

This is a place of encouragement, a place to talk about body image, a place for feeling beautiful. No matter what you look like, what color, what gender, what size or however many "flaws", healthy, not healthy, working on it, we are all human, we all deserve to be happy, we all deserve to love ourselves. With this blog you will see all kinds of REAL bodies, REAL people, REAL stories.
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All of us at one time or another have felt ugly. That’s fact. Whether you’re having a bad hair day or you realize your jeans are a bit snug, there is a point where you think you aren’t pretty enough. Looking at magazines and advertisements with these beautiful flawless women surrounded by gorgeous men doesn’t help the cause either. However, is it fair to compare yourself to the women in these ads? NO.
Imagine that I snapped a picture of you. Now imagine that I asked an artist to paint a portrait based on the picture I took of you. Are they the same thing? NO. The photograph is a snapshot of REALITY: it is you in a particular pose in particular clothing at an exact moment in time. The painting is FANTASY. It’s an embellishment, an artist’s interpretation. The artist could have drawn your eyes bigger, nose smaller, or skin lighter. The painting may be of you, but it isn’t you. Could you compare the photograph and the painting? In some respects, yes. But could you take the painting and say that it is truly a representation of you? No.
Take a look at this website. M. Seth Jones has been working with Photoshop for 12 years with 5 years of professional retouching under his belt. He takes a photograph and retouches it. Here’s one example of his work:
Retouched:
Original:
What Jones does is beautiful. Honestly, I wish I had the same Photoshop skills. However, do not forget that he is an artist. His retouches are his paintings, his creations. That first picture isn’t reality, the second one is. Remember that as you turn the pages of a magazine.
So, what is the point to all of this? This is a reminder, much for myself as it is to anyone who reads this, that to compare yourself to these supposedly flawless women in magazine advertisements is unfair because it’s not real. If one day we could all apply Photoshop filters and gradients to our actual selves, then maybe my argument would be null and void. For now though, remember: it’s Photoshop.
BE BRAVE! JOIN THE REVOLUTION!
BE BRAVE! JOIN THE REVOLUTION!