I started the Human Body Project in 2006. Rage, grief, and deep love for my children compelled me to create a vehicle for change.
I use my naked self and body to represent and share not only my own vulnerability as a deeply sensitive person, but also in solidarity with those who are most vulnerable, like children... and also to represent the vulnerability of us all.
This is my service to humanity in a time of great urgency.
I am a 53-year-old woman and I show up literally and emotionally naked in front of people! It is extremely challenging for me.
This is what I do:
- #VulnerabilityVigils
- Once a month I hold a vigil in a public space; everyone is welcome to join me
- In keeping with the Human Body Project ethos, I show up naked; people who join me can be as dressed as they want to be
- We hold a sign in front of us as a gesture of gentleness to those who may be affronted by public nudity
- The sign is chosen to evoke understanding of our mutual vulnerability
- Performance Art/Workshops
- By showing up naked and unscripted, I share an experience of authenticity and vulnerability with audiences; many people have spontaneously joined me
- Since 2009, I have presented the Human Body Project at various Fringe Theatre Festivals
- I have also presented at universities and conference
- Honest, Often Difficult, Sharing
- In person and in public on social media, I often share difficult emotions, authentic language (i.e., swearing) and honest opinions
I am married with two school-age children. I am an award-winning college instructor and currently an adjunct instructor at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. My M.Ed. work, for which I won the 2012 Canadian Association for the Study of Women in Education graduate award, focused on the Human Body Project as a form of arts-based research. I have also been a journalist for national publications, an ad agency creative director, a visual artist with paintings in hundreds of collections (see http://tashadiamant.wix.com/gallery), and an experiential workshop/yoga teacher at Kripalu Center and the Omega Institute. I still teach yoga to children and prison inmates.
You are a pathfinder Tasha, totally stepping out the armor of clothing and inviting others to step out of their own shells. By doing so you openly invite people to come to terms with their humanity.
ReplyDeleteOur world & society fears a naked body more than a man with a gun, why else would simple nudity warrant a restricted 18+ rating, while violence and gore only warrant a PG 14 rating. Everyone has a body that is often naked!
I dream of a day when a naked person will not be a sensational draw for shock value. The World Naked Bike Ride uses nudity to draw attention to their message against the "Indecent Exposure to Exhaust and Automobiles".