Plus-size model Joann van den Herik isn’t interested in fitting into a tiny box and meeting the traditional definition of ‘perfect’; instead, she’s passionate about defying beauty norms and letting everyone know that their individuality makes them shine.
The curvy cousin of supermodels Bella and Gigi Hadid is here to challenge the unrealistic images that have taken over social media platforms. As a full-figure model who regularly advocates for self-love, Joann uses her Instagram to show people that they don’t have to use filters to capture true beauty, reminding them to instead embrace those authentic moments where they may feel less than perfect.
Joann isn’t afraid to practice what she preaches. She regularly shares her own unfiltered photos to demonstrate that beauty can be found in all shapes and sizes.
Photos she posts online vs. photos she’s deleted
Joann often shares bits of her life with her almost 500,000 followers. That includes her unfiltered self and her journey with body positivity, which she hopes to spread to her fans. She shares ‘before and after’ type pictures to show the contrast between the edited, polished photos we scroll through on our feeds daily and the reality that hides behind them.
Editing makes a world of difference
She does a deep dive into the editing processes and how systematically people organize and plan to present an online persona. She does all this to bring more transparency to how social media doesn’t reflect reality, urging her followers to celebrate their unique bodies and journey towards self-love.
She draws attention to the fact that most of what we see online has undergone careful selection and transformation, which distorts our perception of real life.
She also emphasizes the fact that constant comparisons suck the joy out of your life, and rather than comparing yourself, you should prioritize self-worth and personal growth while appreciating the so-called imperfections.
Self-acceptance is powerful, and when you master it, it can help you tune out all the outside noise in society that tells us otherwise.
Posed or unposed? Joann shares the truth
In sharing her photos, Joann proves that unposed pictures embody joy. They’re authentic and spontaneous, capturing our raw emotions and day-to-day interactions with the people and world around us.
The unposed photos offer better storytelling and also provide a more natural flow rather than ‘perfect’ photos that attempt to hide all flaws and end up coming off as fake and staged.
An ever-evolving journey toward self-love
Beyond exposing the truths hidden beneath the surface of social media, Joann reconnects us to what matters most: the power of self-love. Self-love makes us stronger and helps us channel our inner beauty.
In her bio, Joann calls herself “your online bestie” and has made it her mission to boost the confidence of people worldwide.
This influencer is fiercely dedicated to the cause, and it’s refreshing. We live in a world that’s obsessed with nitpicking and looking flawless, especially in social media photos, but Joann shares an unapologetic side that’s much more attractive. While beauty may vary from person to person, Joann reminds us that all forms of beauty are worthy of celebration.
What you see online isn’t real-life
Social media isn’t reality—it’s that simple. Joann van den Herik exposes all the editing tools and filters that people use, which teaches us that more people than ever edit their photos, and it’s sometimes so subtle that we don’t realize it most of the time. She reveals the shocking truth that millions of influencers constantly use apps to create poreless images without any blemishes or flaws. The reason? They want to fit in.
Joann revealed that at one point, she, too, thought everyone had naturally perfect looks, but then came to learn that editing was common. Joann refuses to edit her photos these days but admitted that she once felt she had to in order to be worthy of being an influencer.
The bottom line is that we’re not robots. We’re humans with real bodies, imperfections, and textures. While social media wants to convince us that these are flaws, they’re what make us unique individuals. Our inherent flaws are actually what make us stunning. They’re what makes us stand out from the crowd, unlike posed and filtered photos on the internet.
She’s also shared the fact that even when people share ‘real’ images as she has, they still choose to post the ones where they feel they look the best, aka the photos that hide these “flaws.”
Confidence is a game-changer
The most important takeaway from Joann’s message is that confidence plays a huge role in our day-to-day lives. It shows when you carry yourself with confidence and pride no matter how you look.
Furthermore, a picture doesn’t define us. She makes her point by comparing selfies to pictures we take of the moon or sunset. If they don’t look the same as they do in real life, we don’t call nature ugly! We just acknowledge that a lens can’t replicate its beauty at a certain moment, and we need to give ourselves the same grace.