I taught a class to a group of teenage girls this week. It was about how what we are sold as women are packaging for a product. Which would you buy, a bottle of product with a beautiful box around it, or a damaged and wrinkled box?
I've wanted to teach this class for a long time. When I grew up, I had a wall of photos of models. In that day they were all blonde and tan and skinny. Each an every one of them was something I would never be. Well. At least I have a good personality!
I am a big supporter of photoshop. I love spending the time to make something amazing. But I feel it's important for young women (and men) to know that even though the product says, "If only you had enough time and money, YOU could look like this," isn't true. The beauty we see in magazines and ads is unattainable... even for the actual model in the photo!
In the class, I showed before and after photos, but what really seemed to get everyone's attention is the actual breakdown of every layer in a photo and what it does. I was fortunate to be allowed to use a photo of Charlotte, who is beautiful to begin with....and as I showed how I put on the makeup...they eyelashes, evened out the symmetry that we all 'suffer' from... changed the shape of the eyes, hair and jawline...to demonstrate that we are all perfect, even though the camera and mirrors don't always show it.
I ended talking about our self-talk. How we were ALL princesses when we were children. And how we learned the way to put ourselves down. That we, as women, tend to say things to ourselves that we would never say to a friend.
I talked about how to change that narrative...and how your value is like the $20 bill that can be crumpled and imperfect, but still worth $20. Hearing a girl yell out, "OH!" as she figured out the analogy was the perfect ending to the class.
I will definitely do this again!