All bodies matter

My name is Amy. I am a mother to a beautiful 21 month old son, I am a wife, and I am a Doula. I live with my family in Midland and I love being in the country. I also love poetry and art. I was born with Marfan Syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It is because of this that my body looks different from what I grew up seeing in magazines. I never saw representation that I could relate to anywhere. This always made me feel really alone and self conscious. Going in to this photo shoot I was full of nerves. I had never even really worn lingerie before and now I was going to pose in it and try and feel sexy while doing so. But then that’s exactly what happened. Martina made me feel so comfortable and Jacob and Hailey made me feel so beautiful. We created art that proves that people with disabilities are sexy. I described getting ready for the shoot as feeling like a little girl trying on my mothers clothes but by the end of it, I felt like I was owning it. When I saw the photos, I couldn’t believe that was me. This experience has not only boosted my confidence, but it has created something that is not mainstream. We don’t see disabled people posing in lingerie in magazines and in media. I think this shoot was magical!

Disabled bodies are art. They are poetic.
And while I cannot take credit for all the lines you see written here, I have felt them all. Trauma can be art and trauma can be poetry. That is all I know how to make with it. That is how I get by with it. I turn my pain into beauty even if it is not typically conventional to look at. Even and especially if it makes you uncomfortable. Disabled bodies are art. I will never apologize for that again.

Thank you so much again for everything you have done!