Author's Notes

What’s in My Belly is an interactive, game-like gallery that invites people to photograph their meals and upload them with short captions. I created this project in response to mental health challenges around eating—especially feelings of guilt, anxiety, or disconnection from food. Instead of tracking calories or enforcing rules, the project focuses on visibility, encouragement, and emotional affirmation. Eating becomes a form of progress. Each meal added to the gallery is a small achievement, allowing users to visually see how much they’ve eaten over time. This accumulation creates a sense of accomplishment, reinforcing the idea that eating is an act worth celebrating rather than hiding. The more you eat, the more you can post—turning nourishment into a gentle, self-rewarding loop. Captions allow users to reflect on how they felt before, during, or after eating, transforming meals into moments of self-recognition. As individual entries gather into a shared gallery, the project builds a collective space that normalizes different eating habits and rhythms. By combining play, visual progress, and community, What’s in My Belly helps users reframe eating as something affirming, visible, and empowering.