#share your story

Around the three year mark of my relationship with David, my struggles with trust became too much to deal with on my own so I decided to talk to some friends about it. After a photo shoot one day I spoke to the make up team I worked with about my situation. My intention was to get insight on how to trust again after being betrayed, but I ended up providing further details about my experiences with LO, in order to give them context. That was the first time I ever told anyone my story.

The feeling of finally getting such heart rending feelings off my chest came with a sense of relief I hadn’t expected. I had no idea how much I’d been needing to speak it all out loud. Not only did my colleagues listen to me, but each of them then responded with similar stories of their own. I felt further relieved to know I wasn’t the only one who had been in this type of relationship, but it was also jarring to get a sense of how common it was and how no one really seemed to be speaking about it. Why had so many of us gone through this? And if it was so rampant why weren’t we educated about it in school? Why had there been nothing in place to prepare us for this?

In this moment a seed was planted which would eventually grow into ReclaimYourVoice.

Today = Alan Cumming’s challenge, Share Your Story! If you’ve been bullied or picked on in the past, share how you made it through with #MonthOfAction to bring hope to others. If you can’t think of a story from your own experience to share, try to find a video that inspires you at http://bystanderrevolution.org/browse!
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#MonthOfAction is a 31 day challenge throughout October, to spread compassion and build habits that help defuse bullying. Learn more here: [LINK]

Day 1: Monica Lewinsky’s Challenge: Make ‘em Laugh
Day 2: Olivia Wilde’s Challenge: Share Your Smile
Day 3: Salma Hayek’s Challenge: End Negativity
Day 4: Spread Positivity w/ Tyler Clementi Foundation
Day 5: Rep Your Teacher w/ The Bully Project
Day 6: Lily Collins’ Challenge: Say Hey
Day 7: Michael J. Fox’s Challenge: Show You Care
Day 8: Print and Post
Day 9: Jamie Lee Curtis’ Challenge: Sit with Someone New
Day 10: Open Your Mind w/ MTV’s Look Different
Day 11:Unplug w/ Common Sense Media
Day 12: Rashida Jones’ Challenge: Word Up
Day 13: Shonda Rhimes’ Challenge: Say Yes
Day 14: Drew Lynch’s Challenge: Find the Funny
Day 15: Be An Ally w/ GLAAD
Day 16: Bradley Cooper’s Challenge: Give Thanks
Day 17: Alan Cumming’s Challenge: Share Your Story
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Happy Black History Month! This year I will be working with some amazing story artists on the new POC_ story instagram! The goal is to uplift artists of color to share their stories. I will be sharing art on this instagram that I WON’T be posting on tumblr! So come follow us! And hopefully you can share art with us too!! @poc_story