e had the pleasure of interviewing Phoebe Truckle, and what a perspective she gave me today! one that has helped me look at myself positively. We hope her interview and photos do the same for you.
"focus more on what your body does for you and allows you to do instead of just what it looks like."
How have you struggled in the past to appreciate or love your body and how have you overcome that struggle?
From the age of about 10 I started to suffer from poor body image which later turned into a severe eating disorder (anorexia nervosa) from ages 12-15. I was hospitalized in order to gain weight but unfortunately wasn't able to receive psychotherapy. Slowly, I got better and tried to focus less on my body, especially after I realized that counting calories and staring at myself in the mirror with disgust wasn't helping and that it had just become a huge pathological obsession. I got into intuitive eating (before it went mainstream) and I stopped comparing myself to others. What really helps me now is following body positive and mental health accounts on Instagram. Lots of people criticize social media when it comes to increasing self-esteem and body confidence but I think it all has to do with how you use social media and especially, who/what you follow. Every person or page that I follow lifts me up and/or inspires me in some way.
What do you love most about your body?
I love all that it does for me on a daily basis! We, especially women, tend to forget that bodies weren't uniquely designed to be aesthetically pleasing. I love walking, swimming, making love... And my body allows me to do all that. I suffer from mental health issues (depression and anxiety) but my body is in good health and I'm extremely grateful for that. I also feel that we don't have to "love" our bodies, body-neutrality seems more realistic and achievable to me.
What message do you have for other women who struggle to appreciate and love their bodies?
That you don't have to look a certain way to be considered beautiful
That you don't have to fit into society's forever changing beauty standards to be worthy
That your body wasn't designed to be aesthetically pleasing
That your body wasn't made to please the male gaze
And that making peace with and accepting your body is possible, especially when you focus more on what your body does for you and allows you to do instead of just what it looks like.
Was shooting naked empowering?
It was indeed! And doing it in the middle of a forest, in union with nature, made it easier I think, and I managed to "let go" and be my perfectly imperfect self. I also got the chance to work with a very talented and considerate photographer, Laurent Ringeval, who loves to help people accept their bodies through photography, whatever their morphology.
To see more of Phoebe, please follow her on Instagram @phoebs_34
