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Hello people. so here is a video about my body, and my opinion of it. i hope it is effective, and insightful. i aim to get at least nine more of these videos by other women. if you want to make one or get involved in any way with a written entry about your own body then please get in touch. enjoy!

hey having trouble loading a video blog it will be up in the next couple of days. hope your well x

 

russian dolls (1)

I love the idea of using russian dolls to show that no two people are ever identical. More about russian dolls to come :)

It Never Stops

Something I often think about is where does the apparent lack of acceptance of our body’s come from. And I don’t mean others not accepting how you look, I mean us not accepting our own body’s. Surely if we are not happy with what we have it doesn’t matter how many others love your bits… you will still be left feeling insecure.

I hope I am not speaking out of line, I realize that as a young woman who is overweight I am a prime candidate for body insecurity, but I have noticed that all-most all woman I know have some issues with the way they look. Whether your sixteen and have just got you first glimpse of you adult form or your 60 and the aging process takes hold, I do not believe I am lying when I say most women seem insecure about something body related if not all things body related.

This got me thinking, and I have a theory. Not an answer may I stress merely a hypothesis as to why female body confidence seems to be low? All humans go though puberty. A confusing and, on reflection, a rather hilarious time where your body changes from that of a child, to an adult. All humans’ age. Sorry girls its true gravity will one day take hold for the men and us. This is absolutely natural but, for some reason society today likes us to stay young for as long as possible with creams potions and maybe even the odd nip and tuck. But as Lana Del Rays song de jour tells us; ‘we were born to die’ morbid perhaps but the only guarantee in life.

I think there is a difference for women though, in how much our bodies change and develop in comparison to how men’s do. Men go through puberty then they slowly age though time till they shuffle off this mortal coil. Women do the same we grow as a child, go through puberty and then slowly age till… well till you kick the bucket. BUT, we also go through much more every month for our fertile years we menstruate a constant cycle of changing hormones which also affects us physically in different ways. Some folk get spots, others bloat other people get incredibly depressed… the list goes on. All of these side affect of your period I believe will affect how you perceive and accept your body.

Many women have one or more children a natural yet traumatic process in which your physical appearance changes very quickly during the months of gestation. Then birth (I cannot speak from personal experience) but an event, which is natural, but does traumatize and change your body whether you deliver vaginally or with a cesarean. Then there’s the production of milk and how that affects the physical appearance of your breasts and the post baby weight that many new mothers feel pressured into losing quickly. Many women have trouble conceiving or carrying children also this will of coarse affect how you view your body. Conception and birth are amazing and challenging things and cause a lot of changes to a woman’s adult body.

Then as you age you have the menopause, on which I am not an expert, but  its another big hormonal and bodily change. A lot of women talk of there breasts sagging and something called the middle age spread (which I think men suffer with also). Also the psychological impact of realizing that you are no longer fertile would I think have an affect on how you view your physical appearance.

Essentially what I'm saying is excluding the current trend in society to dress well stay slim and avoid carbs ;).  Women never really, I think, get the chance to just have a bit of time to enjoy there adult form as it is because we go through so many changes and events all of which have the potential to be emotionally and physically traumatic although perfectly normal.

I hope this makes sense. I do realize I am a young girl passing opinion on many events I have yet to experience but I do not think I am being insensitive. I truly believe that the part of being a woman that makes us feel powerful (the ability to, with a little help from our dangling friends make babies and give birth, means that we are in a constant state of change and, in a society where looks are considered important our ever changing body’s make it difficult for us to fully relax into our appearance

That’s my theory anyway J

p.s when I was spell checking this the sentence in paragraph 7 which reads:  “Essentially what I'm saying is excluding the current trend in society to dress well stay slim and avoid carbs ;).”   The computer suggested it should read “…to dress well stay slim and avoid crabs ;).” AHHA! 

Welcome

This is an all inclusive art project for anyone who wants to join me. My name is Donna I am a 22-year-old Glaswegian contemporary theatre graduate who lives in Leeds. I am on a journey to investigate the female form and its place in today’s society and psychology.  I would like the finished product to be a gallery-based exhibition, accompanied possibly, by a live performative event.

 I want to investigate my form and shape and other women’s to present an honest portrayal of the variety of shapes and looks of women today. I strongly believe we live in vain times… I myself love nothing more than purchasing a new piece for my wardrobe or lusting over the newest trends in various magazines. However as well as an national interest in appearance, food, fashion, fitness and fads there is I believe a darker side to this trend in today’s society; Magazines full of pictures of ‘celebrities’ who are not beach body perfect, or who are ‘in crisis’ because they were seen eating cake in a high end bakery in Covent Garden.

I don’t want to criticize anyone’s body or to envy those I encounter with a flatter stomach. I just want to show variety, and dull the freak show element of the ‘imperfect’ female body.

This project is very much in the beginning stages. I read some articles, Perused high fashion publications and I have tried my hand at some sculpting and sketching. I have a lot of ideas for photographs of myself and any other women who would like to be involved but there will be more information on that as it is arranged.

If this at all interests you I ask you to be open minded and follow me (possibly even join me) on my journey looking at not just the ever changing ideal in female form but the numerous other normalities that I believe are hidden or dressed down.

All ideas and musings welcome

J