ADRIANA PABON

FOUNDER/President

Adriana started The Affirmations Project in 2016, and what she thought was going to be a one-time event became a thriving non-profit organization that has brought inspiration, healing and hope to  many women in the Tampa Bay Area.

Adriana is originally from Medellin, Colombia, and came to the United States when she was seventeen years old. She attended Florida International University, in Miami, Florida, where she obtained her Legal Studies Certification. Professionally, Adriana has been in the legal field for over twenty-five years, but her true passion is community service and helping women. She is a philanthropist at heart. In addition to running her own organization and holding a full-time job, Adriana has served on the Board of Directors of other local  non-profit organizations. She is also a member of several professional women networking groups. Her passion for community service and for empowering women inspired her to start The Affirmations Project, an organization dedicated to helping women by promoting self-love and self-acceptance. The Affirmations Project also provides financial assistance to local cancer and domestic violence survivors. Their main event is an annual  gala where the focus is the unveiling of a photo gallery showcasing survivors with their words of affirmation painted on their bodies. The survivors also share their inspirational stories at the gala to bring healing and hope not only to themselves, but to others who may be going through the same struggles, a reminder that they are not alone and that there is always hope. 

Adriana is a domestic violence survivor herself, experiencing first-hand the lasting damage abuse can cause. After leaving that abusive relationship, Adriana met many other domestic violence survivors. She witnessed women of all ages struggling with anxiety, depression and low self-esteem because they were told repeatedly that they were not good enough, smart enough or pretty enough. Witnessing women struggle with those feelings ignited Adriana’s passion to help these women rediscover their true value—and The Affirmations Project was born.  

Adriana was taking the first steps to make The Affirmations Project a reality when everything came to a sudden stop on March 18, 2014 when she was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. Just a week after being diagnosed, Adriana underwent a double mastectomy followed by weeks of aggressive radiation treatment. Due to the nature of her diagnosis, Adriana’s doctors recommended that she did not have reconstructive surgery. Cancer took her breasts and  left her with multiple scars as a daily reminder of what she had survived. Adriana’s cancer journey gave her the final push she needed to move forward with The Affirmations Project. Given her journey in life, Adriana understands the importance and need for self-love and self-acceptance. She worked tirelessly and, with the help of friends and local artists, the first Affirmations Project Gallery was unveiled on October of 2016. The event has since become a staple of the Tampa Community. 

MICHELLE CAUDLE

Vice President

My name is Michelle Caudle, I am Vice President and one of The Affirmations Project’s two photographers.

I studied studio art at Florida State University, where I received a Bachelors degree with focuses in fine art painting and photography. Oddly enough, I started my photographic career shooting dog shows with a small mom ‘n pop company based out of Orlando, called Pix ‘N Pages. I must say that I owe a vast majority of my knowledge and skill to them, as they taught me so much of what I know. In 2012, I started my business, Silver Moon Custom Art & Photography and have since found a passion shooting weddings and creative portraiture/fashion.  

I have been working with The Affirmations Project since it’s 2016 inception, alongside founder, Adriana Pabon and photographer Lucyna Aleksandra. The moment I heard what this Project was all about, I knew I had to be deeply involved.

As women, we hear a never-ending stream of what we should or should not look like, how we should act and think, what we should wear and how to dress.  We are even told what we should or should not do with our bodies. Being a woman is a constant struggle. Sometimes a battle. We are soft and gentle. We are bold and full of fire. Emotional. Sassy. Beautiful. Dramatic. Logical. Determined. Vulnerable. Tired. Ferocious. Elegant. Wounded. Resilient. There are so many parts that make up a woman and I’ll say it myself… Often, it’s hard to understand all those parts. But all of those crazy beautiful pieces come together in an intricate and brilliant mosaic to make amazing creatures that should be celebrated. Yet, day after day, we hear stories—or worse, we have our own life experiences—of brutal abuse, trauma, uncontrollable self-doubt, self-hate… So many women—people in general—walk through life feeling alone and unsupported, often leading to a spiral of self-confidence and an unbearable burden.  The Affirmations Project is not just a system of support for those who have suffered in the grasp of illness, it is a support for all of those who have gone through unimaginable life experiences. It’s a group of loving and vibrant individuals who hope to help other fellow humans overcome their struggles by sharing their own with the world. It’s about finding self-love within all of our flaws, even when certain aspects of our society tell us otherwise. It’s about finding our true worth as vibrant and unique individuals and allowing ourselves to thrive in this space.

For me, The Affirmations Project is also inspiration. I’ll never forget the day of our 2017 photoshoot… Susie Morris took a look at herself in the mirror for the very first time without wearing her prosthetic eye. And with tears rolling down her cheeks, she told me it was the best day of her whole life, that she felt more beautiful than she ever has.

I feel humbled and honored to be surrounded by a group of such strong warriors. And I know that when life brings me hurdles, these people will be here to help me up when I fall