Hi Everyone!

I just submitted a video of myself “performing” my slam poem Beauty Defined for the Stop the Beauty Madness ad campaign poetry contest. The campaign says, “Enough of the impossible standards. Enough of the “ideal” image. Most of all, enough of the feeling of NOT ENOUGH when it comes to your own beauty.” This is just a small excerpt, be sure to visit their website and see what they are all about in detail! It is pretty amazing stuff!

Making a video was very difficult for me and I was way out of my comfort zone. I HATE being recorded. I feel very strongly about the subject matter though, so I sucked it up, put my brave pants on, and made the video. It took me a long time to get a good one, my first attempts were not pretty, like I said, being recorded is not my thing. I’m really proud of myself though, and I hope my video will inspire others, if not, that is okay too. I’m glad I did it. I thought I would share the poem and video! You can find them below. I would love to hear your thoughts if you would like to leave a comment.

I hope everyone has a fabulous Sunday!

Beauty Defined

I live in a world

Where beauty is defined by words like

TALL, SKINNY, THIN, FLAWLESS…

Where beauty is not being NORMAL

For MY OWN body type.

I must fit into a body type that only a very small percentage of the population possesses.

In middle school I was asked if I was anorexic because I was THIN.

The shocking words coming from people so young,

Because that had become a NORM in our world.

Now I’m twenty-five and am no longer super thin,

I’ve gained weight and have meat and curves on my BODY,

Which makes me feel self-conscious in my own SKIN.

I’m surrounded by ads telling me what I NEED to be BEAUTIFUL.

SHINY HAIR, Makeup to cover my FLAWS, acne treatment to get rid of my BLEMISHES, and WEIGHT LOSS                 pills.

They LEAVE OUT how these products will affect my HEALTH long-term,

Or even my SELF-ESTEEM.

I remember being embarrassed growing up,

Because I didn’t have the COOL name brand clothing others had.

All I wanted to do was fit in,

But now I know it is far better to STAND OUT.

Ads depict the PERFECT WOMAN; who has been Photo shopped so she isn’t even REAL,

But I’m made to BELIEVE I should look like that,

Instead of all five-feet one hundred and twenty pounds of myself.

I have been taught by the media,

That it is not okay to look like I do.

It is not beautiful to have PORES,

Or scars that tell stories.

The media has created a SICKNESS.

A DISEASE,

That has turned into a WIDE-SPREAD epidemic.

We need to STOP THE BEAUTY MADNESS,

Before it is TOO LATE.

Stop labeling people,

Because being DIFFERENT is what makes each of us beautiful.

My appearance doesn’t make me who I am,

My CHARACTER, PASSIONS and INTERESTS do.

Don’t DEFINE me by what I look like,

But instead by what I do.

I’m a WRITER, ARTIST, WIFE, POET, FRIEND, ARCHER, SOCCER-PLAYER, MUSIC LOVER…

It is time to TEACH our children to be comfortable in their own skin,

Encourage being HEALTHY,

instead of setting unrealistic standards,

So people resort to becoming ANOREXIC or BULIMIC,

Just to be SKINNY.

Revel in the beauty of FLAWS,

Instead of getting plastic surgery for SOMEONE ELSE’S idea of beauty.

When we give into these ideals we are losing pieces of ourselves,

And eventually there won’t be anything Left.

I don’t know about you,

But I don’t want to be a BARBIE,

I just want to be MYSELF.

© Christie Cote July 2014