Viral Humans Of New York Post Spreads Some Much-Needed Body Positivity

Humans Of New York post reminds us that we’re all a work of art

A photo posted to the Humans of New York Facebook page yesterday is going viral for all the right reasons. It spreading a message of body-positivity that we could all learn a lesson from.

It’s simply an image of a woman holding her cellphone up to display her photo gallery, exhibiting the images on her phone:

“Last year I started figure modeling for art classes. I’m plus-sized, so I was a little worried about being nude,” the post begins. “I was nervous about everyone seeing my stomach, and my thighs, and all my fat. But apparently my curves are fun to draw.”

“In the classroom, all the features I saw as negative were viewed as assets. One student told me that it’s no fun to draw straight lines. It’s been liberating for me.”

The phone holds images of all the different drawings that have been made of her body. By being appreciated by a class full of art students, she was able to step back and appreciate herself, too. There’s really no one way a body “should” look, and it’s crazy how many of us are hung up on the idea that there is — and how many of us are riddled with self-doubt because we don’t think we have that “right” body type.

HONY also posted an image of the woman, so we could see her in all her glory.

She’s radiating, and it’s not just because the sun is hitting her hair. She looks amazing.

The comment section is almost the best part of the post, because it’s a giant love-fest — something that is very rare on the internet these days. There’s over 500 comments on the photo of her above, sending her love and telling her how gorgeous she is. And the comments on her original post are just as great:

It’s a great reminder, especially at the beginning of the year when we are undoubtedly chronicling all the things we want to change about ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with working to change the things you don’t like, but there’s something to be said about appreciating yourself, the way you are, right now.

“I’ve always been insecure about my belly,” she ends her post. “But now my belly has been part of so many beautiful pieces of art.”