Canadian influencer says 'it's OK if you have big arms' in body-positive post
Kenzie Brenna is on a mission to love her body.
On Wednesday, the Vancouver-based influencer took to Instagram to share a message with her 381,000 followers.
In the post, Brenna shared three photos of her posing in a brown sports bra. She pursed her lips while lifting her arms to the ceiling, showing off her arm tattoos.
The photos accompanied the text: "It's OK if you have big arms. Big arms are genetic, strong, feminine and beautiful. Wear the sleeveless shirt, trust me."
In the caption, the content creator began by opening up about her genetics and how that affects her.
"My body looks identical to my mother's and babcia’s bodies. From my arms, to my legs, to my hips, to my jaw, to my varicose veins, the feminine genetics run deep," she penned. "And naturally I grew up hating my arms. From their size, to their scars, to their stretch marks, why would I want anyone to see them?"
Brenna went on to explain that she often covered up her arms and other parts of herself she didn't like.
"...I would have people ask me why I wore long sleeves in 30 degree summer weather and I’d laugh and shrug it off. My laughter containing the nervousness of my ancestors who felt shame," she revealed. "It became a running joke that I would rarely ever show my forearms let alone my upper arms."
However, over time the social media star began to accept how she looked.
"But in the last few years I grew up, I began to own my body, accept my body, stopped looking to external clues for how to exist and owned the home that I currently dwell in," Brenna shared. "I tattooed my arms. Gave them life and meaning beyond just being big."
"Wear the tank top. Wear the T-shirt. Wear the sleeveless dress!" she concluded.
In the comments, fans thanked the self-love advocate for her inspirational and uplifting message.
"As someone who hates my arms, this really gave me some peace. Thanks for inspiring me," commented a follower.
"I think it’s so special to have that connection with the woman in my family too," shared someone else.
"Reading about this made me think that there is nothing wrong with me," added another.
Earlier this week, Brenna shared with her fans what it's like to live with depression.
The influencer revealed that the condition feels like she's "dragging weights at the bottom of a glass pool" and finds it hard to experience the joys of life.
"You know that there is goodness here to life but you cannot feel it. Like my mind is registering things but ...there is a disconnect. I can see how incredible someone is but " don’t care to reach out to tell them or connect with them," she wrote.
However, Brenna revealed that she's "beginning to feel better," although progress is "non linear."
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