Meet Jeni, a Dancer, a Trailblazer and a Joy Seeker
“Each birth was amazing and showed me how incredible our bodies are!”
Something about me that not everyone knows is that I gave birth to my three children at home during planned homebirths. For two of my sons, we had a midwife present, and with my middle son, he arrived before the midwife got there! It was an empowering and special experience for me and my husband. Each birth was amazing and showed me how incredible our bodies are. A perfect day for me now would probably involve some beach or pool time, a massage, and a yummy meal out. I also relax and recharge by spending time in the sun, enjoying beautiful views, and doing some gentle movement.
“Self-confidence is about celebrating your uniqueness”
I define self-confidence as a process of getting to know yourself over time and being able to celebrate your uniqueness. It’s also about having the inner resources to cope with whatever life brings. I’m still learning to be compassionate with myself when fear and insecurities come up, but I have more self-care tools now than I did when I was younger. I celebrate my achievements mostly by reflecting on them myself or sharing them with my family.
“Watching my grey hair grow out showed me that I can see something through to completion”
For the last few years, I’ve been inspired by women on Instagram who let their natural silver or grey hair grow out. For several years, I had been thinking about stopping the hair dye. Seeing women rock their new ‘silver crown’ encouraged me. In 2022, I went cold turkey, transitioning from dyed black hair to natural white. For a while, I looked like a skunk! It was a big challenge, but I remembered the trailer for “Gray is the New Blonde,” which called a woman going through the grey hair transition a true ‘badass.’ That made me laugh and kept me going. This experience showed me that even when it’s hard, I can see something through. My advice to my younger self would be that confidence grows throughout life, with each experience, and the more we can focus on doing what we love, the less time we’ll have to worry.
“Being on stage or near the ocean makes me feel alive”
Creative pursuits that make me feel happy and alive include dancing and modelling. When my grey hair grew out, I started attending Burlesque classes and performed in shows for two years. I then joined a talent agency and have been pursuing modelling and acting. Being on stage makes me feel free and confident. Another place that makes me feel alive is being near the ocean, it’s empowering and grounding for me.
“Take baby steps into new experiences and enjoy the journey”
Honestly, I can be critical of some parts of my body and accepting of others. Being pregnant, especially as my belly grew, gave me a pride in my body that I hadn’t had before. I’ve realised that body confidence is about doing things that bring joy, trusting my abilities, and looking after myself. Getting stronger at the gym and eating well helps me to feel more confident. Being part of photoshoots that celebrate women of all ages, shapes, and sizes has been wonderful. For women unsure about stepping into something they’d love to do, but that feels scary, I’d say take baby steps.
“It’s empowering to try new things by myself, but it’s so much more joyful with friends.”
I loved wearing the leggings by OceanRoad Swimwear, they’re comfortable, colourful, and beautifully patterned. The OceanRoad photoshoot was extra special because I shared it with friends. We were there to support each other and have fun. I’ve realised that it’s empowering to try new things by myself, but it’s so much more joyful (and less daunting) when friends are involved.
We love celebrating real women like Jeni. You can follow her story on Instagram at @jenidrew_official