What would it mean if the world knew your story—and how would it change you, enrich you? O has partnered with Instagram on a game-changing new initiative, #MyStory, that gives you the chance to find out. Here, five Instagrammers tell us where they're coming from—and reveal the power of sharing their true selves with millions of others.

Patricia Lay-Dorsey
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Photo: Courtesy of Patricia Lay-Dorsey

"I've been an artist for decades and have always preferred to see only the sweet stuff. But now that I'm 73, I want to be a part of what really is. And being a photographer gives me an excuse to meet new people, whether I'm scooting around downtown Detroit or going to an electronic music festival (I'm known as Grandma Techno around here). I view my Instagram as my living room. It's a place for people to feel safe and live in the present." —@patricialaydorsey


Allison Meade
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Photo: Courtesy of Allison Meade

"I've always loved old cars and building things. In sixth grade, I desperately wanted to take shop, but my friends wanted me to take home economics with them, and I followed their lead. I deeply regretted it and decided I was never again going to choose a path just because it was expected of me. Now I'm a welder, artist and firefighter. Women have told me, 'I thought it was fireman for a reason.' That's not okay! I want sixth-grade girls to know they can be firefighters, too." —@oldsoulstudio

Denisio Truitt
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Photo: Courtesy of Denisio Truitt

"When I got divorced in 2014, I was ready to get out of the Washington D.C. area, where I'd spent my entire adult life. I visited a friend in New Orleans and fell in love with it—the heat, the architecture, the people. It reminded me of Monrovia, Liberia, where I lived for about a year as a child. When I moved here, I felt like my life had come full circle. And the friend? We fell in love, too. Now we co-own a clothing design company. I'm still on a journey, but my hope is that people will see me sharing all parts of myself—as a black woman, as an entrepreneur—and relate, wherever they are on their journey." —@denisiotruitt

Jenn Zeller
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Photo: Courtesy of Jenn Zeller

"I live on a cattle ranch in South Dakota in the middle of nowhere. It's a 20-mile round trip to my mailbox. My photographs are a way to show people that a cowgirl isn't necessarily somebody you'd find at a rodeo—I'm out there bundling up to feed the cows when it's -30 degrees outside—and to start a conversation about where our food comes from. I want everyone who might not get to visit this beautiful place to see it through me." —@thesdcowgirl

Tess Holliday
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Photo: Courtesy of Tess Holliday

"I've been a model for six years. In the industry, people with my body type are usually overlooked, so I use social media to share my life. I've gotten bullied with comments like 'How could you show off your body at your size?' But I want to motivate someone to look at herself differently—try on a dress she normally wouldn't wear or do something that scares her. We're told that when you're a certain size, you're not allowed to be happy. But I'm showing that I get to do what I love." —@tessholliday

Now we want to hear from—and see—you!
Just post the pictures and words that capture who you really are and share them using the hashtag #MyStory to join this empowering community. Remember to tag @oprahmagazine—and you just might end up in our pages, too!

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