It seems everywhere I turn these days I’m finding beautiful stories, pictures and videos celebrating beauty outside of the tight parameters of “the beauty standard”.
Three specific sources were so impactful that I wanted to dedicate a blog post to sharing their uplifting messages with all of you.
Let’s start with Taryn Brumfitt. She posted this photo on Facebook, and had the audacity to declare that she preferred her after pic to her before.
And an amazing thing happened.
It went viral. She got millions of likes.
Taryn has since began her Body Image Movement. You can learn more about Taryn and her project on her website, and you can also check out her campaign on Kickstarter (which is already fully funded, and then some!).
In the meantime, please enjoy this video that describes the catalyst for this project.
The truth about beauty:
Next I stumbled upon a post that Jennie Saia published nearly a year go. I just re-read it a moment ago to make sure it’s as awesome as I remembered it, and …it is!
Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty: Models from My Community delivers a whole lot of punch in a small number of words, along with some very impactful images.
Now, since I know clicking links is just about your least favourite thing to do, I’m going to tease you with her opening paragraphs. I do this because I know you’ll be hooked and then you’ll be forced to click on over to read the rest!
Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty: Models from My Community
Click on over to see these photos. You will not be disappointed. Trust me.
Finding beauty…everywhere:
Then on May 1st my friend Laurel at Eat Less Sugar, You’re Sweet Enough published this post on something she called The Love Experiment.
Laurel is starting with “one hated body part” and plans to focus on it until she has transformed the way she think about it. Then she’ll move onto the next body part, and so on and so forth.
Since then she has made a series of posts featuring other women and their views on their own bodies and ‘the beauty standard’.
Here is the first one, titled Fitting Room Confessions.
And the next two:
Alisa, is an eye-opener. It served to remind me that the beauty standard is not only alive and well, but that it is even narrower in other cultures.
And then there’s, Shahin, whose positive energy and healthy outlook is something I aspire to. She sees beauty in herself, and in everyone around her.
Changing our minds is so much harder than changing our bodies.
…but I’m finally feeling so optimistic that we are headed in the right direction, as a collective.
That so many of us are thinking, writing about and living this more inclusive view on beauty fills me with joy and hope.
Keep moving,
xoxo nancy
You are so awesome!!! I love love love this post and thanks so much for mentioning and linking to my project. I haven’t clicked on the link yet but I’m going to right now! 🙂 and, yes, I think a bunch of us are headed in the right direction. Yippee!
I don’t know if it’s just me (maybe I’m looking for it) but there just seems to be a ground swell of this stuff out there in social media right now — which is terrifically awesome!
hugs to you, lovely Laurel!
There does seem to be the beginning of a movement happening. Fingers crossed. Selfridge’s in the UK is doing a promo called The Beauty Project, encouraging people to embrace their natural beauty as well as the aging process. Check out this video!
Wow! thanks for sharing!
I suppose it’s no accident I decided to get to your blog today.
I’m in a “hate my body” stage these days. I spend too much time worrying about the way it looks, rather than how strong and fit it feels.
Can I share another wonderful “finding your beautful” post? Rara wrote it, when she was guest blogging for Daile. I think you will love it:
http://kissmeoutofdesire.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/i-have-a-perfect-body-yes-i-do-guest-post-from-rarasaur/
xo,
S
Saw Rara’s post, loved it, and then linked to it in my other post on beauty: https://myyearofsweat.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/the-truth-about-beauty/.
Hers blew me away. Especially the idea that she loved her own body so much and how she felt that everyone’s body was perfect. I wish I can one day truly feel this way.
xo
Rara is all about unconditional love, so that naturally transfers over to her body image as well.
And I wish I can truly feel this way, someday, too.
xo
I think you said it all – very well! 🙂
Isn’t it terrific that so many are helping to change the way we perceive beauty? I love it! All smiles here! 🙂
me too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Fantastic post – enough to even make me click on the links! Feeling hopeful and inspired now! Need a song… 😉
yay! you clicked links!! 🙂
As for a song…
Holiday Ro-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oad, Holiday ro–oh-oh-oh-oh-oad. 😉
Damn you! Not again!!
teehee!
Hi Nancy! All good stuff for sure. I liked what your friend Jennie said on her blog when she said that it helps us all feel happier and more comfortable when we see all those other photos of other women and men just posing and having fun. If all we do is look at magazines or even television we get a VERY limited view of what beauty looks like and of course judge ourselves against it. By seeing and celebrating the many ways we all look and live we can better able love ourselves too. Thanks for this! ~Kathy
Hear, hear, Kathy! I’m all for widening our scope when it comes to what constitutes beautiful.
And nothing is more beautiful (to me) than seeing a big smile and sensing a true inner happiness emanating from someone!
xoxo nancy
p.s. Hope your birthday weekend was amazing!
Damn you Nanc for making Me feel all weird and mushy inside. A brilliant post though, thank you.
Quick, go to my peeing post (or the vibrator one) those should fix the weird and mushy feelings! 😉
Ha. Roger that. By the way, I’m not sure how that upper case M on me slipped in. I was trying to suggest that I am impervious to feelings. It was a genuine typo!
