We're taught to keep our insecurities hidden in order to appear strong, but 23-year-old Abbe Dembowitz founded The Turn It Around Project because she believes strength actually comes from putting what we fear most on display. After overcoming her own fight with low self-esteem and fear of imperfection, Dembowitz built her project on a simple idea: Write a negative thought on your back, followed by a corresponding positive thought on your front, and take a picture. The women sharing their statements are brought together at daylong roundtable sessions hosted and administered by The Turn It Around Project. Once the statements are written down, photographs are taken, and the final images are shared on social media in an effort to show women they are not alone.
The Project's mission to overcome shame from insecurities and self-doubt is easy to get behind—because hey, we're all human, and it's pretty damn hard to be totally happy with ourselves 100 percent of the time. Here, seven women who have participated in the project the share their photos and stories.
Demi Bennett, 22, New York City
"At first I felt a bit silly voicing my fear of failure. It is something that has been quietly been following me around my entire life, and I didn't want to share it with a room full of people. But I did. And we talked about it. And we came up with a positive affirmation together: I'll never give up. Having both of these things written on my skin was empowering—I no longer felt it was a secret I was carrying by myself. Everyone there had helped take weight of this insecurity off me."
Gabriella Ferrara, 22, NYC
"I see The Turn It Around Project as a campaign that empowers people to think positively about their insecurities. I hope others are able to see, no matter who you are or who you appear to be, everyone faces internal struggles."
Danielle Levin, 22, NYC
"I have a strong belief in using the power of community to empower individuals and ignite positive outcomes."
Kelsey Senteio, 22, Bridgeport, Connecticut
"The hardest part, for me, was [writing] the positive affirmation. It took a lot of courage on my end to really look at myself and try to figure out how I could make my insecurities work for me in a positive way. When I finally did and saw the finished product, I was proud of myself, and it made me really want to follow through on the promise written on my body."
Elena Baez, 22, NYC
"Having a group of peers to confide in and discuss insecurities [with] allowed me to look a little deeper into myself. It's easy to ignore feelings of insecurity and keep them hidden from other people, but when you are able to take some time to reflect with people that are invested in your well-being, it becomes easier than you think. It takes a lot of courage to voice your insecurities and then share them with the world."
Ilana Weinstein, 22 years old, Smithtown, New York
"It was so incredibly freeing. I talk about my insecurities with very few select people, but this was a public declaration. Sharing the picture was exhilarating. I surprised myself! I keep the picture on my phone as a reminder on tough days."
Camilla Vaernes, 23, NYC
"The project really allowed us to open up to each other in a way we had never done before. It was very raw. It formed a sense of community between us."
Natalie Trotta, 23, NYC
"I was so scared [to initially share my image]! I typically show the highlight reel of my life on social media, so it was a bit of a step out of my comfort zone. However, I only received positive reactions. More and more people wanted to get involved (which was awesome)."
Tali Glickman, 19, Boston
"I hope that other women know that they are not alone and that everyone has insecurities that cripple them. I hope that women see that a little bit of positivity and reframing can change your outlook on your whole life. I hope that women see that they too can turn it around."
Too see more images from The Turn It Around Project, click here, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.