it is only for now, and we will come back stronger, more respectful, more vulnerable yet more powerful than ever.
We are currently running a major special on 2021 dates. We usually only run this special during Black Friday in November, but are releasing it now so we can all have something to look forward to on the otherside.
Today’s ferocious #LRPBoudieBeauty is one of those first responders who are keeping our streets and businesses safe while we are all on PAUSE, she is in full play out there being a hero and protector.
Read below to hear her words about her own Self Love Experience:
“I had been admiring Lindsay’s art and her super cool vibe online for a while and saw that she was holding a pop-up event one November. Being curious, wanting to support Lindsay’s local business, and feeling like I had been recently ignoring my feminine side led me to round up a few friends so we could go see what Lindsay’s space was all about. Long story short – the positivity that poured throughout the studio had me hooked. When I walked through those doors, I had no idea that on that same day I would be securing a spot for the Self Love Experience.
Fast forward to a year later and the big day arrived. When I initially signed up, I didn’t fully think about why I was drawn to the experience. It just felt like something that I needed to do; something I needed to do for myself. The positivity and energy of the team made the entire Self Love Experience so amazing. Lindsay and Natalie are such incredible souls. They were so supportive and captured a vulnerable, passionate yet powerful side of myself that I sometimes hesitate to let others see. It was during the experience where that light bulb popped on. My spirit has always felt disrupted when people have tried to force me to hide parts of myself. As a little girl, my mom always said to me, “Honey, don’t let anyone crush your spirit.” Whenever I’ve started to feel ostracized for being “different” or being myself, like every single one of us are at times in life, these words rang through my head. They gave me the strength to not let anyone’s attempts at shaming me silence me. I was drawn to the Self Love Experience to continue the journey of becoming more comfortable in my own skin. I want women to know that it’s okay to love yourself and feel good in your body. We are so hard on ourselves. It does not help that society is fixated on shoving people into boxes; oftentimes, stunting an individual’s growth. We all need to take a step back and remember that we are all multifaceted beings. Our uniqueness is what makes our own beautiful. Hell yeah I can be academic, strong, feminine, compassionate, sassy, sexy, spiritual, capable, sensitive, professional, beautiful, powerful, and whatever else I choose to be. Why do I have to be one thing? Why do I have to fit in a specific mold because society said so? You know what…I don’t. None of us do. We all have many sides and we should not be ashamed of our humanness.
The LRP team’s kindness, impressive skill, and most importantly badass boss lady fierceness 😉 continues to inspire me to be kind and strong. None of us feel comfortable in our own skin all the time. My pictures serve as a reminder that I can be exactly who I am in a world that sometimes tries to dim your light. I cannot thank them enough for the lessons they taught, the encouragement they continue to give, and the reminder to be kind to others, as well as myself. So much love to and gratitude for you, ladies!
Stay curious. Stay compassionate. The world needs you to be your individual version of beautiful. If someone does not love you or cannot accept you, then they do not belong in your space. Honey, don’t let anyone crush your spirit. <3″ – Ms. R
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