In todays episode I describe my reaction to some of my first boudoir pictures. I compare how I felt then to how I feel now.
Hello, hello, hello, this is me again. In today's episode I want to talk about the feeling I got when I discovered some old photos of myself. So if you're interested in today's topic, make sure you keep listening after this wonderful, amazing introduction. Welcome to the mind body and blue wire podcast. I'm your host, Catherine Cooper, wife, mother to six lover of sweet tea and dancing. I'm also the owner of a thriving boudoir photography studio, located in Dallas, Texas. After photographing over 500 ladies that are looking for permission to feel beautiful and sexy about themselves. I'm now on a mission to help women find confidence around their mind and body while tossing the guilt of taking some time for themselves in the trash. Let's check. Hello, hello, I'm back. So in today's episode, like I said, I want to talk about the feeling that I got when I discovered some old photos of myself. And I thought about this yesterday. And I just got a chance to stop and record and talk about it today. Like you guys seriously, it is like 930 at night, I normally record these episodes during the daytime. But I was like crazy busy have photoshoots today and things like that. But the thing is, is that I didn't forget, because I actually really enjoy coming on and talking. You know, I really enjoy this podcast is the one thing that I have that I don't have to put that much thought into, I still have to put a lot of thought into it. But I don't have to put that much thought into it. If that makes any sense. I just come on here and just talk as myself. You all know if you've been listening, I don't go through all that recording editing. I do record but I don't go through all the editing and stuff like that. I just ain't got time for it. So I don't do it. So there it is. So when you come in, if you come in to see me personally, however you see me now you know how I sound. Okay, so moving on. In today's episode, like I said, I want to talk about the feeling that I got when I discovered some old photos of myself. So what brought this so it's crazy, because so I discovered these old photos of myself, probably about two days ago, I think I said day ago or something like that in the beginning. But it was about two days ago when I discovered these photos. And today, when I was talking on the phone with the client, she was telling me that she thought about doing a photo shoot, she had put it off and kept putting it off. And and she finally you know, came around. It's been years later she finally came around, she was like, Yes, I'm gonna go ahead and book it. And I was thinking to myself when I got off the call with her. Wow, if she had it done, like two years ago, you know the impact it would have had on her right now. It's something about when you look back at old photos of yourself. So anyway, so let me tell you all what I'm talking about. And then I'll tell you about my reaction to finding my photo. So in the very beginning, when I first started, you know, my business as a boudoir photographer, I was trying out a lot of different album companies, you know, and just taking a lot of self portraits of myself, you know, things like that. That was you know, that was my first studio. My first studios slow small space in Arlington. For those of you who are in Texas, you know exactly where Arlington is. That's the area now it's the home of the cowboy stadium and all that goodness over there. But anyway, so that's what my studio was. And so I was just trying some things out. Like I said, I was just so brand new to it. And so it was my first time. Seriously, I didn't own a lot of lingerie or anything like that. So I just wasn't educated like I am now when it comes to like lingerie and things like that. So I had on his body suit, right. And I took these selfies of myself and I really you know, I loved him at the time, but at the time I was so like so not confident with my body. But I took the photos anyway. And I had this album printed. So it was the very first album I had printed up for my husband. And I'm just thinking back at it because I swear if this was a YouTube video, I would 100% show you all because they are sold their solar I don't know freakin bodysuit, okay, it was more closed in a bathing suit, but I was terrified of, you know, what I look like and things like that. So anyway, so I had the album printed at the photos. You know, I designed the album and I printed the album you know, just back like I say when I was just trying out some album companies and things like that. So I use myself As you know, like the sample to try all these album companies out. And so I went back into the system, this is how I discovered it. So I went back into the system of the album company that I use, which I don't use that, you know that often, but I went back into the system. And there was, was my album sitting there. Now where the physical copy is because I know I have it where it is. I have no idea. No idea whatsoever. So it's floating around in the world somewhere. It's my own fault, but it's floating around there somewhere. And at this point, at this moment, I am not mad. Okay. I don't know how many of you have saw the TV show, shits Creek. But if you have there was an episode on there where the mom Jeez, I can't think of her name. Jesus, like on the tip of my tongue, because that's like my favorite show. But anyway, so the mom on the show, some images of herself came up missing, you know, and they were floating around. And she was just like, you know, first she was freaking out. But then she, you know, turns out, she was happy about them. So anyway, yeah, I don't know where, you know, that album is floating around. So I reordered it, though. But anyway, I'm sitting there. And I'm looking at the images. And it brought back all of those old feelings that I had of how scared I was when I took the photos. And it's crazy, because now I will put on weightless clothes. Then, I had on in those photos now our two piece and won't think anything about it. And I probably I think I'm a little thicker than I was then. But I don't even care now. I still like I'm 100% Okay, with who I am now. Am I 100%? Okay, all the time. Absolutely not. But I'm definitely in a better place than I was then. But I look back at the photos, right? And I'm like, Damn, you look good. And it's crazy. Because I did not have that feeling in I was so scared and nervous to like, show any part of my body off. I mean, when I had my first boudoir session, I was afraid to show my body off. You know, I put myself through so much shit. You know, so much negative stuff about who are you know about