I didn’t want to write this today. My emotional strategy in this time of pandemic has consisted of three parts: Stay informed of every news update, stay home as much as possible, and distract myself. I’m reviving my love of jigsaw puzzles. I’m texting my relatives, who live far away from me. I’m re-reading the…
Lindley Ashline and Ann Duweke singing Patrick Hawes’ “Quanta Qualia” at the Hope for Japan Concert, November 19, 2011. I fell in love with Hayley Westenra’s rendition of this piece, and from there discovered all of Hawes’ mesmerizing music. It was such a joy to be able to perform Quantia Qualia. This isn’t a recent…
Shelby Bergen is an illustrator and cat enthusiast from the suburbs outside of the Twin Cities. She loves using bright colors, patterns and shapes in her work, and loves making fun character designs. Shelby prides herself in keeping her work diverse, focusing on showcasing different types and sizes of bodies. When Shelby isn’t making art,…
As people who inhabit larger bodies, when we move those bodies, we take risks. We risk being stared at, made fun of or catcalled. Since often, no one has ever taught us to appreciate those bodies and the way they move, we risk trying to move them in ways that are unwise or not a…
Body Home Fat Dance, created by artist and performer KT Kusmaul, creates performance and offers dance classes centering our fat community. Their goal is to inspire joyful movement, connection with their bodies, and creative expression, while honoring their unique abilities and challenges with self-compassion. They’re co-creating a resilient community, building an empowering and nuanced dialogue…
This lovely piece is one of a set of fusions of Baroque and Brazilian music by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. (Thanks, Wikipedia) This isn’t a recent video, but I’m re-sharing it as a way of releasing old body shame. When this video was taken, I was bothered by the way my fat body moved…
March’s pick for the Body Liberation Book Club is Fat, Pretty and Soon to be Old by Kimberly Dark! Join us on Thursday, March 26 at 7 pm for a fat-friendly hangout and book discussion. Newcomers are very welcome! Purchasing the book from this affiliate link helps me continue to offer free resources: https://amzn.to/2TDyJoQ About…
2021 update: Kathryn says of herself, “She’s queer now and getting a divorce! Thanks Fat liberation!!!!” Kathryn Max is a Body Liberation Artist and Activist living in Oakland CA. She credits making fat art with helping her cultivate a kind and compassionate relationship with her own body. Kathryn is currently working on her memoir “Fat…
Everywhere we go, we’re surrounded by diet culture, the cultural forces that cause us to feel bad about our bodies and want to shrink them into acceptability. Diet culture causes poor body image, encourages eating disorders and makes $71 billion in profit for the diet industry every year. More and more often, people are pushing…
Body liberation portraits & boudoir It’s time to truly see yourself “Lindley is absolutely a good choice for body positive photography. Plus, she is DARNED GOOD at the picture clicky clicky! Seriously, if you want good photographs and a lovely experience, she is a fantastic choice.” » AC, Las Vegas All bodies are camera-worthy bodies….
