These 15 Honest Illustrations Show What Women Do When No One Is Watching

Little Rock Illustrator Sally Nixon draws women in their natural, uninterrupted states. And in a world of Instagram filters, perfectly angled Snapchat seflies, and advertisements donning perfectly taut bums and boobs — it’s easy to see just how draining it is to keep up what society deems an “acceptable” appearance.

Nixon allows us a peak into the lives of everyday women outside of society’s harsh and critical eye — women in their natural state. They read, eat, shower, hang with girlfriends, and nap with their dogs. They aren’t fussed to suck in their stomachs or conform to perfectly tidy ideals. I mean, sometimes you just have to eat Cheetos in bed until you’ve formed a centimeter thick orange dust on top of your boobs and fingers. And that’s a wonderful thing.

When women are alone, they can flick off society’s judgements, rules, and limitations — and just live. Nixon evokes the true and unabashed sentiments of hanging with your girlfriends, eating pizza and drinking wine with your pants unzipped while watching reruns of Gilmore Girls and talking about how to dismantle the patriarchy. Her work allows a safe and honest space for women to just be.

These honest and voyeuristic illustrations portray women in all of their natural and imperfect glories:

You can check out more of Sally Nixon’s work on her Instagram.


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Written by Laura McNairy

Laura is a freelance writer for TFLN. She likes to write about what she knows best — dating, sex, and being awkward, but usually in the opposite order. She is the Assistant Editor and videographer for Peach Fuzz, a sex-positive nudie magazine in ATX.