Your Body Is the Muse: A Love Letter to Summer, Self-Acceptance & Softness

Happy Monday, Wild One,

I’m writing this to you from the beach—waves in the background, sand on my legs, and that raw, honest kind of energy that only summer seems to stir up. This post is personal, and a little vulnerable. Because it’s bathing suit season, and if you’re feeling a little "oof" about it, you’re not alone.

No matter how our bodies change or how far we come in our self-love journey, most of us still carry insecurities. We can rattle off our perceived flaws without thinking, but when asked what we love about our bodies? That answer takes time. Courage.

I’ve been in a conversation with my body since I was eight years old. I’m what people would call "sturdy"—a soft belly, strong thighs, generous curves, and proportions that never quite fit into the mold. Even after losing over 120 pounds, body dysmorphia still lingers. Still whispers. Still questions.

I came of age during the Kate Moss era. Thin was in. Curves were "before" photos. And the insecurity industry made sure we never felt quite enough. Until one moment cracked my idea of beauty wide open: a trip to the Louvre when I was 16.

There she was. The Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Headless. Ancient. Powerful.

And soft. Muscular. Real.

Her body looked like mine. And she was divine.

That moment rewired something in me. Beauty wasn’t about shrinking. It was about presence. Power. Softness and strength intertwined. The women in those galleries—sculpted in marble, painted in oils—they weren't erased. They were revered.

Lately, I’ve been drawn to the crystal body figures in our shop. Each one a tiny altar to our form—carved in jasper, opal, agate. Round hips, lifted breasts, soft bellies. They remind me that our bodies are sacred. Worthy. Art.

And now? It’s Cancer season. The astrological invitation to come home to yourself. To nurture your softness. To feel the sun on your skin and say yes to slow mornings, deep breaths, saltwater swims, and full permission to be.

This is my "paint me like one of your French girls" era. And maybe it’s yours too.

Maybe it looks like lighting a candle and slipping into something that makes you feel beautiful—for you. Maybe it's floating in the ocean, biting into something ripe, or buying the thing you've been waiting to "deserve."

This summer, I invite you to stand with me. To begin—gently, deliberately—reclaiming the body that carries you. Not for how it looks. But for what it holds.

You are a work of art. You are sacred. You are not here to shrink. You’re here to shine.

With softness,

Rachael

Crystal Body Figures Let these hand-carved pieces remind you of your beauty, your worth, and your wild softness. Display one on your altar, dresser, or bedside as a sacred invitation back to yourself.