In this peaceful outdoor body-positive portrait session, Ms. E and I spent some exploring what it means to reclaim the right for our bodies to move in and enjoy public spaces. I’ve found that one of the best ways to support people in this is to give them lots of things to do where their…
Bevin is a study in contrasts. Bevin is best known for her work as the mind behind Fat Kid Dance Party, the nationwide (and now online) body-positive dance and fitness classes for all ability levels. For this session, though, she chose to explore the softer side of her nature. In addition to her work with…
I met Ms. A in a hot tub in Vegas. No, seriously. Those of you who know me know that Vegas isn’t my scene and are probably doubting this story already, but I swear it’s true. At the last @naafaofficial conference there was a delightful pool party after hours, and Ms. A and I met…
This is an oratorio piece from the Dixit Dominus, a psalm setting by George Frideric Handel (catalogued as HWV 232). It uses the Latin text of Psalm 110 (Vulgate 109), which begins with the words Dixit Dominus (“The Lord Said”). (Thanks, Wikipedia!) This isn’t a recent video, but I’m re-sharing it as a way of…
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Katy Lees is a writer and psychotherapist from the North East of England. They’ve written for Dirge Magazine, Do Some Damage, and Lockjaw. They’re currently writing a transgender and non-binary self-care guide that will be published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Tell me about you! What’s your name? What pronouns do you use? Where do you…
This is of course the song with a famous rendition by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. “Con te partirò” was never part of an opera, but was an individual piece written by Francesco Sartori (music) and Lucio Quarantotto (lyrics). It was released first as a solo piece by Bocelli and then as a duet with…
Jiji Knight is a lover of magic, ladies, and breakfast for dinner. Graphic designer by day and illustrator by night, she’s a champion of body positivity, uniter of the cute and macabre, and overall dedicates her body of work to women. She studied illustration at the Academy of Art in beautiful San Francisco and currently…
December’s pick for the Body Liberation Book Club will be Fat Girl by Judith Moore! Join us on Thursday, December 26 (yes, the day after Christmas) at 7 pm (Jalisco restaurant, 12336 31st Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98125) for a fat-friendly hangout and book discussion. Newcomers are very welcome! About the Body Liberation Book Club…
Get an edge on your holiday shopping and support fat artists at the first annual at Artists’ Open House & Overstock Sale! We’ll have a range of body-positive and creative goods for you, including: THE BODY LOVE BOX: Overstock boxes from previous months, books, stickers, bookmarks, self-care items, zines, figurines, and art prints Body Liberation…
Theresa is an illustrator and creative entrepreneur with a background in art therapy and psychology. She is passionate about the power of creative business and art and design as tools for radical paradigm shift. She believes that we can change ourselves and our world through representation. Tell me about you! What’s your name? What pronouns…
Your free weekly guide to body liberation Join 5,000+ people who get information, inspiration and liberation with this thoughtful and useful newsletter. “Lindley is my go to source on weight stigma, body liberation and body acceptance.” » Karen Scheuner The Body Liberation Guide is your weekly grounding. The Body Liberation Guide goes in depth on…
Krystal Thompson of The Luscious Life helps people struggling with their relationship with their body and their relationship with food. Working as a Yoga Therapist over the past 9 years, she has been dedicated to educating, empowering and assisting individuals so that they can take an active role in their healing and wellness. Lately her…
I went on a trip! It was lovely! At least, most of it was. People in small bodies go out in public and come home with lovely memories. People in fat bodies go out in public and come home with thorns among the roses. The Young Lovers This is the couple who wanted my spot…
Rachelle Abellar is a graphic designer, fat activist, and body liberation advocate. She is the founder of PNW Fattitude, a group that hosts events for people of size in the Pacific Northwest. She also runs Archive Six, a small press and zine distro that carries work centering indie art, social justice, feminism, WOC, intersectionality, fat…
This is a guest post from Dawn Clark, who graciously allowed me to share her experience at the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance, or NAAFA. – Lindley I have been fat most of my life, and if there were one word to describe my fat life thus far, it would be “uncomfortable.”…
Take a look with me at Tatiana Gill’s Fat Positive Coloring Book! I’ll let you in on a bit of background about the book itself and the original cover, plus give you a peek at what’s inside. Full disclosure: I was provided with this copy of the coloring book in exchange for the review. All…
Chrissy Brown is an artist who works primarily in 3D, and as a fat, disabled, queer, femme she wants to make sure she and others like her feel welcomed to take up space in the world. Her subject is fat liberation and body positivity, and she’s trying to strip away all ‘performance’ we, as fat…
Have you ever gotten something extra for free? Or checked your mailbox to find a completely unexpected present from a friend? That’s how I felt when I opened up the first shipment of Adipose Issue zines from Miles Lyons. I’ve seen paper zines before, of course, but these are spectacular. Paper dolls! Special paper envelopes…
Authors who write long-form works like novellas and books seem to get the short end of the stick with the Internet, I sometimes think. Unlike us photographers, who regularly produce pretty visuals to post on social media, authors work just as hard at their art but have less to show for it in the short…
Back in December, it was my absolute pleasure to photograph fat athlete and activist Ragen Chastain in Portland, Oregon. She’s written a lovely blog post about her experience — check it out!
You deserve to have a holiday season that’s happy, not a punishment for being you. For those of us who struggle at the holidays, here are some of the best resources on how to set boundaries, take care of ourselves, and know when to draw the line.
