The Inner Strength Project
I’ve been wanting to do a personal photography project for a long time… but finding a theme or a subject has not been easy. It’s only been recently, with movements like #metoo and seeing more stories of women standing up for themselves against the patriarchy, that things have started to become clear in my mind. And then my sister, Hannah, published a blog post that really inspired me. Suddenly I knew what I wanted to do – the Inner Strength Project.
The Inner Strength Project, as I have come to call it, is, simply put, all about the inner strength of women. Particularly those who have had a battle to fight – which, let’s face it, is probably most women. I’ve always believed that women should be happy in their own skin. I’m a strong advocate for body positivity and confidence. I believe that every woman (actually, let’s not be exclusive here – every person) is beautiful. And, more recently, I’ve come to realise how strong you all are.
The Inner Strength Project aims to show that strength.
I know so many amazing women – women who have borne children, women who work incredibly hard jobs that test their strength, women who are physically some of the strongest people I know, women who have come out the other side of awful experiences and are mentally and emotionally stronger than they’ve ever been before. These are the strengths I want to show in this project.
The beauty of this project is that it’s not just about taking photographs. I want to share the stories of the women I take photographs of as well. I’ve been wanting to combine photography with writing more recently (especially now I’m doing a Creative Writing degree!) and so this seems like the perfect way to get started with that.
So, here I am putting this out into the Universe. I am looking for women to take part in my project. I am looking for you. If you are a woman who has fought against the patriarchy, or has been through an energy-draining experience (whether physical, mental or emotional) and you have come out of the other side, then I want to meet you, hear your story and capture your strength and your image to share with others.
Perhaps, by sharing your story and showing your inner strength now, you might just give another woman who isn’t there yet the strength to carry on and keep fighting.
Now wouldn’t that be an incredible thing?
To thank you for your time and allowing me to do this and share your images and story, you will get all of the edited images free to download, use and share as you wish. If you’d like to take part, please email me: hello@sarahwayte.com or fill out the form. I cannot wait to hear from you.