Instagram is over the rainbow for stretch marks

There's something of a party happening right now and the celebration is rooted in inclusivity. Everybody seems to be invited. Rather, every body seems to be invited. And there's no shortage of platforms for the observance of the decidedly joyous fête that is the body positivity movement.  

It's not just happening on social media. Style mega brands have sworn off impossibly thin models and doctored photos need to be labeled as such, as per France's new health laws squarely aimed at the fashion industry. Even Kendrick Lamar is so f*cking sick and tired of the Photoshop. The message is clear: you can sit with us. Furthermore, you should be able to sit comfortably with yourself, too.

The latest to join the party is 21 year old artist Cinta Tort Catró (aka Zinteta on IG).  She's dubbed her artistic explorations a form of "artivism". Her projects typically explore issues of  feminism and racism, but her most recent study centers on aspects of the body that women typically experience and subsequently hide (often shamefully) as flaws. And it's intensely personal. "I have not always felt comfortable with my period and stretch marks. Overall, I have not always felt secure with my body," she told media. "Over the years, and after internal reflection, I saw that if I did not accept anything [about] my body — hair, stretch marks — I could never love or accept me." Not an uncommon feeling among young women in particular, but many men as well.  

To colour her recent work, a transformative representation of both menstruation and stretch marks, she uses the definitive symbol of love and acceptance: the rainbow.

Catró says, "it's very important to me that people are conscious that we are all different, that our bodies are different, but everyone has beauty and their own essence. We need to fight against the aesthetic pressure and accept once and for all that we are different and in diversity, there is richness." Catró's voice echoes many who share the same feelings, even globally in 2017.

Her art transforms the potentially perceivable "flaw" that is the recognizable grouping of stretch marks into something celebratory and beautiful. Or rather, by organically tracing the natural and common biological markings, it lifts out a beauty that was there all along. Plus, it looks like a pretty fierce rainbow tiger stripe that begs to be showcased. Catró isn't the first to turn to her social media account to champion personal emotional wellness as it pertains to body image. Kate Speer has been inviting thousands to #jiggleforjoy for awhile now. Their online success and that of others like them makes it clear they aren't alone in spirit or ideology. It seems that body inclusivity and acceptance is simply an idea whose time has come. Long may the party rage on.       

Also, is it cool if I borrow her rainbow aesthetic for my love handles? Actually asking.