Across the country this week women and men are taking time out of their schedules to learn more about eating disorders and healthy bodies. Women's Centers, health centers, women's studies department, mentoring groups, and even book groups are taking time to bring this very important issue to the public. Eating disorders are not an individual issue, it is a family and community issue. Eating disorders are not only a medical issues for the female community, in fact, eating disorders in men are increasing at an alarming rate.
The Beautiful Women Project has a simple, yet powerful message: it is the sum of a woman's life experiences that make her beautiful. The Beautiful Women Project cannot change the fact that some determine a woman's beauty solely on her physical body. Our goal is to shift the focus from the body being the only determining factor of an individual's beauty to just a small part of what makes a person beautiful. This shift can occur. This shift needs to occur.
If there is an event going on in your area or college campus this week, check it out. Support the men and women who are doing their part to raise awareness of eating disorders across the country.
Showing posts with label redefining beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label redefining beauty. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Strengtheing Your Self Esteem
You know how to make your body stronger, but how do you strengthen your belief in yourself? There are no research studies, no number of minutes per day we need to to raise our self esteem rate, no suggested number of reps per machine. Why can't building your self esteem be like strengthening your body?
Exercise 1: Start liking yourself for who you are and stop putting yourself down. Everyday take a moment to look in the mirror and say at least one thing you like about yourself. This may be uncomfortable at first, but in time you will begin to discover all of the wonderful things that make you ... you. Warning: You may not want to do this exercise when you are tight for time as you will find that as you get stronger, your list of likable attributes will get longer.
Exercise 2: Start accepting yourself for who you are and stop striving for perfection. Choose a day to stop yourself from always being right or perfect. It may be helpful to journal throughout the day about how you met particular situations and how you felt about each event. When you reflect upon the day you will find that you had incredible moments of happiness spread throughout your day. Repeat daily.
Exercise 3: Start smiling. A smile is powerful. A smile is transformational. It not only changes you, but everyone who sees your smile.
Now, none of these exercises have been sanctioned by any particular association, but I don't see the harm in trying them to make yourself a stronger person.
Exercise 3:
Exercise 1: Start liking yourself for who you are and stop putting yourself down. Everyday take a moment to look in the mirror and say at least one thing you like about yourself. This may be uncomfortable at first, but in time you will begin to discover all of the wonderful things that make you ... you. Warning: You may not want to do this exercise when you are tight for time as you will find that as you get stronger, your list of likable attributes will get longer.
Exercise 2: Start accepting yourself for who you are and stop striving for perfection. Choose a day to stop yourself from always being right or perfect. It may be helpful to journal throughout the day about how you met particular situations and how you felt about each event. When you reflect upon the day you will find that you had incredible moments of happiness spread throughout your day. Repeat daily.
Exercise 3: Start smiling. A smile is powerful. A smile is transformational. It not only changes you, but everyone who sees your smile.
Now, none of these exercises have been sanctioned by any particular association, but I don't see the harm in trying them to make yourself a stronger person.
Exercise 3:
Sunday, November 23, 2008
So Much to be Thankful For
Even in the most challenging times, we all have so much to be thankful for in our lives. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to take a moment and give thanks for all that we do have in our lives instead of focusing on those things that are currently missing or seem out of our reach. Thanksgiving is also a time to look at the opportunities that lie before us, and remember that opportunities come in some of the most surprising shapes and forms.
Here is one minute exercise to do on your own - or even try it with your friends and family over the holiday.
(1) In thirty seconds list the things that you are thankful for in this moment of your life.
(2) In thirty seconds list the things in your life that you would like to change or that are proving to be extremely challenging for you in this moment of your life.
Take some time to reflect on both of your lists and give thanks for everything on both lists.
It is easy to be thankful for all of the things we want and have in our life. It is difficult to give thanks for your challenges and unwelcome situations, but you have the power within yourself to turn things around. By giving thanks for the things that you don't necessarily like or want, you are immediately changing the power that it has over your life. Simply finding the positive in something that seems overwhelmingly negative changes your life's dynamic.
Most importantly, remember that it is all a part of your life's journey and that....
Here is one minute exercise to do on your own - or even try it with your friends and family over the holiday.
(1) In thirty seconds list the things that you are thankful for in this moment of your life.
(2) In thirty seconds list the things in your life that you would like to change or that are proving to be extremely challenging for you in this moment of your life.
Take some time to reflect on both of your lists and give thanks for everything on both lists.
It is easy to be thankful for all of the things we want and have in our life. It is difficult to give thanks for your challenges and unwelcome situations, but you have the power within yourself to turn things around. By giving thanks for the things that you don't necessarily like or want, you are immediately changing the power that it has over your life. Simply finding the positive in something that seems overwhelmingly negative changes your life's dynamic.
Most importantly, remember that it is all a part of your life's journey and that....
LIFE + EXPERIENCE = BEAUTY
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN PROJECT
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Beauty of Being a Girl
There is something amazing about just being a girl. This past week the Beautiful Women Project has been at the Springside School for Girls in Philadelphia. It is an amazing place where the spirit of womanhood thrives. The girls come in all shapes and sizes, there are little girls moving upward and there are young women getting ready to move onward toward college. There is a sense of oneness, yet the knowledge that each and everyone of them is an individual. A wonderful example of this has been my favorite thing to observe: despite the requirement of wearing a uniform, each girl wears different socks and shoes that express their personalities, the way they feel that morning as they get dressed and how they want the world to see them throughout the day.
This wonderful school, and so many others like it across the country, is a living and breathing example of the beauty of being a woman. Woman are there for one another to support each other through good days and bad days. They are there to lift one another up toward their goals and catch them if they slip or fall on their way. They are there to help one another express their greatest delights or ther greatest fears. Yes, there is competition, but it is the kind of competition that builds one another up - not tear one another down. There is no greater bond that women share, regardless of all of the things that may seem to make us different, we all start out as little girls who grow into amazing women. There is just something so amazing about being a girl.
