The Empowerment Project

If you pick up a copy of Sports Illustrated these days, you might be surprised what you see when it comes to the diversity of models being chosen to grace the covers. Taking note of the cultural shift that is happening in the wider beauty and fashion worlds, the magazine has been making a huge effort to be inclusive. One of the models recently featured was @Kellyhues, whose image went viral for a very special reason. The model from Miami, FL, broke barriers in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue being the first model to highlight her cesarean section scar, which has never happened in the magazine’s 58-year history! Along with being one of this year’s most talked about swimsuit models, Kelly is also a single mother to her 3-year-old son as well as the founder and designer of HÜES jewelry, worn by numerous A-list celebs. Kelly has also partnered with ESTAS Beauty to start the #ScarLoveChallenge on social media to spread a feeling of empowerment and change the societal stigma around scars. We had the opportunity to chat with the model mama about her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue shoot, how motherhood changed her perspective and mission in her modeling career, and what she hopes everyone with scars will love about themselves more after reading her story. "I think we still have a long way to go for the entire industry to truly embrace the change so the more we continue to show diversity and continue this conversation representing all women and bodies, there will be a long-lasting impact that changes people from the inside out. I think it will change people’s idea of what beauty is." Read more about Kelly's personal C-section story and see more of her stunning images via the link in our bio! 👙💪🏻 . . . #kellyhues #sportsillustrated #swimsuitissue #motherhood #scars #beauty #fashion #bodyimage #diversity #representation #embrace #women #bodypositive #Csection #mama #jewelry #designer #entrepreneur #model

@iamevitagiron, freelance writer, blog and author of the best-selling children’s book “The Girl with the Magical Curls” announces the launch of yet another exciting and inspiring children’s book titled, “30 Short Affirmations for Curly-Haired Kids” (out July 28, 2022). Evita is also the founder of the brand, Curlyvita: Crowns Come in All Colors. Her new empowering book contains 30 powerful positive statements of declaration to help raise and build up the self-esteem of kids with curly hair, and fits right in line with Evita’s overall literary theme of wanting to encourage body positivity and self-love. If you have been following the movement happening around The Crown Act, we are seeing a number of US states and territories enacting this into law to stop the onslaught of discriminatory incidents around hair, especially among Black youth in schools. While legislation to stop and prevent discrimination is important, what Evita is doing is creating a powerful resource to instill confidence in the lives of young kids who may come across cultural negativity about their hair, or the way they look. We spoke with Evita to learn more about her mission behind ’30 Short Affirmations for Curly-Haired Kids’ and which affirmations personally spoke to her as a woman of color with curly hair herself! "When I created my first book I thought, “wow, I wish I had a book like this when I was little.” Now I’m teaching my daughter and other children the power of loving yourself and knowing that you are special and beautiful just the way you are. They can carry these principles into adulthood and start early knowing that affirmations are their armor against negative talk, whether from themselves or someone else." Head to the link in our bio to grab a copy of ’30 Short Affirmations for Curly-Haired Kids’! 💜💗💙 . . . #affirmations #crownact #curlyhair #girls #blackgirls #bodypositivity #loveyourself #confidence #womanofcolor #EvitaGiron #bestsellingauthor #bookstagram #childrensbooks #instagood

