Why does this statement mean so much to emske?
As the saying goes, the only thing constant in life is change. Yet, why when it comes to our bodies, does society have so much discomfort around the notion and process of change? Whether it be as natural as aging, or as life altering as an acquired disability, we agree that change can be hard... but shouldn't be vilified.
Aging itself is truly a privilege, the natural process our bodies go through from childhood to adolescence to adulthood is what gives us our humanity. Being able to live long enough to experience these changes is something not afforded to all. Going through and experiencing change whether it be a tiny change or a huge change provides opportunity to expand our empathy, outlook and insight.
Image Description: three different coloured versions of a digital sketch of the phrase "Normalize Changing Bodies" in lower case hand drawn font in front of a blurred two tone background. Colour variations from left to right, peach text on blue background, black text on tan/camel background, white text on sage/sea-foam background. Illustration copyright: emske, design studio
As for the other popular saying... if nothing changes, nothing changes, emske hopes to normalize the phenomenon of change in all aspects. From the mysteries of our changing bodies during and after childbirth, or the excitement of our bodies changing due to elective surgery to become the selves we have always imagined, to the changing aspects that can be both permanent and temporary surrounding a chronic illness or disability. It seems ableist to look at change as a bad thing, that gaining some weight or losing some mobility for example somehow makes us less than, when in reality it is all a part of our stories. And at the end of the day, who doesn't like a good story?
By designing items that are inherently designed to be adaptive to our unique changing bodies, we aim to work towards de-stigmatizing and normalizing changing bodies. We all have the capacity to change and should all be awarded non-judgemental environments to live our lives freely in our ever changing bodies. Join us in celebrating the and embracing change, yes some days it will be harder to accept than others, but hey... we are here in support of all of it!
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