Radical Beauty
It’s not what you see on tv or even in those edgy print ads.
It’s real. Sometimes hiding in a wrinkle of skin, a furrowed brow, a modern primitive’s stretched lobe, a swollen belly. In any case, it’s marked by a considerable departure from what mainstream media tells us to follow. No – this isn’t another anti-establishment rant. It’s a wake up call to those that listen to the magazines, television and trend-watchers. It’s a wake-up call and a reminder to myself.
Sometimes I stand too close to the mirror. A great day can instantly become a dismal one when I catch sight of the newest blemish in the magnified reflector. I think I noticed a hair in a new interesting place the other day. God – my face is so damn puffy…and crying will only make it worse. So I conceal, soak, exfoliate, emphasize some other not-so-puffy part, line, shine and pluck in an effort to make YOU not notice what I notice so much. But you don’t notice the effort. You never even noticed the problem. So why was I bugging out?
No No NO to 60 shades and squeezing in and paying more and standing too close and feeling less…and feeling less…and feeling less of myself. Say it with me. No No NO!
For a body enthusiast I definitely have strong opinions surrounding the “healthy physique.” Yes – I get slightly more than self-conscious when I realize that my abs and arms have begun to decondition due to emotional slumps and hang-ups preventing me from sticking to my regular overload regimen. [I actually attack this topic in my upcoming book, Curing Someday Syndrome!] Most classical dance forms stress the importance of holding one’s core, squeezing it in; God forbid you show up to a Juilliard audition looking less than lithe!
My hunny is probably one of the wisest people I know. He said to me one night ” I just try not to let my gut stick out farther than my heart.” Boy did that rock my world. The heart…ah…yes…why haven’t I been listening to that thing?! His words continue to resonate with me as I realized that they were metaphor for maintaining a conscious and mindful perspective when it comes to body awareness and knowledge of self worth. Because…boys and gals – we are beautiful structure-forms and examples of pure vibrant energy. We owe it to ourselves to pursue our dreams without getting caught up in trying to look like Babylon’s next fresh face. Now, I’m not saying that I despise make-up or awesome costumeage. I’m a performer. However, I’ve spent the past few years breaking myself down and rebuilding in a strong effort to understand and appreciate who I am, was, heck – have always been underneath it all.
Methinks the very industries that work to make us feel unlike ourselves without their goods are the same industries proliferating the “us” & “them” mentalities that are separating beautiful humans from other humans. At the risk of being a cornball – fact is, no matter what – we all share the same make-up!
We are all one.
So – rather than be pulled and yanked away from ourselves and each other, let’s celebrate our radical selves! I propose a day of beauty sans make-up. With me?
Got a radical beauty story to share? Shoot me a line!
