Cheryl-Ann Webster Beautiful Women Project

Cheryl-Ann Webster - Creator of the Beautiful Women Project - The ART to Loving Life.

“Changing how we see ourselves - Changing how we live”

My childhood was far from ideal, and my naive decisions have had life-long consequences. You see, I was silenced as a child by the belief that “little girls should be seen and not heard.” In fact, in our home, secrecy equated loyalty and love. Before my 18th birthday, I had dropped out of school, was pregnant, and had nowhere to call home- then I relinquished my child for adoption and hit rock bottom.

Art became my voice, as I began to silently sketch my cry for help; I screamed my agony and expressed my deepest fears in each piece I created. This in turn allowed me to express my innermost thoughts and feelings, and through my art, make sense of my life. I studied what had shaped me, who had influenced me, what was in my control, and what I needed to do to survive…or even better, to thrive!

I am not sure when I fully realized I was in control of changing my situation, but I do remember starting to make the most of my limited resources, rather than focusing on what I didn’t have. At the time, I felt like I was just putting one step in front of the other, moving forward slowly, but surely.

In retrospect, I was actually following a process I now call ‘the ART to life’ - I deepened my Awareness, recognized my Resilience, and began to take Transformational steps – I was guided out of the darkness, and into the life I love. As a result, I created the 'Beautiful Women Project' and found my voice. The Project consists of 120 life size sculptures of real women between the ages of 19-91, each decorated to reflect their personal life journey. I created this as a means to inspire all women to accept their natural beauty and ultimately, transform their lives. No longer silenced, I smile with pride when introduced as an award-winning speaker and artist, with a glowing list of awards & qualifications on my resume. I use my spoken words to empower the audience, and my creative expressions and art exhibitions as the backdrop for interactive, experiential learning. Through the Beautiful Women Project, my mission of raising awareness on who and what shapes our body image, building resilience against negative influences, and transforming the way we understand beauty, continues.

"Changing how we see ourselves, Changing how we live."