To make this, I took a piece of junk paper, folded it in half lengthwise and drew half a pear (make sure that the center of the pear meets the fold.) I cut the pear out, traced it onto my white cardstock with a very light pencil line. I placed my photo. (I used some of those fancy scissors in various edges of the photo.) I drew light lines so that I wouldn't write askew then I wrote out my journaling with pencil making sure that I ended each line exactly on the outline. I went over with my micron pen. When it was dry, I erased the pencil lines, added a leaf, hightlighted various words with red chalk and proclaimed it complete.
I hope that something in the journaling touches you and perhaps that you too can become a Revolutionary Woman (or Man.)
Journaling Reads: Like the majority of the female population, I’ve always struggled with my body image. Even when I am at my prime physical shape, I still see a fat me in the mirror. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel this way. I’ve had days that are better than others, but in general, I have the flawed notion that if I am not the correct size, I am somehow contemptible. I was unaware of this personal narrative until a few questions tickled my mind. These two little questions sneaked in during quiet moments when I was lost in my head. The first took place outside a fabric store. “Why don’t I deserve to look nice if I weigh more than I wish?” The second took place a few days later on a Saturday morning. “Why is it forbidden in American culture to like my body the way it is?” These questions rattled my very being. I cannot count the number of times my friends and I ripped on our bodies as a way to connect to each other. I cannot count the number of hairdressers who have complimented me on my beautiful curly hair only to add without taking a breath, that I probably hated it and wished it to be straight. And I, being too embarrassed to admit that I actually liked something about myself, neglected to correct their incorrect assumption. I cannot count the number of times that I’ve tried on a poorly designed piece of clothing and blamed my thighs or belly for the resulting reflection. I cannot count the number of times I’ve perused a fashion magazine only to feel inadequate. BUT NO MORE. I am now a REVOLUTIONARY WOMAN. I will no longer blindly follow an ugly path paved by insecurity and pettiness. I will love my body the way it is. This doesn’t mean that I won’t try to improve it through eating right and exercising, but I will no longer succumb to the idea that I am flawed because I am me. I am beautiful. I am strong. I love that my body is capable of bearing and nursing children. I love that my butt sticks out because it is muscular. I love my curly hair. I love my moles. I love my scars: each one has a very interesting history. I love the color of my eyes. I have beautiful feet and long fingers. I have sexy muscular legs. I have a great curvy shape. I love…love…love my body.
2 comments:
LOVE your layout! You probably speak for a great majority of the population :-)
This is one of my favorite layouts! Beautifully done!
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