The photographer I'm shooting with here is Darby, the 17 year old daughter of Donna from www.ShootBare.com ! 

Darby is the youngest of Donna's kids, and has always had the heart of an artist. Her mother's photography has been a source of Darby's inspiration for some time- When she was just 10, Darby had a hardcover book published of her poetry she wrote about some of Donna's early photos, which were included alongside the poems in the book. 

This shoot was however the very first time Darby has ever followed so directly in her mother's footsteps and photographed a model in the studio! I'm so honored to have been the first! 

I find it hilarious how much she looks like her mom in these photos: sitting on the floor, sweat pants, no shoes, it's only a matter of time before she has the cigarette and reading glasses! Like mother, like daughter, and Darby couldn't have a better mentor to learn from.

Skinny Perspective (for girls)

A lot of girls ask me for tips on how to get themselves as skinny as me. I generally respond to these inquiries with a vague "eat healthy and exercise, take care of yourself!". I am proud to inspire women to take better care of themselves, but I do NOT condone starving oneself to become bony and emaciated. I am writing this for the pro-ana girls out there- I want you to be able to make an informed decision about the transformation you think you want to accomplish. So: here is my neutral opinion on being super-thin:

*If I grab my thigh with both hands, I can touch my fingers all the way around, and my thighs still jiggle! Your thighs will never stop jiggling. If your thighs don't jiggle, see a doctor. And every girl hates when she sits down in shorts and her thighs look bigger because they get squished- yeah, that still happens to me too.

*Skinny girls get picked on by the body police just as much as chubby girls.

*Finding clothes that fit snug and look sexy is difficult at a US size 00. And when I do find that perfect little black dress, I have to cover it up with a big sweater because I'm always, always cold.

*(Models) Photographers will always tell you to "suck it in", even at my size. It has nothing to do with the model having a big tummy. It engages core muscles and improves body lines. If your goal is to not have to suck it in to look your best, you will never get there. It always looks better to engage all your muscles!

*Going through puberty or any body changes can make a person feel so awkward and clumsy in their own body. Sometimes people think getting skinny will make them feel more graceful. I still feel like a baby giraffe sometimes with my long limbs!

*Getting skinny to get a guy just doesn't work. A skinny body is not who you are. Neither is a fat body, acne, uneven tits, perfect tits, blonde hair, blue hair, or whatever. You want a guy who loves WHO YOU ARE!

So, when I have girls writing to me saying things like "I want to be skinny like you, I hate how my thighs move!" or "I hate getting picked on about my weight!" or "I want to look perfect in my clothes" or "I want to be a better model" or whatever, I just laugh.
I'm not judging anybody, I'm not preaching, and I'm not trying to tell anybody what to do or what not to do. I just want girls to know that getting as skinny as I am will NOT accomplish these kinds of goals; I'm speaking from experience. The best thing anybody can do to make themselves more attractive is to be as healthy as possible, and have self-confidence!

Daily Deviation

Thank you, people of Deviant Art! Stephen Carroll's photo of me in dry ice has been awarded a daily deviation! Hooray! This is one of the only photos of me that exists from the week that my dreads were still short and in the process of getting locked in.

Visit my DeviantArt Page!

Most Embarassing 2 Days of My Life

Friday, I was at a shoot, having a great time, feeling fine when all of a sudden, out of the blue, I felt like I was going to puke. I started to walk towards the bathroom, but passed out before I made it there! I woke up laying naked in the hallway in a puddle of sweat, with a terrified photographer looking down at me. Then wet shaking me asks for a bucket and proceeds to puke my guts out. Still naked in the hallway. Luckily we had already shot some good stuff before that happened. I went home and slept it off.
Then the next day, Saturday, I was modeling at a workshop with about 15 photographers. What a great time to start my period, on set, while shooting nudes!
Most embarrassing 2 days of my life. So, I'm writing this in hopes that one day I will look back at this and laugh. But that day is not today. FML! 

Offensive

I am now a giant offensive poster! I think that's pretty rad. Please, do NOT feed the models!!! (Give them Bacardi instead) Haha
I have "no comment" on the message associated with my image here. I'm not trying to tell girls to starve themselves. I'm not saying I hate it either. I think this is in good humor and if it offends people, well, good. 
The photographer who printed this and hung it in their studio only shoots thin models. Neither she nor I have any problem with bigger girls, she just prefers not to photograph them. Everyone has been more than open about sharing their opinions about my weight. If this photographer wants to express her opinions about her preferred body type, she is entitled. 

Body Cast

 This will definitely wake you up in the morning! South Florida artist Paul Phillips visited the Design215 studio to do this awesome casting of my torso.

 Before the plaster application began, I was provided with a vat of petroleum jelly and instructed to apply it to my pubic hair. I dipped a finger in the container and sheepishly smeared the gunk on. Paul warned me I should use more... like, a lot more... so I gave it another light going over, thinking of nothing but how difficult it would be to get the slimy stuff off later. Boy, was that a mistake. I should have applied that shit with a spatula, or maybe just bathed in it. I was enjoying the tingly sensation of the cast coming off until suddenly there was a velcro sound followed immediately by intense searing pain in my lady bits. I had to squeeze an arm under the cast and attempt to pull myself off the plaster bit by bit. I eventually broke free, but I think Paul might have taken some of me home with him. Sorry, Paul, that's eew.

Below is a picture of an unfinished piece fresh out of the mold. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's all done! This was such a fun project to be a part of, definitely something out of the ordinary for me!

I'm Kind of Sketchy

 Australian artist LAVO did this beautiful drawing of Shoot Bare's photo of me! I work with lots of different photographers on a regular basis, so it's really fun for me to get to be part of different kinds of art. I think we got excellent results collaborating long-distance, but I would love the opportunity in the future to actually sit and pose in front of an artist.