This wonderful school, and so many others like it across the country, is a living and breathing example of the beauty of being a woman. Woman are there for one another to support each other through good days and bad days. They are there to lift one another up toward their goals and catch them if they slip or fall on their way. They are there to help one another express their greatest delights or ther greatest fears. Yes, there is competition, but it is the kind of competition that builds one another up - not tear one another down. There is no greater bond that women share, regardless of all of the things that may seem to make us different, we all start out as little girls who grow into amazing women. There is just something so amazing about being a girl.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Media - Image Maker or Societal Messenger?
"Don't hate me because I am beautiful." A famous tag line from a shampoo commercial. Funny thing about the commercial is that I can't remember the brand of shampoo the ad men and women were trying to sell, nor the actress that spoke those lines. I have to admit I did use Google to do a quick bit of detective work to find that it was Pantene and the actress was Kelly LeBrock. The words stuck with me and, based on my Google search, many others in this world because they are still talking about that tag line. The notion that women would actually not like another woman because she was considered beautiful because of her physical appearance has stuck with our societal consciousness for almost twenty years since the airing of this commercial. Is this an example of the power of the media to create a behavior or is it the power we as a society can give words and images if we so choose buy into these created notions?
"I never know if guys like me for who I am or because I am so pretty." A line from a recent Ugly Betty episode. Truth be told, at some point in our lives, we do question why we are liked or loved by at least one individual. It is that great turning point in most love stories played out on the small or large screen. Remember Julia Roberts superstar character to Hugh Grant's simple bookstar character declaring that despite her celebrity status she was, "...just a girl looking to be loved...." Are these examples of the media having the power to put an idea into the heads of young girls and women or is the media giving power into our laps by letting our greatest insecurities out of the bag so that we no longer have to feel so alone and isolated in the world? Their is great strength in knowing that there are others out there that we can share our feelings and experiences...it allows us to grow.
So The Beautiful Women Project leaves you with these thoughts: Does the media have the power over society to change ideas and create behavior or is the media simply reflecting back onto society what is really going on but don't want to talk about out loud?
"I never know if guys like me for who I am or because I am so pretty." A line from a recent Ugly Betty episode. Truth be told, at some point in our lives, we do question why we are liked or loved by at least one individual. It is that great turning point in most love stories played out on the small or large screen. Remember Julia Roberts superstar character to Hugh Grant's simple bookstar character declaring that despite her celebrity status she was, "...just a girl looking to be loved...." Are these examples of the media having the power to put an idea into the heads of young girls and women or is the media giving power into our laps by letting our greatest insecurities out of the bag so that we no longer have to feel so alone and isolated in the world? Their is great strength in knowing that there are others out there that we can share our feelings and experiences...it allows us to grow.
So The Beautiful Women Project leaves you with these thoughts: Does the media have the power over society to change ideas and create behavior or is the media simply reflecting back onto society what is really going on but don't want to talk about out loud?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Reflections on Halloween 2008 - The Year of the Trampy Costume
Move over Scary Witch, Fairy Princess, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and make room for Sexy Witches, Seductive Little Mermaids, and Trampy Cheerleaders?!?! Welcome to Halloween 2008 - The Year of the Trampy Costume.
Who thought that it was okay to take the innocence out of Halloween costumes for young girls, tween, and teens? Take a cruise down your local retailer and the costumes available for young girls are far too revealing for young girls and teens. The costumes for boys have them well covered: firemen, policemen, turtles, commandos...they even get props to complete their ensembles. The male pirate is covered from head to toe with pants and a flowing long sleeved shirt while the female version has a VERY short skirt and a form fitting short sleeved shirt. And who thought it would be "cute" for tweens and teens to dress like Playboy bunnies?
Moms are frustrated, they can't find costumes that are appropriate for their daughters to wear to school, community parades, around the neighborhood, or just around the house for dress up. Girls are upset with their mothers for not letting them wear the costumes they are seeing in the stores. Tempers are flaring, tears are being shed, time is drawing closer to the big parade and party. There are no Cinderella costumes that are appropriate for the ball.
Girls feel tremendous pressure everyday to grow up before their time. Is there really a need to pressure them to be sexy in their Halloween costumes?
Who thought that it was okay to take the innocence out of Halloween costumes for young girls, tween, and teens? Take a cruise down your local retailer and the costumes available for young girls are far too revealing for young girls and teens. The costumes for boys have them well covered: firemen, policemen, turtles, commandos...they even get props to complete their ensembles. The male pirate is covered from head to toe with pants and a flowing long sleeved shirt while the female version has a VERY short skirt and a form fitting short sleeved shirt. And who thought it would be "cute" for tweens and teens to dress like Playboy bunnies?
Moms are frustrated, they can't find costumes that are appropriate for their daughters to wear to school, community parades, around the neighborhood, or just around the house for dress up. Girls are upset with their mothers for not letting them wear the costumes they are seeing in the stores. Tempers are flaring, tears are being shed, time is drawing closer to the big parade and party. There are no Cinderella costumes that are appropriate for the ball.
Girls feel tremendous pressure everyday to grow up before their time. Is there really a need to pressure them to be sexy in their Halloween costumes?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Beautiful Women Project's Second Anniversary and Breast Cancer Awareness Month
This weekend marks The Beautiful Women Project's Second Anniversary. The Beautiful Women Project was launched on October 11, 2006, in Saratoga Springs, NY. In the past two years we have raised awareness of women's health initiatives, visited numerous art in public space venues, helped raise funds for countless not-for-profits, and through our outreach work have touched the lives of thousands of individuals.
