Wednesday, April 28 2010

The industry I am in is all about beauty, image and having that “perfect look.” I’m supposed to look, dress and act a certain way to appeal to consumers and the media. Personally, I don’t believe that being beautiful is what my life is all about. I will age, wrinkle, my body will change and that is life and I’m ok with that:). I’ll be honest, it has taken me several years of combating these backward ideas of beauty to get to this point in my life, which kinda SUCKS! Why did it take so long? Why wasn’t I ok with aging? And why did I always feel the need to “put my  face on”? (that’s a f#@^ed up phrase!)

Which brings me to a really good documentary,

 “America The Beautiful.” I recently watched this film at a good friend of mines viewing (thx Karlie!) It provoked a lot of thought and great conversation.  I highly recommend you check it out. It questions how and why we perceive beauty the way we do. It follows a 12 year old girl who is fast becoming one of the top runway models in the industry. It reminded me of prior issues I had with my looks. I used to hate my nose, my breasts and countless other things I can’t remember!  I thought back to my home life, being raised by a single mother who talked about her weight, how much she hated her body and how she could never lose those pounds she so desperately wanted, nearly everyday.  It was exhausting, but I understand it was not all her fault, she was a victim of societies f’ed up programming.

After the doc was over we had a great discussion and one of the ladies in the room talked about how she made a self discovery. She realized how negative she was about her weight in front of her daughter. She never thought the little things she was saying about herself, over and over, might cause her daughter to look at her own body and wonder, “Am I fat? Am I pretty? Am I ugly?”

We all agreed that it comes back to education and confidence. The lack of which can be a breading ground for misguided self-hate. And, lets not forget the media. It’s true that the media shares some responsibility, but not all.  Remember we give the media their power.  By watching their shows and buying their magazines, we are telling them what we want.  So, if you don’t like what you see send them a message, stop giving them your money and time.

Remember despite what anyone tells you, you are beautiful inside and out. So you should always, and I mean always, LOVE YOURSELF for all that you are.

I’d love to hear from you about your perception of beauty and/or any personal struggles or victories you have had.