Abstract
Women are connected to each other. More than a sole emotional connection; women interpersonally relate to one another through an important physical attribute, their bellies. This project examines the physical belly experiences shared by women through their interpersonal relationships. A woman’s belly creates a safe haven for nine months of life, identifies her sexuality, has been artistically depicted, and experiences gain and loss. Autoethnography, a reflexive storytelling method of investigation that focuses on the self, provided a methodology to examine the belly experiences of life, sexuality, art and loss. By using this method, I reflected on my own belly experiences and the interpersonal relationships that have developed as a result. Employing this method, gave me a better understanding of why women interpersonally relate through their physical bellies. While each “belly experience” studied in this project is unique to the individual; it is the commonalities of the experience, the ability to empathize and understand as a woman that bonds women to each other.