PHILAUTIA FAQs
Who can participate in philautia?
All women, non-binary and trans huns. You can be anywhere in the world.
Do I need to be naked?
No! Wear (or don’t wear) whatever makes you feel the most celebratory about you and your body. It’s COMPLETELY UP TO YOU what you choose to bare or not bare. You can wear your favorite underwear, some hot lingerie, be topless, be bottomless, rock just some socks, wear just a big hat, be completely nude. You can show me it all, or we can focus on specific body parts. You can have your face in it or not in it. And if you like something with your head in it but you don’t want your face shown, we can either edit it out or put something over your face, like flowers or emojis.
Do the photos need to be a specific style?
They can be literally anything! You can take them on film, on your camera, on a digital camera, whatever excites you. They can be silly, they can be sultry, they can be any mood or vibe whatsoever. Use filters or flash or natural lighting. It’s whatever you like.
they can be of you sitting spread eagle on a counter top, or of you in a t-shirt reading a book, or of you dancing around in your knickers.
What are my options for taking the photos?
You can either take them yourself (or have a friend or lover take them), or I can snap some via FaceTime. I can be as much or as little involved as you want! I’m happy to give tips on photos, whether poses or lighting or how to feel comfortable doing it, or anything at all. You can send me rounds of photos that we can pick from together. Or send me some photos of your flat and I can help pick out a spot, whether I’m taking the photos or you are. Or just drop me a photo and be done with it just like that! It’s completely up to you. I’m here to make YOU feel comfortable and excited.
Do I need to take new photos?
No! Send me anything lying around your phone or computer. It doesn’t have to be new or even recent, just something that celebrates you and your amazing bod.
Can I enlist a friend?
Hell yeah! Get a friend, roommate, lover or really sexy stranger to take some pics of you! Or get together (covid safe!!!!!!!!!) with a friend or bubble or roommate or lover and take some together! Make a cute day of it!
Where will the photos live?
On my instagram @msmarymorgan as well as here on this website. I want to print them into a small book as well, more on that in the future!
Can I include some text?
Hell yeah! Some people have provided text components to live alongside their visual component. This has included talking about what their body means to them and discussing their relationship with their body, as well as poetry, words describing their body, or words describing their Self. Others have included some text on what participating in the project meant to them overall.
Do you own these photos?
No. Even if I take them, YOU own them. In any stage of this collaboration, remember that it’s YOUR BEAUTIFUL BODY and YOUR GORGEOUS PHOTOS. If you don’t want them somewhere, they won’t go there, simple as that. We’re all about consent in this house of huns. You own the photos - you can use them wherever you want, whenever you want, however you want.
Why the name PHILAUTIA?
Philautia is the Ancient Greek word for self-love. In Ancient Greek philosophy, there were many words for different types of love. Philautia was about loving one’s Self. It was later divided into positive and negative connotations for self-love. The positive was that it was a basic human necessity, and we all must practice self-compassion. The negative was seen as self-obsession and vanity. There is deep irony with an individual loving their own body, in that the self-gaze is oftentimes seen as vanity. But the gaze of another, especially the male-gaze, is seen as a norm, and makes the body worthy. This project reclaims the gaze, reclaims the nuuude, reclaims the Self. Philautia is all about celebrating the Self, the body, and each other.