The Unleashed Project

Just 108 donations of $16 will support the printing of all the photos for the exhibition at ArtServe on March 5th, 2020! Please donate and SHARE with your circle of friends, community and/or women who stand for setting their own beauty standards, unsexualized nudity, self-love, self-acceptance, body positivity and empowering and lifting each other up!

For too long women have been conditioned by society, the media and each other about how to look, act, dress, feel and so on that our identity and confidence is being eroded. It is time we ask ourselves...What does it mean to be a women? Who is the women I want to be? How do I love myself and my body? The Unleashed Project provides impactful opportunities to create positive shifts towards self love and body positivity.  As people identified as woman, it is time we reclaim our identity together as individuals, UNLEASH all our beauty within, and let it radiate out- for ourselves, for each other and for the world.  Because when we come from a place of love and self acceptance, then we can truly be ourselves~UNLEASHED!

For years I lived my life in a state of disempowerment, lacking confidence and unaware of the absence of love for myself and my body.  I had yet to discover that I held the power to do something about it.  A first visit to a nude beach in Greece was my a-ha moment that led me on a lifelong journey of self-love, acceptance and body positivity.  I grew passionate through my own growth to be a guiding light for other women to see all their beauty inside and out and to reach their empowered state of being.  I began growing and self funding The Unleashed Project in 2014 and in Nov 2018 she was birthed into existence with a sneak peak exhibition of 26 photos made possible by this Go Fund Me.  Now, The Unleashed Project is thrilled to be invited to exhibit all 108 photos from the series at Art Serve, a non-profit space for the arts  in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 4th-27th during a Women's History Month Exhibition.   The Unleashed Project is ready to be introduced into the world, through the exhibition of all 108 photos, documentary video and the continuation of the Unleashed process,  but that is just the beginning.  The goal is to continue inspiring and shifting the paradigm by touring The Unleashed Project exhibiton, so I need your help for her to continue to grow and flourish.  Unleashed has been and will continue to be a non-profit project.  It had been made possible through continued faith, love, support and donations; the participating women giving their time and attention to participate, the generous monetary donors who believe in the message and continuation of Unleashed, and by my desire and dedication to this project.  My mission is to utilize the capability of The Unleashed Project to impact and shift the paradigm for the present and future generations making the world a better place for all genders.  Please help support these important cultural issue by making a donation today. 

A large portion of funds will be needed to professionally print one 12" x 18" photo from each of the 108 participants from their Unleashed process, costing $1750.  Those original 108 printed photos will tour the country making that a one time expense.  The remaining funds will be used for supporting exhibitions and touring.   All time and funds earned are always used to directly support and perpetuate the continuation of The Unleashed Project.  I am deeply grateful and humbled by so much support thus far and look forward to expanding the reach and impact of The Unleashed Project with your help.

Much love and gratitude,
Melissa
To learn more about my self-love journey that led me to begin The Unleashed Project click here  




WHAT IS THE UNLEASHED PROJECT?

Unleashed is a therapeutic, social art movement.  It consists of the photos from 108 individuals identified as woman, ages 18-90, of all sizes, shapes, colors, diverse lives and socio-economic backgrounds who came together under the vision of artist, Melissa Vlahos.  Unleashed empowers and enables women to express, love and accept themselves from the inside out, promoting body positivity and the celebration of a woman's whole unique beauty.  As the viewer or the muse of Unleashed, an apparent shift radiates out that permeates through society in ways beyond what is expressed through the resulting photographs.

THE PROCESS:

Through Melissa's visceral guided meditation of somatic awareness, personal color theory and a self-taught emotional flooding technique, particpant's bodies become a canvas of their own emotions as each woman thoughtfully applies the paint as a tool of self-expression.  Embodying the intention to empower and enable oneself into deeper awareness of self-love, acceptance and body positivity, a newfound relationship fosters them into creating positive internal shifts which ripple out in their life and into the world.  

THE MISSION:
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The Unleashed Project is more than beautiful photographic art, it also creates awareness and dialogue surrounding the important cultural issues for all genders, of body image/body dismorphia, societal expectations and norms, beauty standards and more.

​The Unleashed Project has already Unleashed over 108 women! The mission of The Unleashed Project is to continue to impact and inspire women across the globe, bringing awareness to self love and body positivity through exhibitions, conversations, experientials and more. 

Support the mission
-Donate now
-Host Melissa and The Unleashed Project exhibition in your community/city or organization 
-Book a personal Unleashed photo session
-Share this Go Fund Me
-Host Melissa on your podcast
-Talk/Blog about your Unleashed Experience
-Become an Unleashed ambassador
-Volunteer to assist Melissa with touring plans, promotions, shoots and exhibitions
-Offer Unleashed Experience photo shoot sessions at your next women's empowerment or wellness retreat
-Publish (with permission)  Melissa's self-love story and/or The Unleashed Project photos in magazines, books, videos or social media posts

If you desire to support the project in any other ways, let us know by contacting [email redacted] . We are open and interested in hearing how you want to contribute to this important cultural issue. 



108 WOMEN?

I chose to guide and document 108 woman’s journey and process, including my own,  individually through film and photographic art. By tuning in to this symbolically powerful number we can connect to our higher selves, weaving and intertwining us all together in solidarity.  Because, together we are stronger and more empowered, together we heal the feminine, together we get to be heard and decide what we believe true beauty is, together we erase body shame entirely and shift the paradigm.





Spread the awareness, bring The Unleashed Project exhibition to your community/city, and have Melissa Vlahos Unleash YOU in a photo session.  For more information visit www.theunleashedproject.com