explore more with christel
Photo by Petra Kleis
Christel Commey is featured in our latest shoot ‘Explore More’. We had connected with Christel a while back and chatted a few times via DMs (we love a IG connection). We always knew we had to do something with her because her energy was shining through the screen - and let us just say: meeting her in real life only underlined how incredible she is. We had such raw and interesting conversations about how language and relations affect our own intimate relationship to ourselves and our bodies. Her story and her confidence is so inspiring and we’re sure you’ll hear more about Christel on sitre’s platforms. We love this chat and we think you should jump over and follow Christel as soon as you’re finished reading (find her on Instagram right here).
Hi Christel, could you start by giving us a bit of insight into who you are and what you’re up to these days?
Yes of course! my name is Christel and I’m 25 years old. I have an immense love for food, specifically bacon haha. I enjoy a good laugh, and binging a good show on Netflix . These days I spend majority of my time creating content, music and modeling, which I find super fun! I’ve also recently decided to relocate back to Copenhagen after living in Sweden for a little while, so a lot of changes are happening at the moment.
We’ve been connected for a while and finally met when you modelled for us in our Explore More shoot. What does the words Explore More mean to you?
Which was such an amazing shoot btw, and it was so lovely finally meeting the both of you and spending the day with such a lovely team!
I think the words Explore More mean a lot of different things to me, and it’s a journey I’m still on, yet also a journey I believe never really ends actually. Over the past like 5 years or so, I’ve had to do a lot of exploring within myself. mainly within my sexuality, self confidence, body and intimacy.
Is exploring something you prioritise?
It sure is! I think exploring is important in order for you to figure out what you like, and don’t like. It’s also just such a beautiful way of getting out of your comfort zone and getting know yourself better in new ways. Exploring is also getting a new insight of your boundaries and desires.
We love the photos you share of yourself on social and we had a chat with you about feeling free in your own skin which felt very empowering. Have you always felt comfortable taking photos of yourself and how does it make you feel?
I have definitely not always felt comfortable in my own skin, let alone taking the photos of myself the way I am and do now.
I grew up in a very conservative religious household, where purity culture was a big part of my upbringing. Sex was something that felt like a taboo to talk about, and showing too much skin, while also being curvy from a very young age, was a big no go.
This made me feel extremely insecure and also very scared while entering my late teens, when I at the time also started to realize, I on top of all of that, might be queer.
I soon realized that I had a lot of internalized work that needed to be done, and that’s when I started using the pictures that I take of myself, as a way of empowering myself. It makes me feel like I’m finally in control of my own narrative, and in full control of my own body and what I’m allowed and not allowed to do with it.
Do you see self portraits as a part of your self-exploration?
Yes I definitely do. There was a time when I found it extremely hard looking at myself in the mirror, or even looking at pictures of myself.
I used so much of my younger years wishing I looked different, or slimmer because that’s what I was told was the “right way to look”
I’ve now grown to see my beautiful bigger body as the work of art that it is. There is no right or wrong body, there’s simply just… a body. I don’t have to look or be any specific way, I can just be. and it feels amazing using self portraits as a tool to explore new stretch marks, lines and curves on my body.
We believe exploring is essential in order to really understand your own desires, both in regards to how you want to live your life but also intimacy. Has your idea of intimacy changed with age?
Growing up I always thought intimacy was simply just sex and kissing, but it’s definitely not.
After coming out as queer, and shifting how I dressed and did things in order to please the male gaze and seeking approval from them in order to feel beautiful and wanted, to seeking intimacy and approval within myself, that’s when things changed for me. Intimacy is such a huge range of different things, it’s being in the same presence as someone you care about, it’s staying up all night and talking to that one special person, it’s catching the sunrise, and there’s also intimacy in friendship. It’s can be as simple as holding hands. I’ve also learnt that you don’t need to have another person there in order to experience intimacy. It’s something you can do all on your own, and that’s beautiful.
Do you feel that you’re free to explore just as you want or do you ever feel held back?
This is a funny question, because it’s a situation I’ve just been in. I’ve just recently come out of one of the most beautiful queer relationships I’ve ever been in. It taught me so much, and I don’t think I would be the person I am today without having experienced that relationship, and for that I am eternally grateful. Although it was beautiful it was also hard for me to feel free enough to explore who I am within my sexuality due coming out while being with my then partner. I am currently in a new season of feeling free enough to explore who I am to the fullest, and though it’s a bit scary, I am also really excited for what’s ahead.
Finally: if someone would like to start exploring their body, desires and sexuality but didn’t know how to start - what advice would you then give them?
Be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself, and gentle with yourself. You don’t have to have everything figured out right from the get go, and you actually don’t ever have to have it all figured out at all!
Don’t feel pressured or stressed about labelling anything or everything. It’s okay to go with the flow, and take things as they come. You are beautiful just as you are, and deserving of all the goodness and love this world has to offer. Just make sure that, that love comes from within you first, because you deserve to be loved by you. Just as you are <3
Christel, we loved this chat. Thank you so much for sharing.
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