ABOUT THE ARTIST
ALEX JONES
Hey lovely!
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I'm so glad you've stumbled across my photography page! My name is Alex and I am an enneagram obsessed, body positive, fashion fanatic, mental health role model and experienced portrait photographer. I strive to use my photography skills to capture and share raw, real, and empowering images. I want to inspire people to be open and vulnerable with themselves and others and to not let society and "social norms" define or degrade them. I love speaking out about being perfectly imperfect and being open and honest with my struggles, because I want to help break the barrier between reality and social media.
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I didn't always feel this way though...
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I grew up with a very strict set of rules in a family where mental illness was viewed as an excuse or attitude rather than a health disorder. Because of this, my anxiety went untreated for almost 7 years until I was finally rushed into the ER because I was having what I later found out was a severe anxiety attack. And even after a recorded heart rate of 174 and a blue face and fingers from not being able to breath, when the doctor told me that was brought on by anxiety I didn’t believe him. At that time in my life, I honestly believed that mental illness was not a medical disorder but an excuse, an attitude, or a sign of weakness. I believed what I read and what I saw on the news and what I was told by the people I cared about. After the attack, I started going to therapy where I became more knowledgeable of mental illness and learned about the stigmas around it that me, and so many others, had planted into their heads.
I knew then that I wanted to become the woman that I needed as a girl; a strong, confident, life-loving badass who openly shares her battles between self-love and self-sabotage. I strive to inspire other adults and children to be real. Real with their friends and family, real with their social media accounts, and most importantly, real with themselves. For years I silently struggled to love myself because I was told and taught that my physical appearance and strong emotions were unflattering and unworthy of love. And it was, and still is, because of falsified news and old traditions that so many people like me are made to feel unworthy of love from others and from themselves.
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It takes courage to share your feelings, show your emotions, be confident in your skin and live and love outwardly and authentically.
We cannot be afraid to share our struggles and success with those around us. We cannot let the opinions of others be the reasons for our choices. And we cannot let our fear of judgment make us quiet. For we can all be strong, confident, life-loving, badasses in our own way, and we need to start lifting each other up in this world, not tearing each other down. So whatever your disorder, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, shape, size, religion, or beliefs, live and love authentically and respect the differences in each other that make us all unique, because you have the right to choose how to share, celebrate, and love your body and mind.
I am worthy of love and happiness, and so are you!
And I know that some people will find rawness and realness intimidating or annoying, but I understand that because I used to be that person! I let society and other people’s beliefs tell me that being curvy was ugly, that being emotional was being a drama queen, that being honest when sharing my thoughts and opinions was attention seeking, and that being perfect was the only way to be happy. But I’m here to tell you that you can be curvy and beautiful, you can be in touch with your emotions and not feel ashamed, and you can be real and share your life, your feelings, your choices, and your body with others in whatever way makes you feel beautiful and not be “attention seeking.” You need to live your life for you, not to please others around you.
And that is what I am trying to do...