I purposefully chose the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to launch The Beautiful Women Project. As women, every October, we are reminded how important it is to take the time to conduct self-examinations of our breasts. This very simple preventative measure is one of the best ways that we have gained ground in the fight against breast cancer. Unfortunately, all too often, something that is healthy for us as women - self examination, becomes something that becomes unhealthy. It is easy to begin the searching to find all of the things we don't like about our bodies - the bit of flesh coming out of the bra, the breasts that don't stand up at attention as they did when we were teenagers, the skin under our arms that hangs from the bone, the sun spots that run across the upper chest, the hips that may have widened after childbirth...the list can go on and on and on.
Beginning this month - WHEN YOU CONDUCT YOUR SELF BREAST EXAMINATION, instead of making a list of all of the things you don't like about your body write down one thing you LIKE ABOUT YOUR BODY. Next month, look at your list of one and add a second. Each month add something new that you like about your body to your list and by the end of the year you should have at least twelve things you like about your body and healthy breasts.
If you are one of the thousands of women who do not conduct their monthly breast exams because you don't like looking at your body in the mirror, take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror - fully clothed, and see your own beauty. Please take the time to honor yourself and conduct your breast examination, even if you do it with a shirt on this first month. Before, or after, write down one thing that you do like about your body. Next month, conduct your self exam again and write two things you like about your body - by the end of the year you will have at least twelve things you like about your body, be comfortable with your body, and you will be healthy.
It is also fitting that October 15th has been designated Love Your Body Day by the National Organization for Women. On this, and everyday, take a moment to recognize that your physical body is a small part of your individual beauty - it is the sum of your life experiences that shine through your body that makes you beautiful.
I purposefully chose the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to launch The Beautiful Women Project. As women, every October, we are reminded how important it is to take the time to conduct self-examinations of our breasts. This very simple preventative measure is one of the best ways that we have gained ground in the fight against breast cancer. Unfortunately, all too often, something that is healthy for us as women - self examination, becomes something that becomes unhealthy. It is easy to begin the searching to find all of the things we don't like about our bodies - the bit of flesh coming out of the bra, the breasts that don't stand up at attention as they did when we were teenagers, the skin under our arms that hangs from the bone, the sun spots that run across the upper chest, the hips that may have widened after childbirth...the list can go on and on and on.
Beginning this month - WHEN YOU CONDUCT YOUR SELF BREAST EXAMINATION, instead of making a list of all of the things you don't like about your body write down one thing you LIKE ABOUT YOUR BODY. Next month, look at your list of one and add a second. Each month add something new that you like about your body to your list and by the end of the year you should have at least twelve things you like about your body and healthy breasts.
If you are one of the thousands of women who do not conduct their monthly breast exams because you don't like looking at your body in the mirror, take a moment to look at yourself in the mirror - fully clothed, and see your own beauty. Please take the time to honor yourself and conduct your breast examination, even if you do it with a shirt on this first month. Before, or after, write down one thing that you do like about your body. Next month, conduct your self exam again and write two things you like about your body - by the end of the year you will have at least twelve things you like about your body, be comfortable with your body, and you will be healthy.
It is also fitting that October 15th has been designated Love Your Body Day by the National Organization for Women. On this, and everyday, take a moment to recognize that your physical body is a small part of your individual beauty - it is the sum of your life experiences that shine through your body that makes you beautiful.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Forget the Shoulds, Just Be.
In our minds we all have ideas about how we should look, how we should dress, how we should act, and even who we should strive to emulate. That is a whole lot of shoulds. What is wrong with just being who we are? The simple fact is, we are so focused on the shoulds, we have lost sight of the being we are all.
It is very important to reacquaint yourself with the person that you are today. What makes you feel beautiful? I have been asked, what do you mean? For me, I feel most beautiful when I am sitting alone in my bathroom waxing my legs. Yes, you really just read that sentence. It's quiet and intimate. I also feel amazing when I am behind the my camera...I am my true self. Some women feel beautiful when they are out in a restaurant having their hand held by the man they love, some feel beautiful reading under an elm tree in the summer, some feel beautiful singing along with their car radio. You may not be sure what that “thing” is off the top of your head, but through self-examination, you will find it.
Below you will find a series of random questions. Provide the answers that come immediately to your mind. I usually find your instinct serves you best. You are not being judged or graded, you don't even have to share your answers with your closest friend. Just enjoy the experience of your beauty. Enjoy being who you are in this moment of your life.
It is very important to reacquaint yourself with the person that you are today. What makes you feel beautiful? I have been asked, what do you mean? For me, I feel most beautiful when I am sitting alone in my bathroom waxing my legs. Yes, you really just read that sentence. It's quiet and intimate. I also feel amazing when I am behind the my camera...I am my true self. Some women feel beautiful when they are out in a restaurant having their hand held by the man they love, some feel beautiful reading under an elm tree in the summer, some feel beautiful singing along with their car radio. You may not be sure what that “thing” is off the top of your head, but through self-examination, you will find it.
Below you will find a series of random questions. Provide the answers that come immediately to your mind. I usually find your instinct serves you best. You are not being judged or graded, you don't even have to share your answers with your closest friend. Just enjoy the experience of your beauty. Enjoy being who you are in this moment of your life.
Favorite Soundtrack/Song:
Favorite Movie
Favorite Television Show
Favorite Time of Day
Favorite Season of the Year
Favorite Form of Exercise
Favorite Food
Favorite thing to Shop for
Childhood Ambition
First Job
Perfect Day
Indulgence
Biggest Challenge
Inspiration
Proudest Moment
Wildest Dream
Fondest Memory
Complete the following sentences:
I begin each day…
I end each day…
I am most comfortable…
I am most uncomfortable…
A person that sees me walking down the street would never believe/guess…
When I look in the mirror I see…
Monday, September 15, 2008
Threads of Beauty
For the past two summers I have been fortunate to have The Beautiful Women Project spend the summers at Wiawaka Holiday Retreat House for Women. It is a beautiful place in Lake George, NY and it is exactly what its name claims to be...a holiday retreat for women.
