John first caught my eye on social media. Something about the structure of his nose, the sweep of his hair, and glowing sparkle in his eye made me interested to hear his story.
Like many of my models when they first walk into the studio, he was nervous, but as we spoke, we quickly established a connection and his shoulders began to relax.
Looking right into my eyes, he shared that even though he came from a very loving family, for most of his life he had not liked who he was.
He could not put his finger on why, but he always felt lesser than. His inner critic often told him that “He could not connect with people” and that “He did not deserve to be happy.” So, to numb and quiet his mind, he began to rely on illicit substances… and soon lost himself in the deep hole that is addiction. In his quest for peace and acceptance, he nearly died, but his family would not give up on him.
As he hit rock bottom, he came to a crossroad and took a bold, brave step to seek professional help and change the direction of his life. Through that journey, he was able to begin loving all the pieces of himself he once considered broken, and began to heal. Almost three years later, John sees himself differently. He now describes himself as “compassionate, thoughtful, loving, brotherly.” But, best of all, he finally likes the person in the mirror looking back at him.
Like many of my models when they first walk into the studio, he was nervous, but as we spoke, we quickly established a connection and his shoulders began to relax.
Looking right into my eyes, he shared that even though he came from a very loving family, for most of his life he had not liked who he was.
He could not put his finger on why, but he always felt lesser than. His inner critic often told him that “He could not connect with people” and that “He did not deserve to be happy.” So, to numb and quiet his mind, he began to rely on illicit substances… and soon lost himself in the deep hole that is addiction. In his quest for peace and acceptance, he nearly died, but his family would not give up on him.
As he hit rock bottom, he came to a crossroad and took a bold, brave step to seek professional help and change the direction of his life. Through that journey, he was able to begin loving all the pieces of himself he once considered broken, and began to heal. Almost three years later, John sees himself differently. He now describes himself as “compassionate, thoughtful, loving, brotherly.” But, best of all, he finally likes the person in the mirror looking back at him.