Photo:Leanne Stuckey
Leanne Stuckey
WithBeautifully Blemished, which came out in January, she’s flipping the script with words and imagery to empower a younger generation.“It’s about taking something you may view as a negative, shifting your perspective on how you see that thing, then really embracing it, owning it and not dimming your light for the sake of a box that others may try to put you in,” says Stuckey.
“The reason I chose to feature the little girl with vitiligo on the front cover is that it’s a very visible and bold skin condition,” she explains. “The book encourages readers to embrace and celebrate their uniqueness and to really own the thing that makes them stand out, [and] I figured vitiligo was a great choice to represent that.” That consideration extends from the front cover to the back page, where she has included a glossary of common skin conditions.
Of course, Stuckey’s own kids are teamBeautifully Blemished,too. There’s a little boy pictured with a birthmark on his stomach on page two just like her son’s. And although her oldest daughter doesn’t have a visible skin difference, she’s said, “Mom, your book makes me wish that I had a blemish,” which blew Stuckey away.The message has also resonated with adults. “Several people have told me that they’ve been moved to tears after reading it, and parents are feeling like finally their child can be seen and heard in a way that they’ve never experienced before,” says Stuckey. She adds that many adults have told her that it’s helped adults express themselves to friends and family about their own facial birthmarks or skin differences.
With more books on the horizon, her work highlighting the beauty of being different has just begun. As she writes: “We’re meant to be one of a kind, not the same/ So these markings I’ll choose to courageously claim!”
source: people.com