This year I led two workshops one entitled The Dynamics and Importance of Female Friendships and another on The Threads of Beauty. I created this workshop discussion specifically for a group of women who came to Wiawaka to spend their time together quilting. Not a quilter myself, I spent a great deal of time researching and learning about the art of quilting. Simply stated by the Columbia Encyclopedia, "Quilting is a form of needlework, almost always created by women, most of them anonymous, in which two layers of fabric on either side of in interlining are sewn together, usually with a pattern of back running (quilting) stitches that hold the layers together."
Quilting, a form of storytelling, is a six step process...Six steps that parallel the stories of the telling of an individual's life story.
1. Selecting a Pattern, fabrics, and batting...Who do I want to be? What is my story?
2. Measuring and cutting fabrics the correct size to make blocks from the patterns...An individual's life experiences are the building blocks of their life. We each have our own size and know what is best fit for our life.
3. Piecing blocks together to make a finished "top"...Meeting life's experiences and seeing opportunity in the good as well as the challenges.
4. Layering the quilt top with batting and bcking to make a "quilt sandwich"
5. Quilting by hand or machine through all of the layers of the quilt sandwich...Carrying your experiences so they shine through you for those around you to encounter and bask in your light.
6. Squaring up and trimming excess batting from the edges, sewing and stitching the binding to the quilt backing...Packing and repacking your luggage along your journey. What may have been important or worked in your life in the past may no longer serve you in your present moment.
What are the layers that hold your life together?
This year I led two workshops one entitled The Dynamics and Importance of Female Friendships and another on The Threads of Beauty. I created this workshop discussion specifically for a group of women who came to Wiawaka to spend their time together quilting. Not a quilter myself, I spent a great deal of time researching and learning about the art of quilting. Simply stated by the Columbia Encyclopedia, "Quilting is a form of needlework, almost always created by women, most of them anonymous, in which two layers of fabric on either side of in interlining are sewn together, usually with a pattern of back running (quilting) stitches that hold the layers together."
Quilting, a form of storytelling, is a six step process...Six steps that parallel the stories of the telling of an individual's life story.
1. Selecting a Pattern, fabrics, and batting...Who do I want to be? What is my story?
2. Measuring and cutting fabrics the correct size to make blocks from the patterns...An individual's life experiences are the building blocks of their life. We each have our own size and know what is best fit for our life.
3. Piecing blocks together to make a finished "top"...Meeting life's experiences and seeing opportunity in the good as well as the challenges.
4. Layering the quilt top with batting and bcking to make a "quilt sandwich"
5. Quilting by hand or machine through all of the layers of the quilt sandwich...Carrying your experiences so they shine through you for those around you to encounter and bask in your light.
6. Squaring up and trimming excess batting from the edges, sewing and stitching the binding to the quilt backing...Packing and repacking your luggage along your journey. What may have been important or worked in your life in the past may no longer serve you in your present moment.
What are the layers that hold your life together?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Beautiful Women Project is Going Back to School
September has always been my favorite time of year, I truly believe that it is the beginning of my year. Perhaps it is because I always liked going back to school - seeing my old friends, meeting new friends, the routine of everyday life. Maybe that is why I eventually became a teacher - I loved my years teaching high school and middle school, I always looked forward to going back into the classroom and meeting my new students while watching my previous students move onward and upward through the years.
Since October of 2007 The Beautiful Women Project has been traveling to colleges and universities, creating exciting programming incorporating our project, current courses of studies, and related popular culture topics and calendar weeks and months related to women. We have met so many amazing women and men on our travels - all wanting to engage in the discussion of women and beauty. This is a wonderful arena for multi-layered discussions that touch the lives of a wide range of academic and social interests. The Beautiful Women Project is excited about all of the college and university communiities that we will be visiting this academic year.
Beginning this fall, The Beautiful Women Project officially launches our educational partnership with middle and highs school level students. Working with administrators, counseling personnel, educators, and volunteers our project will be bringing exciting and vital character education programming to young women across the country. Our Arts in Education workshops provide opportunities for students to participate in their social development, taking into consideration different learning styles, current curricular discussion and goals, and the interests and lifestyles of the student population Students will walk away from their experience with a new understanding of art in public space, a redefinition of beauty and role models, and tools and resources that they can use when they meet their life experiences and challenges.
We are committed to continue our mission of working with communities across the country bringing a simple yet powerful message : it is the sum of a woman's life experiences that makes her beautiful.
We are always looking for opportunities to bring The Beautiful Women Project to new communities. Please contact us to discuss how we can work with your university, school, conference, or organization.
Since October of 2007 The Beautiful Women Project has been traveling to colleges and universities, creating exciting programming incorporating our project, current courses of studies, and related popular culture topics and calendar weeks and months related to women. We have met so many amazing women and men on our travels - all wanting to engage in the discussion of women and beauty. This is a wonderful arena for multi-layered discussions that touch the lives of a wide range of academic and social interests. The Beautiful Women Project is excited about all of the college and university communiities that we will be visiting this academic year.
Beginning this fall, The Beautiful Women Project officially launches our educational partnership with middle and highs school level students. Working with administrators, counseling personnel, educators, and volunteers our project will be bringing exciting and vital character education programming to young women across the country. Our Arts in Education workshops provide opportunities for students to participate in their social development, taking into consideration different learning styles, current curricular discussion and goals, and the interests and lifestyles of the student population Students will walk away from their experience with a new understanding of art in public space, a redefinition of beauty and role models, and tools and resources that they can use when they meet their life experiences and challenges.
We are committed to continue our mission of working with communities across the country bringing a simple yet powerful message : it is the sum of a woman's life experiences that makes her beautiful.