Well you did look pretty God-like in your sarong/topless photo. 😉
The sooner the world realises that not everyone can it will be able to look a certain way the better! But more than that, we need to realise that we don’t look like that but it doesn’t matter!!
People are different looking and there are endless different variations in beauty and good looking and pretty and that acceptance of self is the most important thing! The video woman is right, having the “perfect body” doesn’t make you happy unless you are
Happy with yourself! I have been very skinny, fat and everything in between, and it hasn’t changed how I feel about me…the only thing that is starting to change it is working for healthy and the ability to do the things I want to!
How do we make people realise this!
This is an awesome post the more people that start to realise it the better!!
Sam, I totally agree on the fact that you don’t find happy when you get thin. That’s what makes plastic surgery so scary, I think — that people believe if only they:
*got that tummy tuck
*fixed their nose
*plumped up their lips
*etc, etc
then their lives would be PERFECT and they would be HAPPY!
I wonder how disappointing it is to go through the time, effort and money only to realize that you’re no happier.
I also agree completely that the only thing that has truly made an impact on how happy I am is by doing things that make me feel healthy and *capable*; climbing a mountain, lifting a heavy weight, running a race, etc.
Exercise has helped me find my happy. and it’s helping me to find my beauty, too.
xoxo
I think at the end of the day happiness and confidence is beautiful! (Yep I know that is a cliche) but it shines through people!
There is no magic potion or pill or exercise or surgery, there is just a hard road to acceptance of self and confidence to change if you want to but not to hold your happiness to ransom dependent on the outcome of something that may not even be in your control!
I say all these things…now I just have to believe they apply to me too
You will get there, Sam. So will I.
xoxo
😀 I have no doubt you will…and you are helping me realise I might too 😀 xxx
Oh that you could see how amazing, brave and beautiful you are, Sam…
Xxx
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I find that being mindful as I walk, brush my hair, type, peel carrots, brush my teeth, dance, swim . . . I am amazed and awed at the many wonderful things that my body does for me every day.
So much better than being a head stuck on a shelf, unable to move and groove.
Thanks for a great post about our fantastic bodies!
What a beautiful way to look at things, Nancy! And I couldn’t agree more about the head on a shelf analogy. 🙂
A lovely post, Nancy. Taryn’s smile in her after picture says it all. 🙂
Inner happy = outer beauty. She’s gorgeous all around!
Absolutely! She looks miserable in the first photo and happy and satisfied in the second. How much more proof do we need. 🙂
Amen.
We women are so hard on ourselves. Who said comparison is the thief of joy? That’s especially true with our bodies. There are so many perfect variations of awesome. I’m so glad we’re getting to see more of them.
Me too, Andra.
Hope your travels were safe and uneventful, and that you’re all settled in and enjoying the land of Oz!
We leave Thursday. The run up to leaving may kill us both. 🙂
Oh I thought you left yesterday. Safe travels! Don’t forget Melatonin!
I love this post so much that I’ve read it twice! The media continually bombards us with their version of perfection, so it’s very difficult to see our own beauty if we don’t conform to that. The model community post and photoshoot were great to see, everyone looks so happy! I’ll definitely be exploring Tanya Brumfitt’s website more as well, it looks really interesting 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this! I’ve gone back to read it (and the comments) multiple times myself! I think it’s great that the formerly narrow beauty standard is finally being blown open. Very encouraging for us – and future generations!
It is, hopefully that means the world might be becoming a little more open-minded!
Fingers and toes crossed on that one.
Love that second photo. Such a happy smile!
Isn’t it though? Gorgeous and happy!
Needed this today 🙂 Hope your holiday weekend was lovely!
I got a fantastic hike in (good), but broke in a new pair of hiking shoes – which caused me two massive blisters (bad). Oh well, better yesterday – at home – on a 6.8 miler than Thursday at the Grand Canyon on a 13 miler (good(ish), I guess). 🙂
Love this. Taryn’s expression in that second photo is so whole and centered. Very cool. John
Wonderful description, “whole and centered”. I had been describing it as happy and at peace. Amazing what inner peace and that whole/centeredness can do in one’s outward appearance.
Oh, oh, oh, Nancy. Thank you for sharing and for putting our project in a class with these other two. Taryn is a huge inspiration to me. I am currently re-writing my piece for submission to larger websites (something I’ve been putting off for a year because I was too nervous it might fail) – but now I’m going for it for real, and will keep you posted!
YAY JENNIE!!! I am so excited for you!!! Please keep us all posted on your blog. You are inspiring many with your project!
An interesting perspective, Nancy. Well said. It’s not all “diet” and exercise!
Glad you enjoyed it Carol.
I am so pleased to see that so many people are devoting so much of themselves to assist women in loving themselves as they are. As WE are. I know the importance of changing the message we hear. All the positivity that can possibly be published isn’t going to do much unless we are really ready to receive the message. I think the examples you’ve shared today are really special and I will spend some time soaking up the details! Thank you, Nancy.
Love that, Debra: we need to be ready to receive them. So true!
I hope you enjoy the projects these amazing women are working on. And I hope WE are all ready to receive them.
Lovely, and I although I have made some progress, I do hope that I can truly love my body one day. These kinds of posts and projects will help in the larger mind-shift.
I agree, Lynne. The more of us who talk about it and challenge the ‘norm’, the more we create change.