“It Isn’t Just That The Photos Are Beautiful, It’s What They Represent”
What is your name and age? Tell us a bit about you!
My name is Lucy and I’m 37. I live in Teignmouth on the South Devon coast and I work as a teacher supporting young adults with special educational needs.
I’d probably describe myself as someone who cares a lot, overthinks most things, and is far more determined than I sometimes give myself credit for. I love the sea, sea swimming, coastal walks, crafting, and being outside whenever I can.
At the moment, a lot of my spare time is being taken over by training and fundraising for the London Marathon 2027, which I’m running for Surfers Against Sewage. It still feels slightly ridiculous because I don’t even like running, but I do love the sea, so somehow it makes sense!
When did you come in for your first Boudoir Shoot? What made you decide to book?
Honestly I came to Divine Divas at a time when life was really hard.
I had recently come out of a domestic abuse relationship and was in a place where I couldn’t really see the light. I felt like I had lost myself a bit and didn’t feel confident, attractive or particularly connected to who I was anymore.
I don’t think I would have been in a place to book something like that for myself at the time, but the shoot felt like a little push to do something that was completely for me.
What surprised me was that I didn’t feel nervous. I expected I might, but from the moment I arrived, having my hair and makeup done, and then throughout the shoot itself, I just felt excited. I loved the whole experience. Even the hair and makeup artist commented that I didn’t seem nervous at all.
Looking back, I think that says a lot. I think part of me was ready to feel like myself again, even before I fully realised it.
What did your Boudoir experience unlock, or help you recognise or celebrate in yourself?
I think it helped me recognise that I was still in there.
After everything I’d been through, I felt like I’d lost a lot of myself. I didn’t feel particularly confident or attractive, and I think I’d forgotten what it felt like to just enjoy being me.
The experience helped me see myself in a completely different way. It wasn’t about trying to look perfect or become someone else. It was about recognising that I was still strong, feminine, playful, confident and worthy of being celebrated, even at a time when life felt really hard.
I also think it unlocked something in me because I didn’t feel nervous at all. I just felt excited and completely present. I wasn’t overthinking my body or worrying about how I looked - I was actually enjoying being seen.
It helped me celebrate myself as I was in that moment, not some future version of me who had lost weight, felt better, or had everything figured out.
Tell us - what was the moment you saw your photos for the first time like?
Seeing my photos for the first time was really emotional.
I think I expected to automatically pick myself apart, because that’s what I was used to doing. But instead, I remember looking at them and thinking, “Oh… that’s me.”
It felt strange in the best way, because I wasn’t seeing all the things I usually criticised. I saw someone confident, feminine, strong and much more like herself than she had felt for a long time.
I think that was the moment it really landed for me. The shoot had been amazing, but seeing the photos gave me proof that the version of myself I thought I’d lost was still there.
Did you find that your discovery calls helped you prepare for your day with us?
Yes, definitely!
I think the discovery calls helped because they made the whole experience feel really personal before I’d even walked through the door. It wasn’t just a photoshoot I was turning up to - it felt like you already understood a bit about me, why I was coming in, and what I wanted from the experience.
They also helped me know what to expect on the day, which meant I could just enjoy it rather than overthink it. I felt prepared, looked after and excited, and that made a huge difference.
By the time I arrived, it already felt like I was going somewhere safe and supportive, rather than walking into something completely unknown.
Confidence is a big thing - in fact it is everything. How has your confidence elevated who you are in different areas of your life - for example has this confidence affected your relationship or your career?
I think the biggest thing it gave me was permission to stop hiding so much.
I wouldn’t say I suddenly became a completely different person overnight, but it definitely shifted something. It reminded me that I could feel good about myself, take up space, be seen, and do things that felt completely for me.
That confidence has carried into other areas of my life in a quiet but really important way. I think I’ve become better at recognising what I deserve, what I don’t want to accept anymore, and when something doesn’t feel right for me.
It has also made me braver. Not fearless, but braver. I’m now training for the London Marathon and fundraising for Surfers Against Sewage, which has meant sharing my story publicly, contacting businesses, artists and authors, and asking for support in ways I never thought I’d have the confidence to do.
I think the experience helped me realise that confidence isn’t always about feeling amazing all the time. Sometimes it’s about choosing to show up anyway, backing yourself a little more, and proving to yourself that you’re capable of more than you thought.
What stood out or surprised you about this experience?
What surprised me most was how natural it felt.
Beforehand, I think I assumed I might feel awkward or self-conscious, but I didn’t. From the moment I arrived, I felt excited. I loved having my hair and makeup done, I loved the shoot itself, and I felt completely present in the experience.
That really stood out to me because I’m usually someone who overthinks everything. But on the day, I wasn’t overthinking my body or worrying about whether I looked right. I just trusted the process and enjoyed it.
I think that was really powerful for me. It showed me that I was more ready to be seen and celebrated than I realised.
When you look at your artwork, how does it make you feel?
When I look at my artwork, I feel proud.
Not just because the photos are beautiful, but because I know what they represent. They remind me of a version of myself I thought I had lost for a while — confident, feminine, playful and comfortable being seen.
They also remind me that I did something completely for myself at a time when I really needed it. I didn’t wait until I felt perfect or until life felt easier. I just showed up as I was, and that feels really powerful to look back on.
Having them mounted in a display box makes them feel really special too. They’re not just photos hidden away on my phone — they’re something I can take out, look through, and remember that moment properly. They’re a reminder that I’m allowed to see myself in a kinder way.
Do you have any last messages you’d like to add? What would you like to say to any Divas considering booking?
If you’re considering booking but you’re waiting until you feel more confident, or until your body looks a certain way, I’d say don’t wait.
I think so many of us put things off because we tell ourselves we’ll do them when we’ve lost weight, when we feel better, when life is easier, or when we feel more like the version of ourselves we think we should be. But you deserve to feel good about yourself now, not just at some imaginary point in the future.
For me, the experience wasn’t about becoming someone else. It was about seeing myself differently and realising I was still worthy of being celebrated exactly as I was.
So if part of you wants to do it, I’d say listen to that part. You don’t have to arrive feeling completely confident. You just have to show up as yourself.
I think a lot of Divas struggle with embracing and accepting who you are. There’s so much pressure to look or be a certain person! What would you say to any Diva who is struggling to feel confident in who they are, or to accept their body?
I’d say I really understand it, because I’ve spent a lot of time being unkind to myself too.
There is so much pressure to look a certain way, be a certain size, age a certain way, dress a certain way, and somehow constantly improve yourself. It’s exhausting, and I think it can make us feel like we’re never quite enough as we are.
But your body doesn’t have to be perfect to deserve kindness. You don’t have to wait until you’ve lost weight, changed shape, felt more confident, or got your life together before you’re allowed to feel good about yourself.
For me, this experience helped me see that my body is not just something to criticise. It’s part of me. It carries me through life. It lets me swim in the sea, walk along the coast, train for a marathon, do hard things, and keep going, even when life has been really difficult.
That doesn’t mean I never have insecure days, because I definitely do. But I try to remind myself that I don’t have to hate myself into becoming someone better. I’m allowed to appreciate who I am now, even while I’m still growing, healing and figuring things out.
We are so proud of our Diva and are absolutely behind her cause.
For that reason, we are supporting Lucy’s fundraiser.
Anyone who donates £99 to her marathon fundraiser, can receive the Divas experience and a fine art print worth £250… But you have to donate first!
Donate HERE.