We are always looking for opportunities to bring The Beautiful Women Project to new communities. Please contact us to discuss how we can work with your university, school, conference, or organization.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Going Back to the Beginning
The message of the Beautiful Women Project is simple, yet so poweful: It is the sum of a woman's life experiences that make her beautiful. For those who have heard me speak either at an exhibition, during an interview, attended a workshop, or have been reading The Beautiful Women Project's blogy, you know that I often write about the need to experience your own beauty. Our experiences are what define who we are as an individual, as a woman. The Beautiful Women Project is one of the greatest experiences of my life.
The Beautiful Women Project began as I sat on the beach in Italy in 2003. My husband is Italian, and we go home every summer to visit our family. This particular summer I was acutely aware that, despite my accomplishments I was not proud of who I was because I was not proud of my body. As I sat under my umbrella, hiding from the world, I began observing all of the women around me on the beach. They were, unlike me, embracing their lives. Swimming, playing, talking with one another, laughing with their families: completely uninhibited by their bodies. They were so beautiful. Their beauty was shining through them, to be shared with all of us around them, for the world to see. I wanted to gain what they had that I did not yet possess. I wanted to know what they knew about true beauty, so that I too could begin embracing life.
When I returned home, I continued to observe and write about beauty; how I wanted to discover, uncover, and share beautiful women that were beautiful because of how they met their challenges and carried their experiences. I set out on a mission of a lifetime. The Beautiful Women Project has become, not only a documentary photography exhibition, but opportunities for women and men to come together to discuss beauty and make real changes in their lives.
Five years later, I am returning to Italy. In previous posts I have written about writing down your life experiences and in moments of self doubt, darkness, and strength going back and reading through your entries to see how far you have come. Reading your life's journey in order to EXPERIENCE your own beauty. So, to mark this five year milestone, with strength and beauty shining through me, I am going back to the beach in Massa to experience my beauty. I know how far I have come in five years. With pen, paper, cameras, and hopefully a good internet connection, I am going to share my observations on beauty from the place it all began.
Going back to the beginning can be as simple as remembering a time in your life when you were truly happy and proud of yourself as a woman. Going back to the beginning can be a quiet moment of reflection and recognition of the woman that you have grown to become today. Going back to the beginning may help you realize that it is time to pack and repack your life luggage - things that you needed to carry with you, even just a few months ago, no longer work for your life today. Going back may mean beginning today to move forward.
Arrivederci!
The Beautiful Women Project began as I sat on the beach in Italy in 2003. My husband is Italian, and we go home every summer to visit our family. This particular summer I was acutely aware that, despite my accomplishments I was not proud of who I was because I was not proud of my body. As I sat under my umbrella, hiding from the world, I began observing all of the women around me on the beach. They were, unlike me, embracing their lives. Swimming, playing, talking with one another, laughing with their families: completely uninhibited by their bodies. They were so beautiful. Their beauty was shining through them, to be shared with all of us around them, for the world to see. I wanted to gain what they had that I did not yet possess. I wanted to know what they knew about true beauty, so that I too could begin embracing life.
When I returned home, I continued to observe and write about beauty; how I wanted to discover, uncover, and share beautiful women that were beautiful because of how they met their challenges and carried their experiences. I set out on a mission of a lifetime. The Beautiful Women Project has become, not only a documentary photography exhibition, but opportunities for women and men to come together to discuss beauty and make real changes in their lives.
Five years later, I am returning to Italy. In previous posts I have written about writing down your life experiences and in moments of self doubt, darkness, and strength going back and reading through your entries to see how far you have come. Reading your life's journey in order to EXPERIENCE your own beauty. So, to mark this five year milestone, with strength and beauty shining through me, I am going back to the beach in Massa to experience my beauty. I know how far I have come in five years. With pen, paper, cameras, and hopefully a good internet connection, I am going to share my observations on beauty from the place it all began.
Going back to the beginning can be as simple as remembering a time in your life when you were truly happy and proud of yourself as a woman. Going back to the beginning can be a quiet moment of reflection and recognition of the woman that you have grown to become today. Going back to the beginning may help you realize that it is time to pack and repack your life luggage - things that you needed to carry with you, even just a few months ago, no longer work for your life today. Going back may mean beginning today to move forward.
Arrivederci!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A New Formula for Beauty: Life+Experience=Beauty
Advertising is tricky business. The goal of advertising is to make consumers feel like they are getting something special - something that only a select few can achieve. The irony of it all is that, like body perfection, advertising is in itself an illusion. Advertisers want consumers to feel like they are attaining something special whether it be beauty, body perfection, both and more - when all along they are mass marketing products to you and millions of other consumers promising everyone the same thing.
It is easy to fall prey to advertising's enticements, in today's fast paced world who doesn't want to get from point A to point B in ten seconds or less? But how likely is it that true beauty is so simple that it can be found in a bottle of expensive moisturizer, or within a tube of whitening toothpaste, or in a syringe at your dermatologist's office? These products claim to have special formulas that have been clinically proven to make you beautiful. Funny how all of them require you to pay to find something that you already possess.
Beauty is something that we we are born with, and it stays with us throughout our lives. Beauty doesn't care about our age, our weight, our social or economic status, and especially not the brand of moisturizer we choose from the shelves. Unfortunately, somewhere along our journey many of us lose sight of our own beauty and advertisers are just sitting and waiting to present us with their formulas for their definition of beauty, their illusion of what it means to be beautiful. There is only one formula that will lead you, or help you to return to your own beauty, and it won't cost you a penny to get there: Life + Experience=Beauty.
Life - it is what we all do from the moment we open our eyes to the moment we fall asleep. Embracing what comes before us, the people that cross our paths, the opportunities that we are presented (positive and negative) each and every moment of each and everyday.
Experience - often the defining moments of our lives. These moments do not have to be earth shattering in nature, but ulitmately lead us toward being the type of women that we are proud to present to the world.
Beauty - the sum of your life experiences. There is no amount of money that can buy you this.
