Hauntingly Beautiful Muse: Joy Mauldin
What would you tell your younger self?
I have a journey of being bullied and thought less of because of my body size. There's a picture of me when i was in high school and the question was what would i tell her? I would tell her that she is perfect, that she is on a journey of love and self value and that doesnt come from other people it comes from within and every cell of your body is valuable and as you grow and develop you will learn more about your magic and your beauty so trust that even in your darkest day there is light at the end of the tunnel.
What excites you most about participating in the 40 Over 40 Project?
I am excited to join the conversation about being over 40 and being fierce, strong, powerful, and beautiful women. I want people to understand that beauty is a notion which can start within a person not what society or media tells you it should be on the outside. I think this project is exciting because it seems like such a powerful platform to show through photography the art of beauty and age. The art of aging beautifully and women sitting with the reality that yes that is right I am not 20 and I am DAMN happy not to be. That there is something captivating about season maturity and I think that you will be able to capture what on film, and for me to be apart of such an important and potent task, I would be honored.
“I want people to understand that beauty is a notion which can start within a person not what society or media tells you it should be on the outside.”