Arianne
“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.”
— Edward Steichen
How we met
We met just for this photo but what caught my attention most about Arianne was her story that as the daughter of a photographer, she had become shy in front of the camera and would actively shun photographs. But she was attracted to this project for the chance to find her way back to being comfortable in front of the lens. I hope I have helped her embrace the power of being photographed.
Get to know Arianne
What have all the females in your life taught you about being a woman?
That to be strong and resilient is to trust myself and my instincts and to be confident in who and what I am. The women in my life are strong and confident and have faced their own battles and found it within themselves to grow as women through this and I have learnt from them. They have taught me that I am unique and that there are only the barriers in life we set for ourselves. And that if I want to strive for certain goals and to do what I love, to have faith in myself that I have the strength to do this. They have also taught me deep respect for all humans, and most importantly the passion to care for and nourish all the woman around me. This means reaching out and being there for others. They also taught me that knowledge can be taught, but wisdom comes through experience. And lots of different and diverse experiences at that!
What would you choose as your Little Miss character to describe your personality and why?
Little Miss Whoops or Little Miss Trouble. I have always been an accident prone person, and as a fiercely stubborn and feisty teenager I found myself in a few accidents and mishaps! I am still a feisty strong woman, however I have toned down this a fair bit (now I’m just cheeky) compared to sneaking out as a teenager to go to parties at a young age
What is the one thing you cannot resist?
I cannot resist hot chips. I literally have tried places all over Canberra to see where the best hot chips are. We even have Hot Chip Friday at work so that I can eat hot chips
To you, what is kindness?
For me kindness is rooted in empathy, compassion and acceptance. It involves being truly and completely present with someone (or yourself!) and being beside them to walk ‘with’ them not ‘for them’. It involves acknowledging that person for who and what they are and ‘opening the door for them’ and just listening and being there for them.
“To be present every day. We spend so much of our lives waiting for the ‘big’ moments to happen we forget to enjoy and be present for each day and all the joys that this brings. It is such a simple concept but so so hard in practice.”
In what moments are you the happiest?
I am happiest when I am somewhere outside in nature whether it is on a mountain, by the beach; hiking or sitting having a picnic by a river. Nature and all its beauty are so grounding, and I will often go somewhere outside by myself or with family and friends to rest and recharge.
What are your favourite quotes?
‘Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.’ – Brené Brown
’The most gorgeous thing on a human is vulnerability.’ – Brené Brown
‘I wish to live a life where my soul dances out of my body.’ – Dele Olanubi
What is your personal mantra right now?
Every year instead of a new year’s resolution I pick a word that I want as guidance throughout the year. My current mantra for the year is maitri (or metta in Buddhism) which means loving, kindness to oneself and others. It is the foundation of the four virtues: Loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.
I am using this to remind myself to be kind to myself each day as I have a tendency to be hard on myself (although doesn’t everyone!).
To you what is the most pressing issue women face?
Inequality. Women and girls continue to face unequal access and treatment in developing and developed countries. Women still face discrimination and violence in so many facets of their lives. Underpinning so many of the issues that face women (domestic violence, unequal pay, education, reproductive rights, access to health care, personal safety and harassment) is our unequal treatment. If women were treated equally just imagine how much women all over the world could shine!
What would you tell 13-year-old you?
To slow down and have faith that you will learn and grow from your experiences and that being a young woman is hard, but there are so many kind people in the world who are there for you who you can turn to. I would also tell myself to slow down, you don’t need to try and experience all life has to bring in one moment, it all comes with time. Don’t grow up too quickly and play more.
