We’re taught that we shouldn’t look to other people to validate or affirm ourselves, including our appearance. But so much about beauty is a matter of how people respond to you. It feels good to be adored, desired or simply complimented. While it hurts to be invisible or ostracized because of how you look.
Humans are social creatures and our appearances play a role in how we interact with one and other, as they give people an idea of who you are. Often times, your appearance speaks for you without you ever opening your mouth. But that’s the best part of beauty because it’s the part that we have control over. Just as we’re architects of our own destinies and stories, we’re illustrators of our own book covers. So how do we illustrate ourselves, especially when we have so much choice? And how do we know that our choices are our own?
This month at Un’ruly we’re all about beauty, specifically the idea of self-fashioning and constructing/expressing your visual identity. We’ll be taking a look at whether natural hair is here to stay, and under our larger exploration of the Many Shades of Black, we’ll learn about the skin lightening craze outside of America.
The choices we make to express ourselves physically are so much more important than how people respond to those choices. It’s like finding exactly the right words to articulate a very important thought. Whether or not people interpret what we’re saying correctly or take notice at all is beyond our control but there is certainly comfort and happiness in having an understanding of who you are and being able to express it.
– Antonia
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