All You Need Is Love

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Whether you're celebrating with someone or someones special or by yourself, remember that you're perfect and wonderful the way you are. The post is titled "All you need is love"  but that love can absolutely be the love for yourself.

Photos by  Travis McKeithan.

Makeup Free Mondays- January

Because you don't have to buy into the multi billion dollar beauty industry to be beautiful.

Working on it

As a fat acceptance activist, I am not immune to body woes. Especially as I struggle with bipolar, including paranoia and anxiety, I'm constantly aware of not only what the world around me may be thinking, but I'm pretty darn convinced that they're thinking those things at me most of the time. It's rare that I can go out in public and feel smokin hot when I understand that most of the people around me view me as gross and ugly. I worry what my lover thinks and I worry what my family thinks, especially as they all constantly go on diet after diet to lose weight, I worry what my friends think, and I worry what society thinks.

I worry. A lot.

It's nice to think those that we look up to have no issues of their own. That they're strong and powerful and perfect. I know that's how I feel about my heroes. I'd like to think that I am that to other people, to some of you. But the truth is that we're all human and we all have those days. You know the ones.

And maybe that's why I've hit a bit of a writer's block about fat acceptance. I know I haven't posted a text post in a while and I apologize for that. If it makes you feel better I'm still making regular posts at fiercefatties.com, but I've neglected my own blog. I just want you to know that I'm working on some things, personally, and knowing that I have so many wonderful fans gives me strength and the motivation to continue improving my self image.

Shadows

Photos by Travis McKeithan. I really love this set, I hope you do too! and check out the video at the bottom for a little behind the scenes footage from Travis.

Warm Winter Days

So this past weekend it got up to 75 degrees here in North Carolina. Thanks to the beautiful, but odd, weather, EVE (edgy vivacious entertainment) decided to do a shoot outside at the beautiful Hagen Stone Park in Greensboro. Special thanks to Kristin Shadrick who set the whole thing up and who's always been a welcoming friend. Photographers are David Powers and Gary Loy.

photo by David Powers

photo by David Powers

photo by David Powers

Photo by Gary Loy

As it got darker we moved to downtown Greensboro and Gary got some great selective lighting shots.

Photo by Gary Loy

Photo by Gary Loy

Happy Belated New Year!

So everyone's doing a new year post and I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon. I don't have a lot to say about new year's resolutions because, well, I resolved to quit doing resolutions. So far I've stuck to that. Besides the fact that the vast majority of resolutions are fat hating with losing weight being the number one resolution for 2012 (also notice that only 8% of people achieve their resolution goal. How many do you want to bet achieve weight loss?).  Heck, a third of goals don't make it past January.

But after decades of vowing to lose weight every year and trying to hate myself thin, and after watching everyone around me fail at the same goal, new year's resolutions have left a bad taste in my mouth. That may have been the diet food though. So if losing weight is at the top of you  list, please, for the love of all that's good in the world, throw it the fuck out. Seriously, write it down on a piece of paper, throw it away, burn it, tear it to pieces, scratch it out and feed it to your pet goat. Do anything but make that resolution. You know the science says that 95% of weight loss attempts fail anyway.

My secret? Don't make any resolution at all. If you want to get healthier, do it, and do it in a fun creative way. If you want to stop smoking, do it and do it with an arsenal of support around you because you're gonna need it. If you wan to get out of debt, get better organized, get out walking more, spend more time with your family... just do it. You don't need a resolution. All that does is puts pressure on yourself and makes you feel guilty when you take too long, don't do it, mess up, or otherwise fail in attaining that goal. There's almost no way not to fail.

Instead take it every day at a time. Go on a walk on days you feel like it. Organize one room at a time or, hell, one desk or corner at a time. Make it into a success, a positive, something you accomplished. But whatever you do, don't make it a resolution.

Happy Holidays!

The holidays are upon us. Today is he winter solstice, the longest night of he year and the shortest day and everyone's getting ready to celebrate some holiday or another (or already celebrating). As we go into the holidays I'd like to remind everyone to have that second helping of dessert if you damn well please! Stand your ground with friends and family and let them know that food snarking or body snarking is inappropriate. This is a time to enjoy yourself, good food, good friends and loving family. Don't let anyone take that away from you.

And now, onto the photos. I had an absolutely delightful photoshoot with EVE entertainment and photographers Katherine Culver, Neil Talley, and David Powers. As always, working in groups is stressful, but these three people made me feel welcome and were a joy to work with. So thank you to them!

Photo by Katherine Culver

Photo by Katherine Culver

Photo by Katherine Culver

Photo by Katherine Culver

Photo by David Powers

Photo by David Powers

Photo by Neil Talley

Photo by Neil Talley

Photo by Neil Talley

Photo by Neil Talley