It is easy to fall prey to advertising's enticements, in today's fast paced world who doesn't want to get from point A to point B in ten seconds or less? But how likely is it that true beauty is so simple that it can be found in a bottle of expensive moisturizer, or within a tube of whitening toothpaste, or in a syringe at your dermatologist's office? These products claim to have special formulas that have been clinically proven to make you beautiful. Funny how all of them require you to pay to find something that you already possess.
Beauty is something that we we are born with, and it stays with us throughout our lives. Beauty doesn't care about our age, our weight, our social or economic status, and especially not the brand of moisturizer we choose from the shelves. Unfortunately, somewhere along our journey many of us lose sight of our own beauty and advertisers are just sitting and waiting to present us with their formulas for their definition of beauty, their illusion of what it means to be beautiful. There is only one formula that will lead you, or help you to return to your own beauty, and it won't cost you a penny to get there: Life + Experience=Beauty.
Life - it is what we all do from the moment we open our eyes to the moment we fall asleep. Embracing what comes before us, the people that cross our paths, the opportunities that we are presented (positive and negative) each and every moment of each and everyday.
Experience - often the defining moments of our lives. These moments do not have to be earth shattering in nature, but ulitmately lead us toward being the type of women that we are proud to present to the world.
Beauty - the sum of your life experiences. There is no amount of money that can buy you this.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Beauty and the Bathing Suit
So I am at the gym taking a strength training class and the instructor shares with us that she is going on vacation next week and needs to go bathing suit shopping. As the twenty of us are hoping that she isn't losing count - she is sharing with us her fear of entering the dreaded dressing room with the bad flourescent lighting and four mirrors. This woman of great character and physical strength, a mother of four children - including a set of twin teenage daughters, a cancer survivor, a respected boys' hockey team strength training coach, a motivator for those who attend her classes, a world traveler, and great friend with a killer sense of humor. She is all of these things PLUS another beautiful amazing woman was being taken down by ... a bathing suit.
This post is for Karen and all women out there who feel good about themselves until they have to try on or wear a bathing suit. Here are The Beautiful Women Project's tips on how to feel beautiful all summer long.
1. Be confident. Before you go shopping or put the bathing suit on for the first day of the season make a list of things that you really like about yourself. There is nothing wrong with boosting your own self confidence. The way that you feel about yourself does affect the way that you view yourself when looking in the mirror.
2. Surround yourself with the people that already like you for who you are not what you look like. Go shopping with your friends - make it a girls day out. You know that your best girlfriends will tell you what makes you look amazing and what you should leave behind in the dressing room. This will also boost your confidence the first time you wear your bathing suit - you already know that you have the support of those that matter the most.
3. Choose a bathing suit that makes you comfortable, not self conscious. Whether it is a full piece, bikini, or shorts and a t-shirt – put on whatever allows you to have fun. It is about embracing life not hiding out while life passes you by.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others. Whether you are in your backyard with friends and family, a community pool, or beach don't look at other women's body parts and see how you match up. Wishing that you look like an ideal that may not be realistic for your body type is not healthy mentally, emotionally, and especially physically. Recognize that you are unique and that is what makes you beautiful. If you want to make changes to your physical body, discuss these ideas with your physician who will help you set and achieve realistic goals.
5. Participate in activities that you enjoy. Build sandcastles, play volleyball, ride the surf, or lose yourself in a good book. The summer is for relaxing. If you are anxious, shifting your focus onto things that you really enjoy will help you forget about your insecurities and allow you to enjoy yoru day, weekend, or vacation.
More than anything else, remember that the bathing suit is a piece of clothing; material sewn together to wear while swimming. It can't hurt you. Don't let it hurt you.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Beauty From a Teen's Perspective
Recently, The Beautiful Women Project opened The Girls Summit for a branch of Girls Inc. Close to one hundred girls came together to spend the day celebrating themselves and what makes girls reach for the sky. The definition of a summit is a conference of the highest diplomatic level. These girls were all diplomats - representing their schools, friends, and peers all over the country. Their ears were their to listen to new ideas and their voices were speaking the truths of their generation.
I opened the program by asking the girls to share their definitions of beauty. Their answers were honest and to the point:
"Beauty is being pretty."
"Beauty is being pretty and popular."
"Beauty is skinny and perfect skin."
"...skinny, tan, great teeth, gorgeous hair."
"Beauty is what you look like on the outside."
Was I surprised by these definitions. Unfortunately, I was not. Today's teen girls are bombarded with so many messages of what defines a woman's beauty that it is difficult to filter fact from fiction. We know where the messages are coming from, but how do we help girls realize that there is so much more to beauty than their exterior appearance?
Presenting them with alternative images and role models of beauty is a start. Teen girls need to be reminded that role models are not just women that they see in magazines, television shows, or the big screen. If they are going to emulate those women, which we know that they are, let's take a moment out of our days to sit with our daughters and point out, or learn about together, these women's accomplishments outside of their appearance on the glossy pages or the silver screen. I bet that both of you will be surprised by what you learn.
Providing teenage girls with experiences that allow them to feel beautiful that have nothing to do with their physicality. Helping them pass a test or a course in school that may seem at the time, insurmountable. Learning how to drive a car with mom as the driving instructor. Beginning a new hobby together - painting, photography, tennis, surfing, something that both parent and teen are doing for the first time. These experiences provide a sense of accomplishment and self worth that go beyond a person's appearance.
Helping them achieve a positive body image - loving who they are and those around them because of who they are, not because of what they look like or their material possessions. Sharing with your teen things about them that you like and respect. Respect is something that we don't often associate with beauty, but their is nothing more beautiful than the feeling of respecting another for how they carry themselves in their lifetime.
I am happy to share with you some of the definitions that I received that recognized that their is more to beauty than a young woman's physical appearance:
"Beauty is being a good person inside and being yourself."
"Beauty is ... just being who you are."
