This collection of works was made with the intention to dismantle Western beauty standards that objectify us, by appreciating the functionality of the body. It's about continually learning to accept the body as it is, with all its "imperfections," and respect it for its inherent, intrinsic beauty. All the pieces in this collection are an outline with micron pen, then shaded with colored pencil, on Bristol paper. Each work is inspired by a specific experience I have had in the process of learning to accept my body as it is, and view my body with neutrality, peace, and appreciation. I want to share how body dysmorphia has affected me, because I have felt so seen and understood when viewing work from other artists who create from their most candid and honest self. To me, one of art’s greatest gifts is in how it can bring out the deeper parts in people that are often masked day to day. One of life’s greatest gifts is existing in our bodies with comfortability and ease.​​
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Artwork is scanned on Epson v600 and preserved at a high quality of 800 DPI.
I am Grounded
2025
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This piece portrays the empowerment of eating disorder recovery. It is grounding to allow myself the freedom to feel safe in my body and safe to eat all foods that I want to feel physically and mentally satisfied. I am grounded in knowing what makes me happy, and in knowing what I need to do to feel whole again.
Bigger Than Me
2023
One way I have learned to appreciate the fullness of life, since I've freed up more mind space to do so by thinking less about societal beauty standards, is by appreciating the beauty of nature around me. I can choose to be attentive to the trees in autumn as they change colors or the flowers as they bloom in the spring. I can choose where my focus goes, beyond the beauty standards that criticize my nature… If I appreciate Nature, I can appreciate my nature.
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I’ll care about other things.
2024
I’ve realized that time spent making value judgments about the way that fat exists on my body as I sit leaves me with little time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life that brought me to sit in the first place: Savoring a meal; learning from and laughing with a loved one; serving as a lap for my cat’s perfect perch; allowing tired feet to hold nothing.
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I Remember Her
2023
This drawing portrays my mindset shift when I read Intuitive Eating by RDN Evelyn Tribole, MS, and RDN Elyse Resch, MS. I relearned what I knew how to do all along, but had clearly forgotten years ago: How to eat like it is a necessary and enjoyable part of daily life. I had grown to see eating as something to fear, and as a transactional activity driven by rules that would ensure I didn’t gain weight. Evelyn and Elyse reminded me of the childhood wisdom we all have. I fondly look back on all the memories I have as a little girl just eating food with such satisfaction and simplicity.
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A Body in a Room
2023
I am learning to understand that my body is scientifically and cellularly very interesting, and is a neutral entity on the macro scale: Its folds, its smoothness, its looseness or firmness… It’s just a body in a room. An “unflattering portrait.”
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I Respect
2022
This piece focuses on the stomach, a place on our bodies that is especially scrutinized by beauty standards for not being small enough. I am still learning to let go of frustration about my often bloated, squishy belly. I strive to focus on all that my stomach does for me, hence the gears depicted under the skin that represent the functionality of my stomach.
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I Have Resilience
2022
This piece is intended to symbolize an appreciative view of scars; like geodes, they are valuable. I view my scars as markers of where I've been and what I've overcome. All the scars depicted in this piece are scars that my family members and I have. I can see my strength, and I look up to their strength. Recovering from an eating disorder is healing from an emotional scar, it is something we carry that shows us our strength.
I am Free
2024
This symbolizes the inspiration I find in movement that makes me feel just simply good on the inside. To connect the power of my mind to the strength and flexibility of my muscles, to work through the pain of learning to move in new ways, and learning to move even more freely.
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Playground
2024
This piece was made as the cover for the song "Playground" by musician Sylvia Lambley. Sylvia and I collaborated to create a song about the freedom and joy that has come into our lives as we accept and respect our bodies for their intrinsic beauty and functionality.
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Meta Emotions
2024
In this piece I intend to capture how hard on ourselves we are when struggling with an eating disorder. We have immense frustration and sadness about food and our bodies. And then we shame ourselves for feeling this way. Eating disorders create intense emotional distress that is important to address. An eating disorder is not a body size, it's a mental health issue.