Naked

So, I've been doing some nude modeling lately.

There's honestly no way to ease into this kind of a blog post, so I thought I'd just lay it out on the line.

Several of you know this and have seen some of the products. Some of you, I'm sure, will be scandalized - and that's OK. This wasn't something I got into on a whim and I've prayed long and hard about it. I happened upon it accidentally during the course of my "normal" modeling pursuits and... surprisingly enjoyed it. I've got two years of life drawing under my belt as well as a huge appreciation for these bodies that God created and all they're capable of. Going into it I anticipated a resurgence of the pride that I'd lost over the summer/fall. I wanted to feel beautiful again and that definitely was one of the results.

Something I wasn't expecting, however, was the vulnerability and contentment that met me. I'm not shy OR uncomfortable in this skin but there was something about being physically naked - in front of a CAMERA - that stripped me of any resistance I might have been feeling. It literally took maybe five minutes for me to be completely at ease and then... I don't know. I was just suddenly different.

I've done five in the past month and I have at least two more planned in January and one for February. I'm still keeping up the "clothed" modeling but I am drawn more towards conceptual artwork rather than commercial prints and that's opened up a lot of opportunities to do more nude work.

This is not something I would have ever thought myself capable of but as it turns out, it's possibly the best thing I could have done. I've stifled my artistic passions for years now and this is a means of expression that I've never considered.

I only say this because it's bound to come up in future posts and I don't want it to seem as if I'm hiding it or ashamed. I'm quite proud of my role in each piece and, honestly, I'm proud of myself for just doing it. As silly as it sounds, it's meant a lot to me.

Well, let's see where this leads us, shall we?