Anti-Diet Embroidered Messages by So Many Somethings
These Embroidered Anti-Diet Messages on Instagram Are Bold and Necessary
I love scrolling through my Instagram feed lately as I've recently started following tons of body positive, anti-diet, HAES (health at every size), and intuitive eating accounts. It's a breath of fresh air to be bombarded with messages about eating nourishing food, accepting my body as it is, and not trying to shape it into some unrealistic size.
As a fellow crafter and artist, I immediately fell in love with so.many.somethings and her self-described "angry feminist" account. She does something which I only just heard about: craftivism (it even has it's own Instagram tag!). She uses the peaceful and delicate art form of embroidery to share strong and necessary messages. These are bold and badass!
When asked what inspired her to make them, she told "I wanted to be able to talk about my experiences as a fat woman and how diet culture has impacted my view of my body and my self-worth. I can find it hard to confront problematic or concerning views from loved ones, colleagues, or just strangers regarding diet culture in real time." She added, "The embroideries are a way for me to speak my honest feelings without fear of repercussion or conflict. The response I have had from followers has been phenomenal. To connect with others that have had similar experiences has been the biggest gift."
She gets her ideas from everywhere: from her personal life, her loved ones' experiences, what's happening on social media, or from society as a whole. "There's so much to be said about diet culture and how it's surrounding all of us," she said.
Curious to know how long each one takes? I was, too! She explained, "It really varies, but often not very long, maybe a few nights after work or a few hours on a weekend. Most of the time I am so filled with rage about a particular topic so I prioritise the message rather than the quality of the stitch."
After they're done, she hangs them all around her house as a reminder to herself. "There is something comforting in waking up in the morning and seeing a message that reminds me that I'm OK and worthy and that's what the embroideries seem to do."
Scroll through to see some of our favourite designs.
