An Exploration of being Nude by creative Jenna Tyson.
“Nude.
Nothing covered. Nothing hidden. Stripped back, bare and exposed.
As relational beings, we are innately wired for connection, driven by the desire to be seen and known. Yet, sadly, we’ve become accustomed to and, in many instances, celebrated for displaying fabricated versions of ourselves. We hide behind facades, filters and fragmented realities, cunningly allowing people to see us the way we want to be seen, rather than for who we truly are.
Reflecting on what it means to be nude, I became increasingly interested in the concept of shame and why we sometimes feel the need to hide our humanness - the seemingly broken, flawed and imperfect parts of who we are. For some of us, we may have even grown to slowly accept and appreciate these features yet, what is it about having these parts of us fully exposed and uncovered that causes our countenance to all of a sudden shift when they’re made visible to others?
Shame.
An experience that causes us to become acutely and painfully aware of our own brokenness, flaws and imperfections as we imagine what it would be like perceiving and judging them through the eyes of another.
Shame.
Whispering lies that tell us we are different from the collective and do not belong. When we invite shame in and entertain these thoughts, we are tricked into believing that being different is wrong. Rather than embracing our true, authentic selves, we fall into the trap of criticising, comparing and performing.
Pause for a moment and ponder. When did you start giving shame permission to write your story? When did you start believing that your true self was unworthy of love and belonging?
Bound to secrecy and pretence, shame longs to keep us in the shadows. Yet, despite shame’s convincing and manipulative attempts to make us want to hide our humanness and strive for approval, we know (deep down) we were made to dance in the light. Nothing covered. Nothing hidden. Fully seen. Fully known.
Thankfully, it’s never too late to emerge from the shadows; to brush off the lies that tell us our worth is dependent on how others perceive us or that we’re somehow less than for failing to reach certain unrealistic ideals.
With every step forward, we make the conscious decision to be content in our own skins and to live courageously and authentically. And in doing so, we become more free and give others permission to do the same.
“Thankfully, it’s never too late to emerge from the shadows; to brush off the lies that tell us our worth is dependent on how others perceive us…”
WORDS Jenna
TALENT Monique
PHOTOGRAPHY Lilli Boisselet