Strong from Within
The time is now. It’s time to encourage loud voices. To encourage confidence. And a belief in self. It’s time to let our girls know they are enough. Just as they are. Its not how the world views them, its how they see, believe, and inspire from the inside out and how those around them encourage this belief system.
HOPEFUL
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What is different about this generation are the pressures they face unlike any generation in the past to look, act and be a certain way. STRONG IS THE NEW PRETTY counters all of these undue pressures allowing them to know they don’t need to change or be someone or something else to be beautiful and strong. NO filters necessary.
tolerant
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Life is a marathon and not a sprint. Everyone moves at their own pace. We want to encourage kids, parents, and their communities to be tolerant of every child’s unique developmental cycle.
CELEBRATORY
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We celebrate diversity. We are not focused on sameness. Kids need to know they don’t need to be, or to act, like anyone else in order to be loved or celebrated. Strength comes in different forms. The greatest beauty is in imperfection.
unafraid
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We want to empower girls to be who they truly are. Unafraid to speak up and speak out. Unafraid to embrace their weirdness. To show emotion. To choose a different path.
Girls should be allowed to find out who & what they are without boundaries.
kate T. parker | founder
History
Kate T. Parker is a mother, wife , former collegiate soccer player, Ironman and professional photographer. With a concentration in fine art and commercial projects up until 2014, she started taking pictures of her young daughters celebrating their strengths, imperfections, emotions and individuality. She wanted her girls to know that who they were, just as they were, was okay. And not just okay, it was something to be celebrated.
Kate saw this message as being important for a larger audience outside just her family. She wanted to capture female strength, in every way. Girls who are fierce, funny, loud, creative, defiant and proud. That feeling of “I’ve got this. I am awesome. Check me out” is what so many of us once had, but forget. Kate wanted her images to remind us all of that.
Overnight, her photos went viral on social media, touching a chord that unknowingly started a movement: As this message grew, Kate expanded her body of work, traveling to meet young women from all over the country, capturing hundreds of girls from 5 to 18 and turning the focus to the human stories that shined from within. The intention of Kate’s work naturally broadened, showing that beauty isn’t external, it comes from within. Beauty is not found in snapchat filters or likes on instagram. It’s about finding your passion and using your voice. Her images started to combat the message that the media sends to women every day that they are not enough. Kate wanted girls to know that being yourself is the most beautiful thing you can be.
And while there have been women’s movements throughout history and it continues today, STRONG IS THE NEW PRETTY moves the conversation in an entirely new direction toward one of inner confidence and a message that encourages girls and women to be their best selves, challenging and testing their limits with every step forward.
There hasn’t been a platform that has created this much buzz for the younger hearts and minds, ever.
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