A neatly self-solving problem | The Body Liberation Guide
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A neatly self-solving problem | The Body Liberation Guide

If you’ve been a subscriber for a bit, you know I produced anΒ entireΒ guideΒ to that awful fatphobic movie The Whale.Β Β  I’m not a pop culture kind of person and I don’t watch movies (due to my neurodivergence making it difficult), so I’d be perfectly happy never to think about that movie again. But with awards season…

The new patron rewards visual guide is ready!

The new patron rewards visual guide is ready!

I have something exciting for you this week — a brand new version of the Handy-Dandy Patron Rewards List! The rewards list had gotten really long, unwieldy and hard to use, so I’ve changed it to a more visual guide. If you’re an existing Patreon supporter, all you need to do is find your level…

This? Is not that. | The Body Liberation Guide
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This? Is not that. | The Body Liberation Guide

Here’s one simple action you can take to help end discrimination against fat bodies this week: Stop appropriating the experiences and oppression of people who are fatter than you.Β  If you live in a body that is of average size (the average American woman wears a size 14-18) or a bit larger (what some folks…

On sticking your neck out. | The Body Liberation Guide
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On sticking your neck out. | The Body Liberation Guide

Here’s one simple action you can take to help end discrimination against fat bodies this week: Stick your neck out. Quite often these days, thin (usually white) folks feel the need to message me and tell me about how they were going to speak up about this harmful action or that piece of fragility, but…

A fat white person's stomach rolls, tattooed arm and part of their bra-covered chest. They're at a body-positive portrait and boudoir session in Seattle.
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“Fat people who love themselves scare the shit out of people who don’t love themselves.”

“Fat people who love themselves scare the shit out of people who don’t love themselves. Even fat people trying to love themselves scare the shit out of people who can’t do the same. We force people to have to look at why they hate their bodies because we are “supposed” to hate ours and we…

Why aren’t we just celebrating?  | The Body Liberation Guide
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Why aren’t we just celebrating? | The Body Liberation Guide

It’s a privilege to focus on the gains of body positivity when fat people are still left out. One of the most common pieces of pushback I see against fat acceptance and the need to represent fat and very fat people is, “Why are you so negative? Can’t we all just celebrate all the progress…

Let me tell you what I would do | The Body Liberation Guide
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Let me tell you what I would do | The Body Liberation Guide

Often when I post about the way I as a very fat person am treated, I’ll get responses along the lines of, well, you just have to be confident and stand up for yourself and people won’t treat you like that. Or, here’s what I would do in that situation (insert behavior that’s very aggressive,…

New brave learning topics + body doubling Mondays

New brave learning topics + body doubling Mondays

Hi folks, I have some Body Liberation Blanket Fort updates for you! The Blanket Fort is my closed, friendly and body-safe chat community. All patrons are welcome to join. Since its creation in October 2021, the Blanket Fort has been a wild success as far as I’m concerned. People have joined, been welcomed, shared their…

You weren’t born with this | The Body Liberation Guide
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You weren’t born with this | The Body Liberation Guide

If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know I talk a lot about anti-fatness, but I’m including a content warning today specifically for what I’m going to link to for its extremity. I had planned to send this letter to you today anyway, but coming across this video from a thin…

A magenta background with the words, Next time a fat person talks about weight stigma and your gut reaction is, "Well I'm fat and that's not a problem for me/I've never seen that," consider that you might not actually be particularly fat.
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The experiences of larger fat people are very, very different from those of smaller fat people and average-sized people.

The experiences of larger fat people are very, very different from those of smaller fat people and average-sized people. If you’ve never experienced, seen or heard of a particular type of weight stigma or an experience a fat person is describing, there’s a good chance you’re simply not fat enough to be treated that way….

BMI is Bullshit: The Art of Dani Ward at Fat Girl Media
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BMI is Bullshit: The Art of Dani Ward at Fat Girl Media

I’ve just met (virtually — we live across the U.S. from each other) Dani of Fat Girl Media, and they’re super cool! I’ve been admiring their artwork for years and it was an honor to get to talk to them. Here are a few of their designs, shared with permission. One of the things we…

What fat liberation means to me: It’s not just about “all bodies”
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What fat liberation means to me: It’s not just about “all bodies”

This piece originally appeared over at the NAAFA blog. Loving, admiring, and respecting fat bodies can be really hard for people to grasp. We as a culture have been trained by: Centuries of sexism and racism that women are sexual objects 75 years of diet culture that thin is beautiful and sexy And decades of…

Fat liberation: It’s not just about β€œall bodies” | The Body Liberation Guide
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Fat liberation: It’s not just about β€œall bodies” | The Body Liberation Guide

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Mine was spent mostly resting my hand and recovering from this tendon injury. I’m about 50% better – not well enough to book photo sessions yet, but quite a bit better than I was, which means there are a lot fewer cusswords drifting through the house as…

From my lips to your ears | The Body Liberation Guide
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From my lips to your ears | The Body Liberation Guide

This is my last letter for 2022; you’ll next hear from me on January 9. Tonight I’m headed to a Zoom cookie-baking event with friends, and have a nice quiet holiday planned otherwise. I hope that the rest of this month is filled with joy for you. As the Twitter chaos continues, more and more…

[Image: A fat white woman with pink hair stands on the shore of a wooded lake in a purple sleeveless dress, with a wing-print scarf blowing in the wing behind her outstretched arms.]
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Exploitation cannot birth liberation

I want to follow up on my earlier piece about AI-generated artwork. People who are into AI art are telling me that this is a chance for fat people to see themselves represented and change their body image. But there’s a problem: exploitation will not create liberation. Here’s just one of the images that was…

Exploitation cannot birth liberation. | The Body Liberation Guide
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Exploitation cannot birth liberation. | The Body Liberation Guide

I want to follow up on my previous Body Liberation Guide about AI-generated artwork. People who are into AI art are telling me that this is a chance for fat people to see themselves represented and change their body image. But there’s a problem: exploitation will not create liberation.

Four new resources added to Patreon rewards!

Four new resources added to Patreon rewards!

Good news, everyone! I’ve just added direct access to all my free opt-ins to the Patreon rewards guide. This means you can now access them directly, without having to fill out a form on the website. The new additions include: 97 Creative Portrait and Boudoir Session Ideas* How to Find a Body-Positive Photographer 20 Free…

A group of fat folks smiling and joyfully waving their arms in the air. They're sitting or standing around a picnic table in front of calm water, boats and low hills in the distance under a gray sky.

First look: the Exhale Retreat | PNW body-positive photography

Our crew and Radical Body Love at the Exhale Retreat! As I get ready to send out a little surprise to everyone in the mail, I’m thinking about every single person who attended and the magic we created over those few days. Subscribe to my Body Liberation Guide and get first notice on future events:

Start making peace with your photos on December 7

Start making peace with your photos on December 7

Join me for my workshop Making Peace with Your Photos on December 7! We’ll explore: Β» The history and systems that determine how we feel about our bodies Β» How self-portraits allow us to reclaim our images Β» The basics of taking good-quality smartphone selfies Β» 3 powerful portrait and boudoir poses Β» How to…