When we read the description of author @charlenethomasbooks’ new novel ‘Seton Girls’ – “a debut YA that starts off like Friday Night Lights and ends with the power and insight of Dear White People” we were hooked. Out August 30, 2022, ‘Seton Girls’ is an examination of the beautiful nuances of female friendships and the complex intersection of race, class, and gender. Seton Academic High is a prep school obsessed with its football team and their thirteen-year conference win streak, a record that players always say they’d never have without Seton’s girls. What exactly Seton girls do to make them so valuable, though, no one ever really says. But the team’s quarterback, the younger brother of the Seton star who started the streak, wants more than regular season glory. He wants a state championship before his successor, Seton’s first Black QB, has a chance to overshadow him. Bigger rewards require bigger risks, and soon the actual secrets to the team’s enduring success leak to a small group of girls who suddenly have the power to change their world forever. We had the chance to talk to Charlene ahead of the book’s release about the intersections woven throughout ‘Seton Girls’, casting Black female leads as whole and nuanced characters, and why it was important for her to “flip the script” with this story: “I wanted readers to find Black girls as main characters—being the pretty ones, the popular ones, the heroes—because we still so rarely get to see ourselves cast in those roles. I wanted to remind girls everywhere that they’re more than what boys decide they are. That they are full, capable humans within their own right. That they are bigger than the adjectives that the world uses to describe them. That they are nouns.” Get familiar with 'Seton Girls' via the link in our bio. 💗🫦 . . . #SetonGirls #blackgirls #blackfemalelead #protagonist #femalecharacter #YAfiction #race #teens #friday #book #bookstagram #author #Charlenethomas #flipthescript

Many women today who identify as witches associate more closely with feminism than burnings at the stake or boiling potions with an eye of newt. These women are a part of collective consciousness, harnessing the power of the occult to foster spiritual growth and authority over their lives, on their terms. Ashley Ryan, also known as @pythianpriestess, a practicing occultist, and teacher of magickal practice, is at the forefront of this trend. Ashley’s path to the occult was borne out of disaffection with traditional religion. Raised in a strict Catholic environment, Ashley rebelled against the rules and practices that she felt from an early age limited her ability to find and be her true self. As she sought out a spiritual identity of her own, majoring in theology in college, the teachings of the occult resonated with her. She knew she’d found her path. As host of the @theoccultunveiled podcast, Ashley just launched the 2nd season, and walks us through a rare insider’s look at secret rituals. It mostly turns long-held assumptions about ‘the dark side’ on their head. Here's what she told us about dispelling myths about the occult: "The Occult and witchcraft have been seen as “devil-worshipping”. Even working with herbs was condemnable! This is because whenever women or any minority is given a form of power (in this case, supernatural), it is seen as a threat. Each one of us, regardless of race, gender, or age, can practice magick; it is our birthright. I think the mass exposure to the occult is a turning point in history." Read the rest of our fascinating interview via the link in our bio! ⚫️✨🔮 . . . #occult #podcast #witchcraft #pythianpriestess #ashleyryan #theoccultunveiled #magic #spiritual #rituals #evil #good #spirit #power#thedarkside

We know the world is a dark place to exist in right now. But put down your phones, step away from the doom-scrolling on your newsfeed, and pre-order a copy of @annickadelle’s debut comedy album, Between Two Worlds, set for release August 12, 2022 on Blonde Medicine. Trust us, this album will provide the exact type of medicine we all need – comedy! The album explores what it means to live between two worlds in various ways: between ‘corporate America’ (where Annick worked before standup) and the arts (now working as a comedian); being German-bred while residing in the USA, and embarking on the gender journey and living on the spectrum between male and female. Annick made the decision to pursue comedy full time, and “infect more people with laughter” during the pandemic when things looked bleak. The result is ‘Between Two Worlds’, which was recorded in front of an unassuming Fargo, ND audience at The Cellar at the Front Street Taproom. We spoke with Annick about her album, and she told us about an unexpected reaction she got from one audience member after the show: "We sometimes underestimate our impact. Here I was joking about my gender journey and the weird side effects and the funny things that happened to me. And after the show a woman approached me, in tears saying she was so thankful I talked about these things. She has a trans kid and said “Representation matters. Tonight you represented them. So thank you.” I guess I underestimated what things mean to people." Listen to snippets of her show and order the album via the link in our bio! 🤣😹🎤 . . . #comedy #standupcomedy #comedyalbum #AnnickAdelle #betweentwoworlds #gender #culture #funny #German #american #representationmatters

