When I saw Nora Rosenberg for the first time, I felt, as though I already knew her. The Austin based nude model enchants with her super natural look, strong thoughts and incredible passion. Photographed by Ramon Jamar.
What do you like most about yourself?
I think I have my science training to think for this, but one trait I am proud of is that I do my best to actually learn from evidence rather than stay stuck in my ways. Some people would consider this flip-flopping, but I think it’s much more important to hear evidence, learn, evolve, and make informed decisions based on what you’ve learned than to appear consistent for others’ sakes or out of stubbornness and wanting to be right all the time.
Your thoughts on nudity?
We all have the same parts; it’s biology. It’s absolutely ludicrous for the nude body to be considered obscene. Nudity and sex have become so (falsely) ingrained in one other that the words are almost interchangeable. I seek to unpair these concepts.
Why is society so afraid of nude art?
I don’t think society is afraid of nude art. I think people are subjective about what they consider art, but content that has unanimously been categorized as art, such as nude statues in museums, seems to be socially acceptable. Society is afraid of real, tangible nudity because we have been taught to be ashamed of our anatomy for so long. When we rebel and deny the societal pressure to cover up, it makes people uncomfortable. Unashamed nudity is a rebellion against the status quo.
“Society is afraid of real, tangible nudity because we have been taught to be ashamed of our anatomy for so long.”
Your thoughts on happiness?
I am no expert, but I find I am most happy when I actively pursue things that scare me a little bit but add value to my life: posting nude photos online despite the resounding advice that it was a bad idea, singing up for graduate school knowing it would be the most difficult thing I had ever done, showing up alone to a ballet class when I’d never danced a day in my life, showing up alone to a pole class when I’d never strength-trained a day in my life (well, since high school volleyball), taking a road trip alone from Texas to New Mexico even though there was a “gas shortage” after Hurricane Harvey. Now that I see that list, I think doing things alone has made me quite happy. It makes me feel unstoppable and more confident in pursuing my interests.
Your thoughts on self-love?
My thoughts on self-love correlate with my thoughts on happiness. When you try something new on your own, you’re trusting yourself to be able to navigate a new experience and come out alive on the other side having learned something. They say trust is one of the most important things in a relationship, so it’s equally important in your relationship with yourself. If you don’t trust yourself, figure out why and what the first step is to changing that.
“I am most happy when I actively pursue things that scare me a little bit but add value to my life”
What inspires you?
Women, and people in general, not giving a shit about what people think or how they’re perceived externally. These people live their truth and are authentic to themselves. I want to be that way.
If you could live in any other decade/century, which would you choose and why?
I probably wouldn’t. Things haven’t been great for women in the past, so I think I would have to choose the future if not the present. I can only pray the future is bright.
What does your living room look like?
I am a millennial student living in Austin, so I don’t have a living room. My living room looks a lot like my bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. My living space has a hodgepodge of furniture I’ve collected over the years and I’ve been slowly introducing plants that won’t kill my cats and that my cats won’t kill. That has been one of my most unsolvable challenges in life. The lighting is very dark and warm and the mirrors and pictures are not centered over the furniture.
What do you expect from life?
I’m not sure that I really expect anything. I expect for nothing to happen how or when I want it to, but I’ve tried to learn to only put effort into controlling the things I can (which is like nothing).
Photography: www.instagram.com/ramon_jamar
www.ramonjamar.com/blog
