Name: Katie O. Selvidge
Age: 27
Occupation: Creator + Publisher/Editor in Chief of Cottage Hill
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
My favorite thing about my body is: My legs. I was a ballerina for many years and while they do not look like they did years ago, they are still strong which makes me feel good when I get to really use them like hiking or swimming. Although right now, I’m really loving my growing baby bump too!
I get complimented on my eyes the most.
I used to think my thighs were a flaw, now I am learning to love them.
The first thing I think about when I wake up is:My husband, which sounds really sweet, but to be completely transparent it’s because he likes to keep our house really cold at night and I wake up trying to snuggle my ice cube-cold toes under his calves. Maybe he does it on purpose just to get those morning snuggles.
Being photographed without makeup felt:Easy. It was refreshing to literally roll out of bed and just smile.
I wish I could tell my 15 year old self: Stop living in fear of not being enough. Change your standard from being ‘enough’ to being exactly who God made you to be.
If the media shared more unretouched photos, it would: As editor of Cottage Hill, we don’t believe in or use ‘retouched’ photos – only lightly edited if necessary, but nothing that changes the person or subject. I know I am not the only editor who believes in this, but I think if mainstream media adopted this idea it would actually do a better job at communicating it’s message – whatever it may be – because it would be honest.
I feel most beautiful when: I have taken action on something that really matters to me or my family. I can feel that glow of giving and love from the inside out.
Anything else to add about the experience, why you did it, how you felt after it? I felt like more women should have make-up free portraits and wake up feeling not just enough, but good – really good about themselves and who they are.
I am immeasurably more because: It’s not about me. It’s about loving others and glorifying Him. That makes who I am and what I do so much more than my appearance or accomplishments.
I am more than: I am more than the title next to ‘Occupation.’ I am a storyteller that celebrates beauty, meaning and legacy. My title just happens to be one of the ways I’m currently using my God-given gifts to serve others.
Immeasurably More is a personal project centered on the “real, not retouched” to empower women and document a time in our lives, just as it is. These were unplanned 10 minute sessions straight out of bed in the morning: no make up, no retouching, all real. This movement is to help us embrace our perceived imperfections, celebrate our bodies, and empower us to feel “enough” right when we wake up everyday.
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