 Photo by Kate Cornfoot www.katecornfoot.com.au Over time, my facial scar has become just another bodily change I accept and respect, like my stretch marks from puberty and two pregnancies, the lines on my face as I march into the middle of my 30s, my smaller breasts after breastfeeding two children. They all bear witness to my growth as a person, to the experiences that have challenged me and delighted me, to the miracle that is my ongoing existence. I am alive when others who have had melanoma are not. These experiences have also found their way into my art, photography. I started out merely capturing the physical changes taking place during the healing process – how I looked the day before surgery, the day after surgery, and then as my scar faded and changed. But as I grew in gratitude and found my sense of humour again, I found myself photographing those ordinary moments in a mum's day – folding laundry, cooking, washing clothes – but with an irreverent twist. For example, one morning as I attempted to put away the 1067th load of washing, I thought to myself, “This would be so much more fun on rollerskates”. I took a photo of it and it spawned a whole series of humorous images of me being the Playful Housewife. My art and my joy over the simple things in life have combined in this wonderful way as a result of my melanoma journey. Today, a year after the surgery, I feel beautiful. My scar is now a silvery line most people don’t even notice. I marvel at how well my body has healed, and I have a deep appreciation and an immense gratitude for all the learning this experience has given me... Kate Cornfoot an excerpt from Made Beautiful By Scars - real women's stories Photos by Kate Cornfoot See more of Kate's photography www.katecornfoot.com.au 
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