The human body has been sexualised for so long that we’ve forgotten how to find the beauty in it. We poke and prod at our creases, folds and ‘faults’, hiding behind layers of clothing and products to cover up anything society deems less than idealised ‘beauty’. In the midst of this whirlwind, we start to disdain our natural forms and views others with the same lens that we’ve been conditioned into viewing the world with.
The internet can be dark and full of terrors with trolls at the ready to jump at anything and anyone even remotely honest and real, but it has also allowed the creations of safe spaces for people to express themselves and support each other. Reddit is one of these places where positivity has managed to thrive among the ever-growing number of threads.
With over 120k subsribers, subreddit (thread) NormalNudes has grown to become a space for body-positivity, love and support. Here, people from all over the world post nude pictures of themselves – whatever part of themselves they want to show, there are no restrictions and requirements here and you have full control. They share tales of low self-esteem, a lack of confidence and their insecurities – or it can just be a great photograph of their body they feel great about – and what they get in return is support, kind words and encouragement.
For many the experience is empowering, others find it eye-opening and for some, it is a relief to find a community that showcases ‘real bodies’. You’re seeing photographs of people whose bodies look like you being celebrated and appreciated. Whether you’re tall, petite, curvy, old, young, male, female, trans or gender-nonconforming, this is a platform that help people love their bodies, in whatever shape, size or colour they are.
You can check out NormalNudes here.
Featured illustration by Anjul Dandekar for Homegrown. See more of the artist’s work here.
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