“When I originally did this photo shoot, it was mostly for fun.

I felt alive and vibrant.
I loved my body, its secrets and dreams. Its energy.

As I look back on these photos,
I miss that woman that I used to be.

Since this photo shoot, I have been diagnosed with
two autoimmune diseases,
Fibromyalgia and Psoriatic Arthritis.

My life has been forever changed.

I’m in chronic pain.
I struggle to get out
of bed everyday.
I only work part time now
and I have given up
so many activities that
made me happy.

I’ve had to reevaluate
my life and my happiness.
Find new things that I can
do to stay busy and sane.

I love my BARE photos.

They give me, me.
And remind me that
no matter how rough things get,
even now, me is pretty great.”