When Ms. Sonya reached out to book a boudoir session, I thought I recognized her name. Suddenly, I had a flashback to hearing her speak at a Winnipeg TedX event and I remember LOVING her talk about how she never saw herself represented so she set to work as a filmmaker showcasing Indigenous girls in science fiction and fantasy roles. I was a little nervous to have her come in for a session because I remember being brought to tears as she told her story on the stage - so I was a little starstruck when she walked through the door. Very quickly, however, her beautiful smile filled the room with a generous warmth and her own nervousness for the session she was about to do. We both fed off of our mutual energy and the session was a bundle of joy, dance, expression, color, and liberation. I wanted to capture her feisty behavior and joyfulness and I think we did just that. I will let Sonya take it from here and tell you about her experience:
I was really nervous about coming in because I have this idea of myself and it didn't include the word "sexy". But after seeing all the cool pictures Teri had done with friends of mine, I decided to try it. It was also a way of reclaiming my own control over my body and my self image after an abusive relationship. I was blown away by the quality of the photos and by how I didn't immediately start ragging on my own insecurities. Initially I looked at the photos and was like, "this doesn't even look like me!" And now I see them as "this is me". I feel like a goddess.
Do I really want a nudie out there? Only if it is Teri who did it. I've always had a negative relationship with my body. Even when I was at my lowest weight, I still felt pressured to go lower. After an abusive relationship, I felt even stranger and couldn't see myself as beautiful. As I've grown, I've become more ok with myself and with my body. With Teri's help, I also have begun to see myself as something I never thought I would: sexy. I wanna make the neon pictures I got my profile pictures on everything now <——(and she did)
