In Their Own Skin: Marisa
Welcome to the “In Their Own Skin” series.
One of the biggest honors of my job as a boudoir photographer is hearing the stories clients share with me. While these stories are not mine to share on a public platform, I hold them close in my heart. They bring me inspiration, strength, and light in a way that only true humanity and vulnerability can.
I created the “In Their Own Skin” series to share some of these stories with you. The “In Their Own Skin” participants graciously consented to share their stories (told in their own words) alongside their boudoir pictures. My sincere hope is that these stories and pictures will bring you moments of strength, uplift your soul, and encourage you to keep moving forward, especially as we navigate these challenging times.
I’m so excited to introduce you to Marisa, the next participant in the “In Their Own Skin” series! Marisa’s words are full of wisdom, strength, and intentional resilience. Here are her words.
“I’m Marisa. I’m 29 years old. I’m a massage therapist and yoga instructor in Rochester.
“My relationship with myself has really blossomed. A lot of that has come from making a conscious decision to do so. A year ago, my New Year’s resolution was to be my own best friend, and to do that fiercely and non-negotiably. And that’s exactly what I’ve done!
“Since I’ve done that, I’ve noticed how being comfortable with myself and being happy with myself and finding compassion for myself, I have attracted people who are healthier for me. I’m finding myself in a place where I’m 29 and I have a job that I love and look forward to.”
“Love yourself the way you love other people.”
“I’ve been through a lot in my life, and there just comes a point where enough is enough. You’ve got to start taking responsibility for yourself: your emotions, your mental health, your physical health, all of it. It’s crazy how hard it is to figure this out, but the easiest way to do that is to love yourself the way you love other people.”
“It gives me a space of peace.”
“I think the thing that I’m most proud of that I’ve gained over the years is my ability to take a step outside of myself and see a broader perspective -- to step outside of myself. In my job, that really allows me to create a safe space for everyone regardless of their political beliefs or personalities. It also gives me a space of peace that I can navigate, especially with the chaos going on around us.
“It’s taken a lot of work, just being able to recognize that I have control over my thoughts to some degree. While I might not get to choose how I react to certain things, I get to choose what I do with that reaction, and ultimately that’s my responsibility. Being able to hold myself accountable both for myself and for how I interact with the world around me -- that’s been very powerful. It’s really helped me dig into my power and my confidence.”
“It’s a process I’m very proud of.”
“A large part of why I’ve dug so deep into exploring my own thoughts, my own emotions, and how to take responsibility for them is that I have a long traumatic history and through that, I accumulated very complex PTSD. In my late teens/early 20s, I found myself in a really self-destructive place where I wasn’t taking responsibility at all; I had no concept of what it means to control your thoughts. There came a point after my mom passed away (from cancer in 2011) where I was laying in bed at 3:00 pm and looked at myself inward and was like, ‘It’s time to take responsibility.’ That’s really when the work started for me.
“Since then, I’ve made a point to whittle away at what is ‘me’ and what’s conditioned. I feel like finally, at 29, I’ve whittled away pretty much everything that’s conditioned and really found the ‘me’ that I can love and grow. But it’s been a process -- and it’s a process I’m very proud of. I definitely would not be me without it. I’m very proud of that gift, and I’m just so happy I figured it out in my 20s!
“I’m in a place where I’m very happy. Not always -- my life isn’t perfect by any means, but I have found a place where I can just have peace. That’s really cool.”
Marisa, you are such an incredible person, and I am so grateful we got to work together. Your portraits exude your light, your strength, and your creative (and totally epic) personal style! Thank you for sharing your gifts of resilience, wisdom, and inner peace with us.