Name: Sarah Contrucci Smith
Age: 30
Occupation: Founder and Designer at Ara Collective
Location: Austin, TX
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My favorite thing about my body is: My tan Italian skin
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I get complimented on my hair the most.
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I used to think freckles were a flaw, now I am learning to love them. They make me look so young, which is supposed to be good but I’ve always been eager to look older (read: “more respected”).
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The first thing I think about when I wake up is: “I’m never leaving this heavenly bed of peace”
Being photographed without makeup felt: “Effortless. But also like I wasn’t putting my best, most polished self forward.“
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I wish I could tell my 15 year old self: I wasn’t self-conscious at all when I was 15. I had just moved back from Indonesia to California and didn’t care at all about my looks. I felt like a fish out of water culturally!
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If the media shared more unretouched photos, it would: Make everyone feel better about themselves. And by everyone I mean the women looking at the photos, the women who modeled in the photos (hello, that sucks the worst!), and the men seeing the photos and the women they have in their lives. It’d be more honest and authentic, which brings so much ease and peace and unity into a community.
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I feel most beautiful when: I’m laughing. And when my hubs tells me my body is hot as I walk around feeling extra pudgy. This blows my mind and reminds me that I am not the sum of the flatness of my stomach.
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Anything else to add about the experience, why you did it, how you felt after it? Getting to take these photos with one of my blankets from Ara Collective was such an amazing experience for me. I felt vulnerable, real, and empowered while – literally – being surrounded by the work of strong, dignified, and master craftswomen. Partnering with women like them and being a part of breaking their poverty cycle is the greatest work I can imagine.
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I am immeasurably more because: I was created with intention.
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I am more than: my stomach pudge, the whiteness of my teeth, the perfectly put together outfit, or saying the perfect thing at all times.
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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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