"Beauty is having confidence in yourself."
"Beauty is the way that you feel about yourself."
I know that together, we will continue to help women recognize that their beauty is the sum of their life experiences. The Beautiful Women Project is dedicated to continuing our work with women, we are making a difference.
I opened the program by asking the girls to share their definitions of beauty. Their answers were honest and to the point:
"Beauty is being pretty."
"Beauty is being pretty and popular."
"Beauty is skinny and perfect skin."
"...skinny, tan, great teeth, gorgeous hair."
"Beauty is what you look like on the outside."
Was I surprised by these definitions. Unfortunately, I was not. Today's teen girls are bombarded with so many messages of what defines a woman's beauty that it is difficult to filter fact from fiction. We know where the messages are coming from, but how do we help girls realize that there is so much more to beauty than their exterior appearance?
Presenting them with alternative images and role models of beauty is a start. Teen girls need to be reminded that role models are not just women that they see in magazines, television shows, or the big screen. If they are going to emulate those women, which we know that they are, let's take a moment out of our days to sit with our daughters and point out, or learn about together, these women's accomplishments outside of their appearance on the glossy pages or the silver screen. I bet that both of you will be surprised by what you learn.
Providing teenage girls with experiences that allow them to feel beautiful that have nothing to do with their physicality. Helping them pass a test or a course in school that may seem at the time, insurmountable. Learning how to drive a car with mom as the driving instructor. Beginning a new hobby together - painting, photography, tennis, surfing, something that both parent and teen are doing for the first time. These experiences provide a sense of accomplishment and self worth that go beyond a person's appearance.
Helping them achieve a positive body image - loving who they are and those around them because of who they are, not because of what they look like or their material possessions. Sharing with your teen things about them that you like and respect. Respect is something that we don't often associate with beauty, but their is nothing more beautiful than the feeling of respecting another for how they carry themselves in their lifetime.
I am happy to share with you some of the definitions that I received that recognized that their is more to beauty than a young woman's physical appearance:
"Beauty is being a good person inside and being yourself."
"Beauty is ... just being who you are."
"Beauty is having confidence in yourself."
"Beauty is the way that you feel about yourself."
I know that together, we will continue to help women recognize that their beauty is the sum of their life experiences. The Beautiful Women Project is dedicated to continuing our work with women, we are making a difference.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Beautiful Women...Meet The Genuine Men
This weekend The Beautiful Women Project launched its "brother" project, The Genuine Men Project (www.thegenuinemen.com). These travelling exhibitions have identical messages: we need to begin defining individuals by the sum of their life experiences.
The Genuine Men Project focuses on the life experiences of thirty five men - ordinary fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and neighbors that we encounter everyday. As the women of Beautiful Women... Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills attempts to redefine society's view of women and beauty, the men portrayed in Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills redefine what it is to be a role model by showing that what makes us strong is the way we approach, deal with, and then carry our challenges and life experiences. Their stories represent the type of men that others will want to emulate in their own life long journeys.
I began this project at the urging of my oldest son. As I completed The Beautiful Women Project, he marched in my office and declared, "You know mom, it isn't fair that you do girls and you don't do boys." He was absolutely correct. There is a great deal that we can all learn from the stories of men. I encourage you to take a moment to visit The Genuine Men Project web site and take another step and read the stories of these amazing men in the project's companion book, Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills (Bridgeway Books, 2008).
The Genuine Men Project focuses on the life experiences of thirty five men - ordinary fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and neighbors that we encounter everyday. As the women of Beautiful Women... Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills attempts to redefine society's view of women and beauty, the men portrayed in Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills redefine what it is to be a role model by showing that what makes us strong is the way we approach, deal with, and then carry our challenges and life experiences. Their stories represent the type of men that others will want to emulate in their own life long journeys.
I began this project at the urging of my oldest son. As I completed The Beautiful Women Project, he marched in my office and declared, "You know mom, it isn't fair that you do girls and you don't do boys." He was absolutely correct. There is a great deal that we can all learn from the stories of men. I encourage you to take a moment to visit The Genuine Men Project web site and take another step and read the stories of these amazing men in the project's companion book, Genuine Men...Journeys in Stories and Stills (Bridgeway Books, 2008).
Sunday, May 4, 2008
How Do I Find the Beauty Within Myself?
I was shopping for shoes yesterday, when I woman commented to me, "I always wanted to be able to wear high heels. I am already six feet and they just didn't work for me." My immediate reply was, "I always wanted to be tall like you, that is why I am buying shoes with such high heels!" It just goes to show that it is hard to accept our own beauty and to look at our unique qualities as just that, qualities. Beauty is not something that we have to chase after, it is already of part of who we are as individuals. So how do we find, accept, and share with the world the beauty that lies within all of us?
The first step is to just look in the mirror and smile back at the reflection staring back at us. Self acceptance is the first, and sometimes hardest part of finding our own beauty. It is something that I work on everyday. Yes, we have our good days and not so good days: great hair, but puffy eyes; great skin, but our rear ends don't look so good in those pants. The combinations of good/bad are endless, and the odds of good/good/good occurring in our own eyes is very small. By changing the way that you view yourself will help you change the way that you think of yourself. Make it simple: when you look in the mirror, instead of putting yourself physical self under a magnification lamp, ask yourself these kind of close-up questions: Do I like the individual looking back from the mirror? Do I respect the woman in front of me? Can I be proud of the way this person conducts their life? If you answer yes to any of your own questions, you are looking at a beautiful woman.
If you are unable to answer any of those questions in a positive manner, take a moment and reflect on what you can do in your own life so you will like, respect, and be proud of yourself. Empower yourself, be an agent for positive change in your life.
