Louise
The Story
Louise is an artist who is using her voice and art to help her family and community heal through poetry.
When her abuser told her everything she was longing to hear, she didn’t see what was coming.
This is her story.
The Portraits
Throughout her relationship with her abuser, she was silenced in every sense of the word.
Louise survived toxic manipulations, subtle and devastating physical and emotional abuse, gaslighting to make her think she was crazy, and nonstop tech abuse even long after she was able to leave.
Now, years after she finally left, she uses her abundant creativity and vulnerable poetry to bring hope to her children and her community on and offline, and is courageously breaking cycles and helping to heal her family every day.
Her perfect mix of strength and softness is an inspiration, and without any shadow of a doubt, she has reclaimed the power of her voice.
This is the Louise you see here.
We designed two portraits for each survivor in our campaign, a deeply personal pairing to illustrate her own unique journey from control and silence to freedom and voice.
Louise’s first portrait holding her phone framed by her wedding flowers, the thistle, represents her journey from being controlled, manipulated, and abused through endless abusive messages, to finding her blooming, brave, heart once again.
The second portrait represents her liberation from silence and transformation into the woman who found her way back to writing poetry to help heal herself, her family, and her community - poems which are tattooed on countless bodies and tacked upon walls everywhere. A woman who uses her words to turn her pain into power. A woman who will never be silenced again.
You can find her vulnerable work and mind blowing creativity on Instagram at @this_beautifully_defected_life and on her poetry account @beautifully_defected
Inspired by Louise’s Story?
We need your support to achieve our mission of helping more women like her to discover the power of their voice.
Your generous contribution will ensure we can keep fighting for survivors and women everywhere, and help give them the tools to tell their story in order to inspire lasting change in their community and around the world.
It’s time to shed the stigma, shame, and blame and change the story about domestic abuse.
It’s time to #HearHerRoar.
We are a registered UK Charity. Donate to our #HearHerRoar crowdfunder campaign or donate directly through our donorbox, whichever moves you!
Thank you to all the volunteers and donors who helped make Louise’s story come to life:
Stephanie Goldfinger: Photography and Creative Direction
Roxy van der Post: Videography and Editing
My Lady Garden: Floral Design
Lejla Dauti: Makeup
Daria Szotek: Behind the Scenes Photography
Natalia Kaluza: Production Assistance and Marketing
Loes van Gestel: Production Assistance
Coffee by Blue Bear Coffee