my body and things like that. I mean, I was so damn scared. And now all these years, I look back. And I'm like, Damn, girl, you are hot. So that's why I printed the album again for a second time. So. So yeah, it's floating around the world somewhere. So if you all find it, you know, Merry Christmas. So anyway, so yeah, I have that album coming in. And so it made me think about it. And I wanted to get on here. And you know, really quickly just share with you all this will not be a long podcast, for sure won't be a long one. Because we're talking 930 at night, and I've worked, I've been working on three hours of sleep, okay. But it's all good, because I seriously enjoy this. Okay, we'll have to talk about how exciting I feel like my entire life feels when it comes to the things that you know, and when it comes to what I do for a living. So we'll talk about that another time. But so anyway, yeah, so I am, I thought about it, because I think about how many women come into my studio. And, you know, well, before they even come in to the studio, the very first thing they do is they give me a call, we talk on the phone, and some of them are freaking terrified. As a matter of fact, I want to say probably 90% is terrified. And, you know, they're afraid of what their body is gonna look like. A lot of my ladies, you know, don't own a lot of lingerie. And that's totally fine. Because I didn't, as a matter of fact, I still don't. I don't own like my studio has way more lingerie than I own, personally, for myself. But yeah, a lot of them have never done it before. So they're super, super scared super hard on themselves. And it is such a wonderful feeling to be able to do what I do, because I can capture them in such a beautiful way. And so when they see their photos, when they see their pictures at the end of everything, you know, they fall in love with them, but the the impact that it's going to have, or that it already has had on, you know quite a few of my clients because it's been a few years now. They've a lot of my clients from few years ago are starting to come back because they look back at the photos and they're like wow, like they look like it means it has a huge impact when you look back a few years later, and so now since then, since that first album that I created, I probably created maybe about three, three more of myself since then, and every single time I do it. I wait You know, I look at the images and I love them, I love them, love them love them. But you know, I always go back to them, you know, like a few months or a year later. And that's when the wow factor really kicks in really, really kicks in. So, so that's it again, I was thinking about that, because I was just like, Man, you know, how many times do we stop? We let so many negative thoughts. And y'all know, I've said this before, I'm probably gonna always say it, you know, because I strongly believe in this, but we can talk ourselves out of so much. And is just us. It's just in our own heads. You know, it's not, it's not even the reality, okay? Like, it's not, it's, you know, we can just, we can talk ourselves, oh, no, my body isn't here, I need to lose weight. And, you know, I need to, I don't know, get my hair extensions put in, I need to cut my hair extensions off, I need to get my skin together, or I need to, you know, build a little bit more muscle before I show up on camera, I need to be so perfect, you know, in order to show up. And that's not the case that like, like, time, like, this is how I feel okay? My grandmother used to say this all the time. Like tomorrow is not promised to you like that. Okay, it's not promised that you're gonna like get in this super good shape. You're not you know, it's not promised that you're going to be so perfect. And then once you so perfect, everything is going to fall in line. And then that's the perfect time to go and like do something for yourself, whether it's have a boudoir session, or take that awesome trip or, you know, get on that dating site, whatever it is. You act now, act now. Do it right now. You don't wait on perfect, because perfect does not exist. It doesn't exist to me at all. You know, it's just growth. Growth is what exists to me. You cannot I am confident like I am with my bike. Now. Again, don't get me wrong. Am I 100%? like walking around? Like, yeah, I love my body every inch of it every single day, every moment? No, no, I'm not. So let me just get that part understood. No, I'm not but I am. So in a better place is in such a better place than I was years ago, years ago when I was so afraid that so many negative thoughts just stopped me. And I'm so glad that I took the leap to do what I do now for a living. Because the wonderful, amazing women that I have met and the you know, and the business that I have has forced me to get in front of the camera, be happy with me look at every single inch of my body and be okay and be happy with it. And every single time I do it, it makes me more and more confident. So eventually I'm telling you, I'm gonna be a damn superhero. Okay? Because that's because that's how I feel. You know what I do? It's so much. So I encourage you today. It doesn't have to be a boudoir shoot, it can be anything, I encourage you to just take the leap and do something you're afraid of. Do something you're afraid of that way in a couple years from now you can look back at it and be so damn proud and happy of yourself. So that's all I got. That is my motivation, chitchat for the day. I was just thinking about it. And I was like, yep, that's what we're talking about today. So, again, that's all I got for you. I don't know if you guys went to my website and downloaded your five ways to look sexy in a photo. But since we're talking about looking good, hey, you might as well go there anyway. So go to my website, Catherine Cooper photography.com. Scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and download your five ways to look sexy in a photo. If you want to book a photo shoot then just click that button and book your photo shoot with me. But if you ain't ready for that, then go ahead go to my website, download that guy and start looking good in your photos. document. take some photos of yourself now stop waiting. Oh, perfect. Okay, perfect is right now. Doesn't exist, like I said, but it starts right now. Because I guarantee you whatever you do today, you're gonna look back and you're gonna be so damn happy you did it. So that's all I got for y'all. I love chit chatting with you. So until next week, you all be safe. Love you and I will talk to you later. If you enjoy today's episode and you're curious to learn more about me, feel free to look me up at Catherine Cooper photography calm Bye Love