A fun photoshoot to mark the end of Face Equality Week

It’s the last day of Face Equality Week. From having nothing planned, I certainly did write some posts!

There’s a line in Savage Garden’s Affirmation that says “I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem.” It resonates. All those magazines I read when I was younger, I never saw the representation I needed – people like me.

And now?

I am a part of that representation I so desperately wanted. (I’ll be on TV later this week, and an article I wrote will be published too.)

I want my spaces on the internet to be the antidote to that Savage Garden quote. I want to show diversity and realness. I want to show my face, unhidden, unfiltered and unchanged.

I want to show that people with facial differences and skin conditions (and without) can experience joy, and can feel beautiful. I want people with facial differences and skin conditions to see me and know that it’s ok for them to be visible, that they should be seen, and they should not feel ashamed. I also want them to know they don’t have to accept being excluded, erased, mistreated and discriminated against because of their appearance.

This photoshoot was so fun to do with Hester last week. She said she wanted to paint my face to accentuate what was already beautiful. I let her do her thing – she’s very good. She painted little strawberries and flowers on my face. I put on this dress which I got for $30 from Facebook Marketplace – it’s a bit Zimmerman.

Face Equality Week is once a year, but it’s every week (day) for me. I’ll continue to celebrate, and also fight for Face Equality.

Thank you for your lovely likes, comments and shares. They’re appreciated.

More info: FaceEqualityInternational.org and ChangingFaces.org.uk

Ps: the next line in that Savage Garden song is “I believe I’m loved when I’m completely by myself, alone”.

Images: Carly, a woman with red skin and short dark curly hair. She’s wearing a cream floral dress with purple and orange flowers on it. One side of her face is painted with red strawberries, white and yellow flowers and green leaves. All photos are close up apart from the second last, which is full length. The last photo is of Hester and I – her hands are on my shoulder.

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