When choosing people to highlight and celebrate for this series, a specific person and image came to mind that I knew I had to recreate. The actress most known for her roles in Hellboy, Cruel Intentions, The Sweetest Thing, and more, Selma Blair quickly became an icon in the disability community after this red carpet moment. When Selma was diagnosed with MS, her doctors urged her to not go public with her diagnosis. But through a vulnerable Instagram post in October of 2018, she did just that. Candidly she described what it has been like being a disabled actor and thanked her team for working with her on the accessibility of her job. Selma attended the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2019, where she wore a beautiful Ralph & Russo dress and cape, high heels, and her iconic bejewelled cane. This moment was pivotal for so many disabled people including myself. Selma going public with her diagnosis was not “brave” or “inspirational” but instead a beacon to all disabled people that dare to take up space as their whole selves. In her words on this moment, “The next morning, the headlines talked about how brave I was. They called me a warrior. In that moment, I didn’t feel like a warrior, or any kind of hero. But I did feel a new sense of peace and purpose. I felt, for maybe the first time in my life, fully and completely myself.” This is why I wanted to capture this moment in her portrait. So often we fracture ourselves as disabled people to fit a mold that was never made for us. Selma reminded us all that we are allowed to take up space just as we are, mobility aids and all. Since this event, Selma has done so much, including (but not limited to) releasing a documentary with director Rachel Fleit ‘introducing, Selma Blair’, she became an author writing her memoir titled ‘Mean Baby’, and recently took the role as Chief Creative Officer of Guide Beauty Cosmetics. Selma is a force that I admire so deeply. You can follow her right here on Instagram @selmablair, watch her documentary on Discovery+, and find her book ‘Mean Baby’ at your local bookstore or library! Image description in the comments and alt text.