Motherhurt

What were you forced to sacrifice to become a mother? Motherhood is often framed as a privilege, a gift, and a calling- but it is also a journey of sacrifice. This project, “Motherhurt,” seeks to explore the quiet, unseen costs of becoming a mother. Through these images the question of sacrifice will be confronted by revealing the weight of expectations, the shedding of self, and the tension between dreams that were fulfilled and those that had to be left behind. I chose to explore this question in the form of diptychs, on one side a handwritten note that describes a personal experience of the sacrifices of motherhood – inspired by the handwritten notes my mother left in my lunch everyday growing up. On the other side a universal object reflects the sentiments that are found in the corresponding note. This technique strives to highlight unique experiences while also giving other women the space to relate to the complexity of motherhood. Ultimately, this project is an invitation to witness the reality of motherhood – not as unconditional perfection, but as a lived experience where it takes strength to make sacrifices.