If you are planning on attending the upcoming @thedinahshore festival, September 21-25 in Palm Springs CA, then hide your girlfriend because Siena Liggins is coming to bring down the house with her infectious brand of pop/EDM/hip-hop blend that will have you weak at the knees. The Dinah Shore is the world’s largest queer/lesbian/non-binary/trans event founded by Mariah Hanson, attracting some of the biggest names in past years such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Bebe Rexha, and Lizzo who all graced The Dinah stage before becoming international superstars. This year’s event will see exciting queer female voices in the lineup including @sienaliggins who will be headlining. In two years Siena Liggins has gone from an unknown songwriter to one of Billboard’s Top Ten Rising LGBTQ+ artists (2021). Siena’s much-anticipated debut album, “Ms. Out Tonight,” has surpassed 2.5 million streams with features on playlists across every streaming platform. The project’s title is an affirmation of Siena’s arrival, a celebration of her identity, and a warning to those unready to envision the next generation she represents. We had the chance to chat with Siena about ‘Ms. Out Tonight’, being considered one of the biggest rising queer artists on the scene, and why all attendees should be prepared to “hide your girlfriend” come September! "It’s so refreshing to see so much queer talent taking up space in the mainstream and creating space for more folks who live within the margins. Personally, I think it’s important to continue pushing for more of us in more positions on and off stage, in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes," she said. As for what Dinah attendees can expect to see during her performance... "I can’t give away too much, but I’ll tell you what I expect to see– all the hottest babes at the front of the stage. And if you haven’t already heard… hide ur girlfriend!" Get to know Siena via the link in our bio! ✌🏾🕶💚💋 . . . #TheDinahShore #SienaLiggins #MsOutTonight #Blush #queerartists #LGBTQIA #music #event #hideurgirlfriend #queertalent #instagood #blackwomen #blackqueerartists

If you’re searching for your next steamy Young Adult romance novel obsession, look no further than @claudiatanwrites’ ‘Perfect Addiction’, released July 19th. And Claudia is an author you want to keep an eye on, as this Gen Z prodigy has firmly established herself in the genre, at only 24 years old! The breakout adult romance writer’s popularity soared with her hit Perfect series, which started on Wattpad, accumulating over 170 million reads, and nabbing the People’s Choice Award in the Wattys Awards in 2015 and 2016. Now Claudia is taking things to the next level with her second book, ‘Perfect Addiction’, which has been optioned for a feature film starring young stars Ross Butler, Kiana Madeira and Matthew Noszka. We had the chance to chat with Claudia about ‘Perfect Addiction’, and here's what she told us about writing a flawed female lead: "I think it’s so important to have female characters you can look up to that not only are kicking some serious ass, but also you get to see their biggest flaws while doing so. I think it’s the reason why readers are so drawn to the character of Sienna – she’s strong physically, but she makes some questionable decisions in the process. Her journey to overcome her flaws is something that feels rewarding to see." Here's what she said about writing erotic fiction for YA readers: "I think as young women are coming into their own sexuality, they want to read their journeys reflected in fiction as well! Erotic romance was once something that maybe felt shameful to read, and it was purely marketed to older women. I love that we, as the new generation, can talk openly about our kinks and what we like from our partners." Get familiar with 'Perfect Addiction' via the link in our bio! 📖 . . . #claudiatan #GenZ #author #YAfiction #romancenovel #eroticfiction #femaleprotagonist #flaws #character #complexfemale #strongfemalelead #bookstagram #instagood

Today we are celebrating International Self-Care Day with our friends at Skin Pharm, a modern beauty brand founded by nurse practitioner @maegangrifffin. International Self-Care Day stresses the importance of self-care as the cornerstone of wellness, and was established by the International Self-Care Foundation in 2011 to raise awareness about it. 💆🏽‍♀️ Skin Pharm are experts when it comes to self-care — swipe to see how three @skin_pharm products play into their way of slowing things down 🤍 For more info and links check out our stories on #InternationalSelfCareDay. . . . #BySkinPharm #GirlTalkHQ #SelfCareSunday #internationalselfcareday #selfcare #wellness #breathe #slowdown #relax