My Journey Finding Representation
Alright, let me tell you about something I got into recently. I was working on a personal project, trying to put together some visual ideas, like a mood board but more focused. I really wanted to capture a specific kind of energy – strong, confident, you know? And central to that vision were images of curvy black women.
So, I did what everyone does, I started searching online. Typed in “curvy black models,” “plus size black models,” variations on that theme. I expected to be flooded with options, given how much talk there is about diversity these days.
Well, it wasn’t quite like that. It felt like digging, honestly. Sure, images came up. Some stunning ones, absolutely. But I noticed a couple of things pretty quickly. First, you see the same few incredibly famous faces pop up constantly. Which is great for them, they’re gorgeous, but it didn’t give me the variety I was looking for.
Second, the type of images often felt… limited. It was either high-fashion stuff that felt a bit distant, or the complete opposite, stuff that felt way too focused on just the body, not the person or the style. Finding natural, everyday shots, or different kinds of fashion looks, or even just a wider range of body shapes within the “curvy” label – that took real effort. It felt like scrolling through endless pages to find just a handful of pics that fit the vibe I was after.
It kinda surprised me. You hear the words “body positivity” and “representation” thrown around so much, you assume the resources are just easily out there. But my little project showed me it’s maybe not as widespread or as varied as we think. It felt like certain looks or certain narrow definitions of “curvy” were acceptable, but the broader spectrum wasn’t getting the same spotlight.
So, what did I do? I kinda had to adjust my plan. I spent more time looking at real people, drawing inspiration from friends, folks I follow on social media who aren’t professional models but have amazing style. I started sketching more from my imagination, trying to create the images I couldn’t easily find. It became less about finding existing photos and more about creating the representation I wanted to see.
It made the project take longer, for sure. More legwork involved. But it also made it more personal, I guess. It’s still something I’m working on, still gathering bits and pieces. It just showed me that even with progress, there’s still a way to go to get that really broad, effortless visibility for all kinds of beauty, you know?
