"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost

© Lord Coltrane "Spontaneous Explosion of Beauty" in Central Park, NYC

"There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. That is the true essence of beauty." - Dr. Steve Maraboli

Happy 4th!  While most Americans celebrate the "Declaration of Independence" with BBQ's, fireworks, carnivals, fairs, and family gatherings, I like to think about what it means for a woman to be truly FREE.

I was recently at a conference in NYC, where I lunched with women I barely knew (but fell in love with immediately!).  Each was different in age, shape, look, size, and temperament.  One of the women declared she had a desire to be naked in Central Park.  So with my camera and passion to inspire courageous acts of beauty, our journey began. 

By the time we got to Central Park, we had a group of fifteen women encouraging and supporting each other.  Now seven glorious women spontaneously decided they would also get naked in Central Park!  It was a bold step towards owning their inner beauty, and setting themselves FREE from the inner criticisms shackling us all down.

The experience was liberating, fun, outrageous, gorgeous, empowering and outright crazy!  Each woman was an explosion of radiance and acceptance.  It was like fireworks on the 4th of July!

IT'S TIME TO IGNITE YOUR INNER FIREWORKS & GET NAKED!

Not all of us are going to strip down in a public place to be photographed in the nude. But, there is something we can all do to ignite the light inside of us - privately.

Get Naked. Get Naked Often. Get Naked & Celebrate!

Strip down and confront yourself in the mirror.  At first you might be too critical, but the more you see yourself naked, the more you will accept yourself as you are.  You will soon realize that self-hate is the product of puritanical messages that nudity is wrong, and patriarchal messages that your body must include overdone nips, tucks, and DD implants to be attractive.

Studies have shown that children who grow up in households where nudity is "no big deal," accept their bodies and are more comfortable with their sexuality (sex therapist Dennis Sugrue, PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and coauthor of Sex Matters for Women).  So, get naked often.  Overtime, you will find a stirring in your body for more self-care and self-love.  You will enjoy eating better and exercising your body because if feels good and is good for your body, not because you feel you have to.

Once you start to get comfortable with your naked body in the mirror, it is time to step it up and celebrate!  Dance naked in the mirror to "Firework" by Katy Perry (or see Bathing in Your Own Beauty), have a party with yourself, jump for joy and self-acceptance.

FREEDOM is daring to be ourselves. FREEDOM is living by our own set of rules.  FREEDOM is loving ourselves inside and out.  FREEDOM is igniting your inner fireworks and celebrating you!

Firework by Katy Perry

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?
Screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
'Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colors burst
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

You don't have to feel like a wasted space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it's time you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework
Come on, let your colours burst
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough