🇳🇱Mats @matsvanmerkestijn by Ryan @boysbyryan.2 posted with permission exclusive for @boysofnarcissus Mats says;“It sounds stupid, but I actually feel uncomfortable with my whole body. The discomfort started in high school, I was getting bullied for being gay, even though I didn’t know that myself at that age. I was also bullied for my looks. I looked too feminine and I was called fat and ugly. Through the years I’ve created an image of what I should look like, because of all the bullying. I changed myself, but when I did this I actually wasn’t myself anymore. Now I’m finally trying to be myself, but it’s very hard. I still have an image in my head of what I should look like. When I look in the mirror I see a different body; I see a fat belly and a fat waist. My friends are always the ones that are telling me I’m not really that way and they are my biggest support. I do get a lot of compliments, but I never believe them. I still can’t believe them, but I’ve come to trust my friends. So now because of my friends, I dared to do this photoshoot. I know now that the image I have of myself is a twisted image and not the truth. That’s something really important for me to remember.” #boysofnarcissus #lifestories #dutchmodel #dutchmodels #netherlands #dutchphotographer #dutchphotographers