This Is Endometriosis

I’m a documentary and portrait photographer focusing on social injustice issues and the subsequent emotional impacts. My previous projects have been widely exhibited, including the National Portrait Gallery, Annenberg Space for Photography and the Royal Photographic Society. My work has been internationally published, including Forbes, The British Journal of Photography, The Independent, Vanity Fair, Glamour and Cosmopolitan.

My work has concentrated on endometriosis, mental health in men, trans lives and living on the poverty line. I am deeply passionate about capturing truth and honesty. By highlighting private moments that usually go unseen, my work gives its viewers recognition and validation in their suffering, giving a space in the media for underrepresented bodies and experiences.

Currently endometriosis is treated incorrectly across most of the world, including the NHS in the UK, and insurance programs in the US. This causes a cycle of pain, unnecessary operations, and avoidable hysterectomies. Endometriosis effects one in ten women and trans men, and they need this crucial information.

I intend to build on the success of my photographic project This Is Endometriosis and it’s subsequent social media campaign, and launch a global campaign followed by a short film. The campaign will see billboards of the project in major cities around the world. The film will follow my journey from self portraits for the series to a global movement, and will touch on my experience of having six surgeries, a hysterectomy, and living with PTSD from repeat surgeries. The billboards will include a link, where people can find correct information about endometriosis and the best treatment.

Endometriosis effects one in ten born with a uterus, resulting in 176 million women and trans men living in pain worldwide. This is as many people as suffer with diabetes, yet endometriosis is drastically unknown, under researched and under funded. Endometriosis is known to be one of the most debilitating chronic diseases, with pain reaching levels worse than labour. The guidelines set across most of the world on how to treat this disease are incorrect, leading to preventable repeat surgeries, hysterectomies and drastic hormone treatments that could have been avoided. To receive the correct surgery with the highest chance of success, people in the US and UK for example must go outside of their insurance providers or NHS, leaving only the most privileged in society able to access the help they desperately need. With this project, I plan too widely spread the correct information about treatment, and highlight the flaws in the current system. Giving people with endometriosis a place to feel seen, validated, and to provide as much support with treatment as possible.

My photographic project This Is Endometriosis captures the raw reality of living with a disease of chronic pain and repeat surgeries. I am making a short film following the project through its development from self portraits to a global movement.

Images from the series will appear on billboards in major cities around the world on the 1st of March 2021 to kick off Endometriosis Awareness Month. Their installation will be witnessed by people with the disease. By displaying the images, people with endometriosis are able to stand in solidarity. They’re able to see a visualisation of their chronic illness, and subsequent validation of their pain.

I am personally a part of the endometriosis community, living with the disease since I was 13. This project includes women, trans-men, people with chronic pain and people living with trauma from repeat surgeries. I deeply understand the communities needs.

During Endometriosis Awareness Month 2019 I released the first organic social campaign, asking people with the disease to date and connect their scars, replicating my image from the original series. The campaign saw over 2K submissions from around the world. 

This second campaign has also been designed in a way that 90% of people currently volunteering are living with endometriosis. This has allowed the project to be emotionally charged and deeply personal. By understanding endometriosis, I have ensured that we have more volunteers than are needed, allowing each and every creative, designer, editor and producer, to have a ‘sub in’ if they ever feel too sick to work. This is incredibly important to me. The wider-community will also be engaged in the second campaign, being invited to witness the installation of the billboards, all around the world.

I am addressing their needs by raising awareness, acknowledging their pain, and giving them a platform of representation.

My project is multi-dimensional. It will build awareness of endometriosis, continuing a much needed conversation. It will be driving action to change the treatment of people living with endometriosis and the information surrounding the disease.

By publicly instigating a conversation that can no longer be ignored, I aim to change the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of the general public, doctors, and gynaecologists. It is important that the project allows people with endometriosis to be aware of mistreatment, and to be fully informed with the correct information, allowing them to advocate for themselves.

I started This Is Endometriosis in 2014 when I was sick myself. I always new that this was a story I needed to tell. When I was at my worst, 5 surgeries in, I decided to start documenting. The project began with self portraits; I was too ill to leave the house, or photograph other people. It was a functional response. When I was able to leave the house, I bought others into the project to ensure it was diverse and inclusive; as a white woman, there is only so much I can tell on my own. 

On March 1st 2019, the start of Endometriosis Awareness Month, I published the first social campaign, involving our community. An overwhelming wave of solidarity in pain was delivered. The community posted photo of themselves, with each endometriosis-related scar dated and connected with a line, with the #: #thisisendometriosis.

This is a project which I have lived and breathed since 2014. I deeply understand the issues related to endometriosis and it’s treatment. Misdiagnosis. Professional incredulousness. Wrongful surgeries. Wrongful drug prescriptions. I have gone through 3 incorrect surgeries.

There is a desperate need to tell people about the correct surgery. As a community, we need to voice our trauma, in order to try to make information more accessible to everybody.

I live with endometriosis myself. I’m deeply connected to the community, and have been since my project was established in 2014.

I am also an experienced photographer, having worked with Dazed & Confused, British Journal of Photography, Vogue, New York Times, New York Magazine Online, Urban Outfitters, Superdry, H&M, ASOS.com, Harrods Style Insider, L’Oreal, Westfield, Virgin, Elle, Glamour, Lenny Letter, Marie Claire, Grazia and Harpers Bazaar (more information can be viewed here).

Furthermore, I have had previous press coverage from the first social This Is Endometriosis campaign which has established a foundation for the second campaign to build upon. Press for This Is Endometriosis includes: Forbes, The Independent, Splash & Grab, Huffington Post, Vanity Fair Italy, Cosmopolitan France, Refinery29, Elle France, Glamour Germany, L’Obs and Le Figaro.

As a result of the success of my first campaign, I was also fortunate to gain a growing mass of social media interest, which has driven my followers to over 10,000. With that I hope to reach even more audiences with awareness of this disease, and inspire them to also be ambassadors within their own communities.

I have been working on this project for 6 years, whilst suffering from PTSD caused by my endometriosis. Additionally, I have a chronic panic disorder which stems from the repeated surgeries. It is difficult to continually revisit this trauma and pain, but this project is bigger than that.

This Is Endometriosis fully showcases my leadership abilities. The long-form project (2014 - present) demonstrates my dedication to the cause. 

I coordinated the first social media campaign independently, whilst dealing with endometriosis related PTSD. 

This campaign received a lot of press, which I dealt with individually. Showcasing my ability to organise, communicate and promote my work. My Instagram went from 1,000 followers, to 10,000 followers within a month of the social campaigns release. High profile platforms such as Health magazine, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan France and Refinery29 (to name a select few), socially reposted and featured my work, allowing the campaign to spread globally.

I have also had American actress and creative, Lena Dunham involved in the This Is Endometriosis project, photographing her in late 2018. This collaboration not only reached an additional audience, but displayed that it doesn’t matter who you are, any women or trans man can suffer from this chronic disease.

I am currently speaking with charities related to endometriosis and seeking funding through them. Additionally, I plan to crowdfund by promoting the campaign through press and social media networks.