It’s always a delight to talk with one of the Fat Faces, Eron, and this time we did it on the record! (Amanda is also a delight, but was absent that day, alas.) We dig deep into my entrepreneurial journey, why I chose to work with fat folks, and your official permission to take care…
Hi friend, How are you feeling about the new Patreon membership tiers? In case you missed it, last week I adjusted the subscription tiers and pricing to better help me support you. That change is also letting me start planning more exciting events for the rest of the year, starting with having Kayla Stansberry in to talk about fat trauma…
Hi friend, I hope you had a restful holiday season. I was able to have a nice little reset that’s informing my plans for 2025 and making me determined to bring more of that spaciousness into my everyday life. As I’ve planned for this year, so often what’s come up for me is, how do I…
This is a real behind-the-scenes look at my day-to-day work for client photo sessions! It’s unusual to see real-world album designs shared like this. These spreads are from a recent boudoir session; the client generously agreed to share their photos with the world. Find this benefit and more on the Body Liberation Blanket Fort Patreon….
Depending on your personality and life commitments, the turning of the year may be a time for deep peace and reflection or a wild whirl of parties and celebrations. But as New Year’s Day approaches, many of us are becoming more aware of the day’s ever-present accompaniment: Resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are by their very…
Hi friend, I’m taking a little time off this week, so no main letter from me. Next week, I’ll send you my guide for setting boundaries over the holidays. In the meantime: 1. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to present on race, body image and sexuality at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival, or SEAF….
As we wind down the year and weather here in Seattle gets very, very soggy, there’s nothing I’d like more in the new year than to sit down with a cup of coffee and bring my technical editing and equity reviewing experience to your project. I don’t always talk about it here in the Body Liberation Guide,…
Thin privilege is eating out without fear of public ridicule or shaming due to your body size or food choices. I don’t always do thin privilege posts because, honestly, they’re exhausting. Thin fragility leads people to argue endlessly with me rather than listen. One of the ways I use my own privilege as a white…
I hope you can be gentle with yourself this coming week 💜 Headshot for One Connection Healthcare. Find more of my work »
Place your event, workshop, course, group, podcast or article in front of the Body Liberation Guide’s audience for only $10. Active subscribers: 4,500+ Regular open rate: 45-50% Regular clickthrough rate: 4-6% Generally, promotions will go out the Monday after you purchase. I create newsletters on Thursdays and Fridays, and the BLG is published on…
Hi friend, I really admire people who can sit down immediately after an event and write thorough analyses of it, but I’m not one of them. Synthesis* is one of my superpowers, but for me it takes time to simmer and surface. So I don’t have any long, thoughtful piece for you on Trump’s re-election…
It feels weird to promote an event given gestures, but fat community is so important, and I want to give you a chance to join us THIS SUNDAY for Unseen. (I’ll comment more on the election and its connection to body liberation in Monday’s Body Liberation Guide.) Fat photographer and activist Lindley Ashline (me) +…
Hi friend, This weekend is my last set of events of the year, and I have offerings for you on both days! Fat Trauma: Healing though Community and Fat Joy How to attend: Buy access to this event or subscribe for all Blanket Fort events On Saturday, fat-positive therapist Kayla Stansberry is speaking to my Blanket Fort members about…
Imagine taking a photo doesn’t scare the living sh*t out of you.. but actually excites you? Imagine looking at a photo + appreciating the experience [instead of mentally photoshopping your body] Imagine seeing your body as art + pictures as a form of self expression? What if we told you this is possible? We know…
This week marks ten years that I’ve been in the Seattle area! Here’s a shot from one of the very first boudoir sessions I photographed here. Want to book your own session? Click the button below. {Image: A fat Hawaiian woman gazes up at the camera in a close-up shot that shows her serious face,…
Every human body is worthy of being seen, no matter whether it is “healthy.” {Image: A fat white person with shirt drawn up to show their belly. Their belly has red sores on it.}
Imagine taking a photo doesn’t scare the living sh*t out of you.. but actually excites you? Imagine looking at a photo + appreciating the experience [instead of mentally photoshopping your body] Imagine seeing your body as art + pictures as a form of self expression? What if we told you this is possible? We know…
