We recently connected with Cheryl Dunn and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Cheryl thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?
To be quite honest, I have inspired an Indy musician out in Los Angeles so much with my off the beaten path editing style and my photography stance in making groups of people be heard: people of color, plus size females, people with physical and or developmental disabilities, and Indy creatives not from my home state in Arizona (even if I’m just photographing the band merch).

His name is Avatari and he had the valuable time to mention me in his story in Voyage L.A. Sure. I had locals in my state recommend me for stories but if another established creative not in my state is deeply touched and inspired by what you do, you have been doing something right and you must keep going no matter what hardships you face.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m more of an activist making groups of people be heard, seen, and felt with my photography. It may be people with physical and developmental disabilities, people of color, or even plus size females. I am off the beaten path with my editing style because I show my activism by no photoshopping beauty flaws out or adding beauty in. It upsets mainstream society hardcore because it “hurts the image”. But I must keep going with my quest. I have been doing this for 10 years. I can’t stop for good just because of what some models who commit to mainstream standards think. I have to keep moving in hopes I inspire a revolution of people who love themselves for who they truly are and not have Photoshop to hide the flaws. Much recently, I have been modeling too and photographers have Photoshoped me. It’s their art but at least I know that I’m beautiful without it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The two people that inspired my journey is: 1) my sister, Jessica Dunn 2) my mother, Pamela Dunn.

I have to admit something because I was a very jealous child (yes. I said child because as a young adult in my 2os, I felt this way because I never thought about what challenges people with physical and mental disabilities face). All that stopped at roughly summer 2013 when Jessica invited me to a party. What I did not know was she and a good friend of mine, Timothy Bolen started The Best Buddies Arizona Running team and Jessica asked me to be their photographer for The Rock-‘n’-roll Marathon 2014. That moment opened my eyes and heart to so many things and people. I’m one of the main photographers for the running team now known as 2Gether We Live. Thanks to encouragement from Jessica to learn and to Timothy and nurturing my photography talents, this is the first thing I stood up for.

I believe it was early 2015 to early 2017 having deep conversations with my mom. She was on a remission after having treatment for breast cancer. Mom never understood how all these plus sized girls I photograph have all this confidence. Only thing I had to say was, “At times, you got to creativly tell society to f**k off and show you are beautiful.” It did not hit me like a ton of bricks that I just became an advocate for plus size females and people of color till my first actual group shoot with a clothing line called Thickumms which happened a few months after my mom passed. The designer and founder, Dee Riley pulled me over and said, “At least 3 of these beautiful souls found their confidence because of you. You did good!” Maybe it was something I thought my mom was trying to truly tell me? Me being the rare person in the females in my family to say, “I am beautiful. I am enough. And I can help you believe it too.”

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The smiles on the people’s faces and their sheer joy that I helped them become enough or remind them that they are what makes this world beautiful. Like anytime a 2Gether We Live athlete wants to do something to help. Like Patrick Canez or Gabby Ramos. Like the January 30 training run. Patrick will go, “That sounds fun. I can do that.” Or Gabby would interrupt my bringing out of the question with a very loud, “YEAHHHH!” And celebrate that she is helping me. The coolest part is their eyes sparkle when I ask them questions or give positive critiques.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @i_see_you2021
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISeeYou2021/

Image Credits
Photographer Portrait Credit: Kara Davis Individuals in images: King James, T.Y., Patricia, Bossy The BBW Doll, Maddox Ray, Gabby Ramos, Patrick Canez, Henry Ward and Paul McGowan