Lauren Laveria, a 22 year-old photographer based out of Melbourne, Florida, is creator of The Flower Project, a photo project dedicated to nude art, female empowerment, and sharing personal stories to help women feel more free in their lives.
Each piece in the project features a girl who is naked and almost completely exposed, except for the flowers she is holding in her hands.
Every photograph is accompanied by a passage written by the model in the photo, telling an anecdote about their past or personal experience they have overcome, like they are writing in an open diary.
Laveria said about the project is “for girls who want to break free from their personal restraints.
“A lot of girls have done it just to face people who have told them that they’re worthless, they’re not worthy of even being loved and doing this helps these girls feel love for themselves,” Laveria said.
The project started about a year ago when Laveria was working on a different photography project with two friends, a nude portrait that Laveria was excited to do but her friends felt nervous and unsure about it at first.
They were scared about the idea of being so exposed in a photo, but by the time the shoot was over the girls told Laveria how beautiful and comfortable in their bodies she had made them feel.
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Laveria also shared her own experience of posting a nude self-portrait of herself online, something she has done now on her birthday for the past three years.
She was scared at first to share it, but she ended up receiving words of encouragement that made her feel mature and confidant.
“After that I felt if I can help other girls feel this way and actually accept themselves for how they are than that is something I want to do,” Laveria said.
Since then Laveria has posted photographs and stories of one girl every week.
The Facebook page has close to 2,000 followers and is filled with nothing but love for these girls brave enough to share their stories with the world.
Laveria is truly creating a safe space for women to inspire, support, and love one another through encouragement and empowerment for each other.
“I really just want people to read the stories and relate them to their own lives and feel a lot better and realize there are a lot of things that they can do,” Laveria said.
Year 1 of The Flower Project has finished, and Laveria is currently working on starting up Year 2.
To see her latest work you can follow The Flower Project on Facebook.
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Photo Credits: The Flower Project
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Gun Control Group Marches In Wynwood With Victims Of Gun Violence
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Millennial Travel Guide: A Day Trip To Northern Ireland
Another weekend in Ireland calls for another day trip!
My roommates and I decided to make the journey to Northern Ireland to see Belfast City, Giant’s Causeway, and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge as a quick getaway from Dublin.
Not leaving the island, but being in a different country was another thing I could check off my bucket list after our excursion to the United Kingdom.
We left Dublin with our Paddywagon tour and headed North!
The luck of the Irish was with us again as we got nearly perfect weather for a day, according to Northern Ireland standards.
Everything’s just better when the weather cooperates.
Our first stop was particularly exciting for me, as a huge Game of Thrones fan.
We got to see THE Dark Hedges on the King’s Road.
This iconic destination was beautiful regardless if you watch the show or not, but definitely a bonus for those of us with an obsession.
Back on the bus we continued on to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
The bridge connects the mainland to Carrick Island.
It was originally built by fishermen so they could cast nets over the wide chasm; however, now it is purely a tourist attraction for the brave.
We watched as people crossed before us and the 100 feet drop didn’t seem to daunting.
The second I stepped on that bridge the 100 feet felt like 1000.
Once I got over initial fear of the height I was able to fully enjoy the views and they were spectacular.
Watering crashing below, cliffs on either side, and only wood and a few ropes under my feet is something I’ve never experienced.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge is a definite must-see of Northern Ireland.
The main attraction of our tour was Giant’s Causeway.
This place truly blew my mind.
There are over 40,000 basalt columns formed through volcanic burning and cooling.
The formations are reportedly 60 million years old and even have the legend of Finn McCool to try to explain the fanaticism of the site.
We hopped from rock to rock with the ocean in front of us and the mountains behind us.
It was a picturesque scene everywhere we looked.
This seems to be a common theme of my travels.
After two hours of climbing, sitting, and taking in the views we had to say goodbye to Giant’s Causeway.
Honestly still confused how volcanic rock can form into hexagons and be stacked so perfectly together.
We ended the day by getting a little time to explore Belfast City.
Steeped in history, we were overwhelmed by the city’s tumultuous past.
The effects of the Troubles are still seen today with conflict between the Protestants and Catholics of the city.
Regardless of the dangerous past of Belfast, the city center offered us a glimpse into the urban side of Northern Ireland.
It was a great ending to a great day. When you’re on an island as beautiful as I am, there’s no reason not to explore as much as possible.
Read More: Millennial Travel Guide: A Day Trip To Ireland’s Majestic Cliffs Of Moher
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
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How To Pull Off A Successful Corporate Merger With RBI’s Heitor Gonçalves
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This interview is part of the “Tomorrow Lives Here” Conversation Series presented by Miami Business School.
WATCH:
–A veteran of venture capital, Heitor Gonçalves has been at the center of multiple corporate mergers and turnarounds.
–Gonçalves also worked multiple strategic roles for Anheuser-Busch InBev.
–He is now at Restaurant Brands International (the multinational who runs Burger King and Popeyes).
–Based in Miami, Gonçalves spoke to Miami Business School Dean John Quelch about the biggest challenges to a successful corporate merger and the biggest differences between the beer and restaurant industries.
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