Accepting our beauty is as simple as recognizing that physical beauty is only a part of who you are as a beautiful woman, it is not all of who you are as a beautiful woman. I am not six foot tall, but that doesn't mean that I am not beautiful at five foot tall. Another way of accepting our own beauty is to say thank you to compliments that you receive, whether it is about your appearance or an accomplishment. Feeling good about ourselves, accepting our selves, at any given moment of any given day, is an imporant key to accepting the beauty that lies within.
And sharing, how do we share the beauty that lies within? Allowing our experiences to shine through us for the world to experience. Smile. Laugh. Cry. Tell a colleague that they look nice. Tell a friend that you were touched by them. Hug someone. Do not hide from the world, share yourself with all of those around you.
Uncovering, accepting, and sharing your light, love, passion...yourself is the most wonderful experience. When it happens, you will ulimately uncover, discover, and recover the beauty that has always been a part of you.
The first step is to just look in the mirror and smile back at the reflection staring back at us. Self acceptance is the first, and sometimes hardest part of finding our own beauty. It is something that I work on everyday. Yes, we have our good days and not so good days: great hair, but puffy eyes; great skin, but our rear ends don't look so good in those pants. The combinations of good/bad are endless, and the odds of good/good/good occurring in our own eyes is very small. By changing the way that you view yourself will help you change the way that you think of yourself. Make it simple: when you look in the mirror, instead of putting yourself physical self under a magnification lamp, ask yourself these kind of close-up questions: Do I like the individual looking back from the mirror? Do I respect the woman in front of me? Can I be proud of the way this person conducts their life? If you answer yes to any of your own questions, you are looking at a beautiful woman.
If you are unable to answer any of those questions in a positive manner, take a moment and reflect on what you can do in your own life so you will like, respect, and be proud of yourself. Empower yourself, be an agent for positive change in your life.
Accepting our beauty is as simple as recognizing that physical beauty is only a part of who you are as a beautiful woman, it is not all of who you are as a beautiful woman. I am not six foot tall, but that doesn't mean that I am not beautiful at five foot tall. Another way of accepting our own beauty is to say thank you to compliments that you receive, whether it is about your appearance or an accomplishment. Feeling good about ourselves, accepting our selves, at any given moment of any given day, is an imporant key to accepting the beauty that lies within.
And sharing, how do we share the beauty that lies within? Allowing our experiences to shine through us for the world to experience. Smile. Laugh. Cry. Tell a colleague that they look nice. Tell a friend that you were touched by them. Hug someone. Do not hide from the world, share yourself with all of those around you.
Uncovering, accepting, and sharing your light, love, passion...yourself is the most wonderful experience. When it happens, you will ulimately uncover, discover, and recover the beauty that has always been a part of you.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Redefining Beauty
My goal in creating The Beautiful Women Project was to foster a very public discussion of the definition of beauty. It has been stated time and time again in this blog, The Beautiful Women Project definition of beauty is simple, yet powerful: it is the sum of a woman's life experiences that make her beautiful.
Everyday I read articles in print and online about body image, clothing, workplace issues, gender in government, young women and eating disorders, mother's trying to help their daughters, women trying to find their place in the world...each subject touches upon the same issue: no one is buying into society's current definition and vision of beauty. So if we are not buying into it, what are we doing about changing it?
For our part, The Beautiful Women Project continues to travel to communities throughout the country raising awareness that beauty comes in many different shapes and forms. These women are role models for us all reminding us that beauty surrounds us every single day. From the very beginning I believed that through the images and stories in Beautiful Women if just one person could view an image and/or read at least one story and no longer feel alone, weird, or isolated in their own life experiences...if I just touched someone in a way that they giggled, shed a tear of joy or sadness...thought of a sister, mother, aunt, or friend...if someone just looked at another a little differently after experiencing Beautiful Women...I had had done something about changing society's definition of beauty. I am so proud to say that I know that has happend at our exhibitions. This is why we work so hard to bring the exhibition to communities. This is why we published Beautiful Women...Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills so we can touch those that cannot view the exhibtion in person. That is why we began this blog, to foster discussion amongst like minded people, and those that come from a different perspective in order to initiate a new kind of communication. That is how change takes place - opening up and sharing thoughts and perspectives in a respectful space.
Please help us continue our mission by contacting The Beautiful Women Project so we can bring the exhibition to your community. Speak up on the blog - share your thoughts with us and others about redefining beauty. It takes just one spark to light a fire - your thought, idea, or vision just may be the one that spreads like wildfire. Share It.
Everyday I read articles in print and online about body image, clothing, workplace issues, gender in government, young women and eating disorders, mother's trying to help their daughters, women trying to find their place in the world...each subject touches upon the same issue: no one is buying into society's current definition and vision of beauty. So if we are not buying into it, what are we doing about changing it?
For our part, The Beautiful Women Project continues to travel to communities throughout the country raising awareness that beauty comes in many different shapes and forms. These women are role models for us all reminding us that beauty surrounds us every single day. From the very beginning I believed that through the images and stories in Beautiful Women if just one person could view an image and/or read at least one story and no longer feel alone, weird, or isolated in their own life experiences...if I just touched someone in a way that they giggled, shed a tear of joy or sadness...thought of a sister, mother, aunt, or friend...if someone just looked at another a little differently after experiencing Beautiful Women...I had had done something about changing society's definition of beauty. I am so proud to say that I know that has happend at our exhibitions. This is why we work so hard to bring the exhibition to communities. This is why we published Beautiful Women...Celebrating Beauty in Stories and Stills so we can touch those that cannot view the exhibtion in person. That is why we began this blog, to foster discussion amongst like minded people, and those that come from a different perspective in order to initiate a new kind of communication. That is how change takes place - opening up and sharing thoughts and perspectives in a respectful space.
Please help us continue our mission by contacting The Beautiful Women Project so we can bring the exhibition to your community. Speak up on the blog - share your thoughts with us and others about redefining beauty. It takes just one spark to light a fire - your thought, idea, or vision just may be the one that spreads like wildfire. Share It.
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