I began the first Women of Spirit Project in 1999 and it was completed in 2014.
I believe that all women of all ages, all shapes, all sizes and all ethnicities are beautiful and that the real beauty that anyone posses is in the light that shines within them. Whether voluptuous or rail thin - young or mature; all of the bumps, wrinkles, bruises and scars tell our story and create the perfectly formed person we have become.
Several people have said “this has been done before” when, in fact, it has not. First of all in the Women of Spirit, project each woman creates her own statement or statements and then we work together to design the photographs that illustrate those statements. Other photographers have documented women as they age but all from the point to view and style of the photographer. The Women of Spirit photos are unique photo diaries created by these women and I am only the facilitator helping their stories to be told. Infinitely more difficult for but also infinitely more rewarding.
The project began as a survivors tale: women who had over come great hardship to become whole. These women’s stories show that by looking within our selves those answers can be found. Now this is much more a celebration of life than a tale of survival.
