Stretch marks or glitter stripes? Women turn 'flaws' into art

How do you turn something dreaded into something desirable? Sprinkle a little glitter on it.

Digital collage artist Sara Shakeel wants to shine a new, positive light on stretch marks so she’s turning them into glitter marks - literally.

Shakeel has taken photos of thighs and stomachs bearing stretch marks and highlighted them with sparkly blue, gold and silver streaks. The result is mesmerising and officially makes stretch marks pretty.

“I have never been proud of my marks,” the Pakistani artist tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “I don’t have kids, but I still have stretch marks, which is not what a lot of people expect.”

“I never accepted them as something beautiful — honestly, I was s*** scared of even uploading that artwork of mine, but my God! I am so happy I did!” she says.

And Shakeel knows she’s not the only one who needs help accepting stretch marks. “Embracing stretch marks is [needed] all around the world.”

In fact, her art has caught the attention of body-positive blogger Allison Kimmey, who has previously referred to her stretch marks as 'glitter stripes'.

Kimmey is a strong advocate for women speaking positively about their bodies, particularly to young girls, and uses her glitter stripes as an example.

"These are my glitter stripes," she writes on Instagram, "Etched into my being, telling my stories. Shining as bright as my heart. A living masterpiece."

In a previous post she explained a very poignant conversation she had with her daughter:

"Today while I was laying at the pool with my daughter:
Her: 'Why is your tummy big mama?'
Me: 'What do you mean baby?'
Her: 'These lines, mama.' (Pointing to stretch marks on my tummy)
Me: 'oh those are my stretch marks!'
Her: 'Where do they come from?'
Me: 'well when I was a little older than you, I got some stripes when I grew really fast! And some of these stripes are from when I had you growing in my tummy'
Her: looking inquisitively
Me: 'They are shiny and sparkly, aren't they pretty?'
Her: 'yes, I like this one the best, it's so glittery. When can I get some?'
Me: 'oh you will get your glitter stripes when you get a little bit older baby!'
They are listening. They are asking. And it is up to YOU to help them shape how they will feel about these things! Will you continue the shame that society has placed on you? Or will you teach her a new way of love?"

What a beautiful lesson.

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