June 11, 2019 submitted by Kerry Railey
An amazing day was had by all who were involved in the Tween Empowerment Workshop at Irish Eyes Photography's studio (82 North Street Hingham) this past Sunday. Five young adolescents spent the day building self-confidence through group discussion and art projects, received a skincare tutorial and makeover from Kerrin Marie Artistry (a senior stylist at AZ Studio in Hingham) and had their portraits taken by Kerry Railey of Irish Eyes Photography. Also helping was Eva Goldthwaite, a junior at Scituate High School. Eva is a superstar of spreading kindness self-confidence. In this workshop, Tweens were encouraged to take a look inside themselves and each other. They explored what made them feel special and what made them feel insecure. Participants were shown by their peers just how lovely they appear at first glance, and to see that not everyone is judging every move they make. They were encouraged to feel and rock their self-confidence and not be ashamed of any part of themselves. The tweens were extraordinarily open, frank, and kind in their comments and stories, and it was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon.
After the discussion, Kerrin gave participants skincare tips to help them navigate adolescence (and beyond!), and then they each enjoyed a personal hair and makeup appointment before it was time for their closeup. The discussion continued as each participant got dolled up, and some participants even broke into dance while waiting their turn! When they were done with their time with Kerrin, they headed outside for some confidence-confirming portraits with Kerry. These kids ROCKED IT! They felt good about themselves and it showed! It was a truly incredible experience!
This was the first time this workshop was offered and thanks to its great success, the next workshop is planned for January of next year. If you know of a young adolescent who would benefit from this experience, you can email Kerry at kerry@irisheyesphotography.com to get in on the fun! Spots are open to tweens between the ages of 10 and 15.
All photos courtesy of Kerry Railey of Irish Eyes Photography.