Inga Avedyan Capturing the Art Behind Motherhood
Motherhood is not glamorous, but it is beautiful. Take a step back and reminisce on the moments that made you most proud to be raising another human. Those are the moments that Inga at Solidmotherhood captures and shares with her readers.
A creative adventurer and self described hopeless dreamer, Inga started blogging her own journey as a space to engage in uplifting conversations about the challenges of motherhood. She uses her unique photography and vision to creatively highlight her own journey as well as showcase mothers of different backgrounds and lifestyles.
Inga is that is also a major advocate for sustainability. She and her family have made strides to going absolutely zero-waste.
We love her style so much that we had to learn more about how she does it. We are grateful Inga was open to sharing her own motherhood journey, how she is able to capture life so beautifully, as well as her post-partum recovery with us.
TELL US ABOUT STARTING SOLIDMOTHERHOOD.COM. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SHARE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORIES THROUGH THIS MEDIUM
Inga is wearing her Lorenna Bra and Loren Thong
Starting Solidmotherhood has been a call to have a safe space with mothers and women in mind to create meaningful and positive conversations around similar struggles that we face daily. I wanted to inspire, unite and be helpful for women around the world. I’m planning to also reach mothers through video format; that is also so dear to my heart. I found my purpose, now I hope women will find it useful and exciting.
WHAT WE LOVE MOST ABOUT SOLIDMOTHERHOOD IS THAT YOU OFTEN FEATURE DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT OTHER MOTHERS. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO SHARE THESE STORIES, AND WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM LISTENING AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER?
And I’m planning to do it more often! For me it is important to have a space for other mamas to share different perspectives and angles on motherhood. It always helps to hear similar stories and struggles, it feels like you aren’t alone in this journey.
As you said, supporting one another is powerful.
YOU ARE AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHER, THAT CAPTURES THE BEAUTY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE, AND CAN YOU SHARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO FIND THE BEAUTY IN OUR DAILY LIVES?
You are so kind, thank you. I feel like it definitely has been a journey for my photography style. I changed mediums (from digital to film, film to digital), my editing style has changed too but what remained the same through these years are subjects in front of my lens - people. Portraits of people have always been a fascinating subject for me. I love capturing moments in between, seeing the unseen and freezing the special moments.
To see and feel the true beauty you definitely have to slow down and be present in the moment. Be more in tune with your surroundings, watch out for the beautiful rays of light, for the heavy gloomy sky on a rainy day, for the people passing by deep in their thoughts. Being around nature helps a lot as it forces you to have a slower pace and watch out for beauty. Inspiring books, conversations with interesting people, museums and galleries are true eye openers.
For us moms, also seeing our kids grow and watch their daily endeavors and milestones makes us wonder about life in general, rediscover simple things and overall become a child again, that is one powerful way to see the beauty in our daily life.
OUTSIDE OF YOUR CAREER AND YOUR FAMILY, DO YOU HAVE OTHER PASSIONS, AND DO YOU THINK AS A WOMAN, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE YOUR FAMILY?
I do think it is important to have some side passions that inspire you and bring joy in your life. But I do think it is all so individual. Some find taking care of their family is a big passion already - getting creative with cooking, studying with your kids, DIY projects for home. The list is endless. Some find time outside of family a much needed breath of fresh air to recharge to be the best version of yourself.
For me personally it is both. I do love my family - cooking and organizing our place, spending time with my daughter, travelling together. It is one big joy for sure. But I do enjoy being outside of a mother’s role and just tune in my creative space. My artistic side always intertwines with my personal life in some way. So it is an organic relationship all the way.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT MOTHERS WHILE PHOTOGRAPHING THEM? DO YOU NOTICE ANYTHING ABOUT HOW THEY SEE THEMSELVES?
When I get a chance to photograph mothers I can feel a powerful connection with them. I can relate to how they feel, what they worry about, but to be honest I think mothers are quite confident about themselves. You go through such a major transition in life, unconsciously you put some of the old worries on the back of your mind and fill your head with new ones, most of the times kids related. It is amazing to witness their beautiful bond with kids and capture it for years to come. It is always special!
HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER THE BIRTH OF YOUR DAUGHTER, SPECIFICALLY, HOW YOU FELT ABOUT YOUR BODY? WHAT WAS YOUR RECOVERY PROCESS LIKE?
After my daughter was born everything hurt. It was hard to sit and get up, even though I might haven’t shown it to my family. It was painful to use a washroom, it was painful to breastfeed...Then my knees and wrists started to hurt. It was a recovery process for sure like many of us go through. I remember my saggy belly that once was a flat firm waistline. It got better after a while but my body hasn't completely bounced back to where it was before - my skin wasn’t firm at all, my belly was still looking quite pregnant and overall I wasn’t in my best shape. I made an effort to go back to yoga classes but I was quickly occupied with some other kids related activities. And I decided to just go with a flow, enjoy as much time as I can get with her and not worry too much about getting back in my shape fast. I think support from my husband played a major role in this too, he was supportive and loved me in my new role.
And I just decided to slow down and embrace the way I was, I found the inner peace within myself with judgement and worry free space. It made me happy!
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE MOMS OUT THERE?
You are beautiful as is, you are a true inspiration and etalon of femininity and power even on the toughest days. Remember that you are the best mother to your child (children) and you are given this chance to care for them.
Treasure this gift with grace.
WHAT DREW YOU TO MAYANA GENEVIÈRE AND WHAT RESONATES MOST WITH YOU ABOUT OUR BRAND?
I truly love what Mayana Genevière represents - unity and celebration of all body types. It doesn’t compromise on comfort or style, instead, it compliments each woman during her journey. It is a beautiful and tangible way to support mothers in their postpartum journey. As my own experience, I felt absolutely beautiful, loved and taken care of wearing Mayana Genevière’s pieces.
I’m very excited to see the growth and empowerment of Mayana Genevière in support of the most vulnerable stage of women’s life.”
Can’t get enough of Inga, we don’t blame you!
Check out Inga’s beautiful piece about motherhood and body image here and you canfollow her on Instagram @solidmotherhood.
WATCH INGA’S TAKE ON MOTHERHOOD, LIFE AND HER MAYANA GENEVIÈRE GARMENTS
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