Yesterday I saw multiple artists state that they don’t pursue their art because they think no-one will take a fat artist seriously. If they ‘just reach X weight then they’ll share their art’.
It broke my heart.
It’s important in the art world that people of all shapes, sizes, disabilities, ethnicities, sexualities and socio-economic backgrounds are seen. For too long art, like everything else in with world, has been dominated by cis white men with social and economic privilege.
We owe it to other artists like ourselves to step up and pull other up with us.
Embolden others with your visibility & the content of your art.
Importantly, share your art whatever weight you are. The world needs to see it and you are worthy of being seen.
Why am I anti diet-culture?
Because it keeps us from pursuing the things we love, like ART!
I’ve been in that position, the critical voices that come from both inside our heads and from the constant media messaging, active bullies in our lives and other sources constantly bombarding us. It makes us feel inadequate and disgusting, it stops us showing up and sharing who we are until we’ve reached a certain weight and appearance.
Except it makes us feel like we’re NEVER good enough, that everything we do is never enough. So we never share the art, we never pursue the things we love.
You have permission to show up NOW. To not change at all. You are worthy just the way you are.
I wrote a post about how art depicting diverse bodies has power to change our own body image here.
I also believe that by creating art showing bodies that fall outside of the ‘socially acceptable’, we invite more artists to do the same and to feel comfortable enough in their own skin to show up in person at art events, to have confidence to put themselves forwards for residencies and competitions or even just show their faces on social media.