malene's self-portraits aren't just photos

We can spend hours talking about how Instagram is helping to keep alive an unequal, taboo-driven idea of intimacy, the body and sex. But reality is that we would probably have been much further away from honest conversations about sexiness if it wasn’t for the exact same platform - mainly because it’s made it possible to connect with people we otherwise wouldn’t. People who are strong, driven and with a mission to create more honesty around difficult topics. Malene Nelting is one of these people. sitre connected with her on Instagram from day 1 (more or less) as she’s such a brave and joyful voice, sharing her view (and journey) regarding body activism, sex, photography, love and lots more. it’s inspiring as it’s so honest and authentic.

We were lucky enough to have her say yes to an interview. And not just that… she said yes to taking a series of self-portraits. It’s one of Malene’s many great skills and we love the raw beauty in her photos. This chat gets around why Malene thinks that self-portraits are a great tool to create a more positive relationship to one-self (and our body), plus we speak about how the media and Instagram are keeping stereotypes alive.

Go f ollow Malene here and we hope you’ll enjoy our conversation below as much as we did.

Hi Malene, could you first give our readers a short intro to who you are?  

I am a 34 year old danish photographer, feminist and body activist.

I have a very personal instagram account where I share all of life's ups and downs and everything in between. I like art, books, bodies and humans.

You’re wonderfully honest and open about your feelings, intimacy, body thoughts and love on Instagram. Do you think we need to be more open about these things - and if so, why?

For me, opening up about things - especially things that are shameful - can feel freeing and make everything much less shameful.

So whether it is mental health, body issues or imposter syndrome I like to share because it makes me feel less alone and much less shameful.

I always get positive and heartfelt responses from my followers when I open up about things that can be difficult to share and it really makes me feel seen, safe and loved.

We love your self-portraits which are full of energy and authenticity. Do you think sharing these with the world affects how you feel about yourself?

Most definitely! Seeing my own body in different settings, lighting and all the angles and always being kind to myself while I take the photos and in the editing process has taught me SO much about myself. The camera is always honest and I have trained myself to always find positive things when I look at photographs of myself. And that makes my relationship with my body very kind and loving.

I always tell others to do self-portraiture because it often helps people to see themselves in a more positive way and to be more relaxed in their own bodies.

sitre is here to create a more real, honest and mindful take on sexiness. Do you think ‘the sexy stereotypes’ that we often see portrayed in the media have ever affected how you acted when being intimate?

YES! I remember my younger self almost 'performing' the act of sex and various aspects of hyperfeminine when being sexually intimate with partners. Not relaxing, being hyper aware of the way I looked and sounded and not at all focusing on my own pleasure.

Finding a partner who I trust and finding strength and zen in my self has helped me to get at much more relaxed view on sex.

You have spoken about Instagram being discriminating towards certain body types and even participated in an experiment about it with Zetland. What do you think IG’s policies say about our society and what can we do to change it?

I feel like society puts more and more focus on looking and acting in certain ways - both off- and online. It is as if the older, and often more conservative generations, are holding onto the more traditional values for dear life and the consequences of that is less wiggle room for the younger generations who strive for freedom to express ourselves without the pressure of society. I hope this chokehold on what is right and what is wrong is a sign that we are on the last stretch and we - the younger generations - are waiting to start the revolution soon.

sitre believes that intimacy is a mental and physical experience as sex happens as much in our head as in our body. When do you feel the most sexy?

I actually can't quite put my finger on it - but after turning 30 and really finding my own self and calmness in my body, it is not always a feeling that happens in the bedroom - more likely outside of it. But when I am dancing alone in my underwear, when I shoot my self portraits and when I am laughing with people I love, I feel so sexy and confident!

A nd finally: do you think intimacy (whether it’s with yourself or a partner) plays an important role for you when talking wellness?

Knowing your own body in both sexual and non-sexual ways I feel is almost a human right. Having sexuality and intimacy in any form being taboo and something private can make very necessary conversions with friends, partners and health professionals unnecessarily difficult and thereby putting the general wellbeing and wellness in danger.

I always think intimacy should be on the agenda!

Thank you for the chat Malene.

malene's self-portraits aren't just photos

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