This photo series focuses on the beauty of the scars that make us uniquely us, through the narrative of scoliosis.
Courtney, a mother in Minnesota saw a photo series on my scoliosis journey and contacted me about her daughter, Mary who recently underwent the same surgery. Together, her mother and I planned a surprise trip to Seattle from Minnesota, a portrait session, and a gallery reception on Wednesday, July 24 with the portraits taken earlier that day. It was therapeutic for me to plan and execute this shoot. As I tried everything in my power to help Mary feel beautiful and empowered, it felt like a second chance for me to rewrite my teenage years. I spent my adolescence feeling ashamed and trying to hide inside my turtle shell of a back brace. This experience taught me to find strength from my scars.
Just a reminder to:
Let your pain give you purpose.
Let your wounds give you wisdom.
Let your fear give you freedom.
Let your scars give you strength.
This photo is inspired by a Japanese art form called kintsugi, where broken pottery is pieced back together with lacquer and sealed with gold. The object’s golden scar makes it more unique, beautiful and strong.
Mary and I began the day strangers, but ended as sisters. This photo represents how we are connected by our scars and experience. I decided to gold leaf our scars as a metaphor for this personal kintsugi process.
Too many of us feel broken emotionally, spiritually, physically. This golden repair embraces our imperfections, battle scars, vulnerabilities, and lessons learned. Life is rarely what we plan. The path is not straight. In our case, neither are our backs.
