Cass | Body & Soul
I launched the ‘Body & Soul’ Campaign with the mission to empower and inspire confidence in women by showcasing their true self, strength, beauty and celebrate who they are right now. I want to help shift perspectives about beauty and show that EVERY body is beautiful… EVERY body is a work of art. But most importantly, we are more than how we look and what size clothes we wear. There is a story inside us all that has made us who we are today. And who we are right now is worth celebrating. So I’d love for you to follow along, read the stories of these incredible women and be inspired.
Meet CASS
“I have struggled all of my life with the idea of beauty. I feel that I have never met the criteria. My face wasn’t the same as other women and my body was never quite good enough. It started from a teen-ager and is still haunting me as a 42-year-old mother of three.
I hate that I have passed this on to my daughter because in my eyes she is the most beautiful person in the world. I know that it is in my head and that is the struggle. Trying to see myself as other people do.
About 18 months ago I started taking self-portraits of my body in an attempt to see myself from a different perspective. It helped a bit and I really enjoyed the artistic component of it.”
“I was raised by a very strong single mother with a mostly absent father. I met my ex-husband as an 18-year-old after an important male figure in my life sexually abused me. I ended up in a terrible, dominated 19-year marriage to a bodybuilder who spent his entire life thinking about looks.
I had two amazing children at a young age and went back to study. I had to fight hard to get where I am today and am so thankful for my inner strength. After finally leaving my marriage I continued to study and build my career in the community sector. I gained great respect and have really made a difference in people's lives.
I was lucky enough to meet an amazing time man who had liberated me so much. We had a child together which was so unexpected. I have a 20-year-old, an 18-year-old and now a 3-year-old.
I have now just completed my first year as a teacher and feel so inspired by the students that I have. I know that I can make an impact on people and hope that my lessons can change more lives.
I am finally finding love for myself.”
“Beautiful means so many different things. It is often used to describe the outside but that is all just perspective. It is not something that we should judge ourselves on. It should come from within. It changes depending on how our minds are working. It is most often used to look outwardly but really needs to be something we advise from within.”
For those struggling to see their own beauty, Cass’s advice is: “Stop looking at yourself in tiny pieces. You are a whole picture with energy and physical that makes up a person. Try and believe what other people see. Try to see yourself from their perspective.”
Cass’s words on her Body & Soul experience: “In reality, the photoshoot day exceeded my expectations. Tania’s ability to put me at ease made the session incredible. I instantly trusted that she would only show me in the best way and she intuitively knew how to pose me. I can't say enough how exciting this opportunity has been. I have really learnt to look at myself differently. I am incredibly self-critical and have walked away honestly being able to see myself in a different way. It truly was an exceptional experience.”
Cass, you absolutely rocked your photoshoot! It was an amazing day and I loved creating these portraits with you. You are INCREDIBLE inside and out, body & soul….
Shout out to Charity from Charity Barnes Hair and Makeup Artistry again for her gorgeous hair and makeup styling and ability to enhance women’s natural beauty! If you’re ever in need of a talented hair and makeup artist Charity is your woman!
Interested in your own Body & Soul photoshoot experience? Find out more and get in touch here.