So much of what I do in the world, I do in yoga pants. With bed head. That’s just how I roll. It can be easy to forget that I shine up like a new penny when I put a little effort into it, so yesterday, since I actually (gasp!) applied some spackle and glow, I snapped this photo.
Shiny, right? And if this is all you ever saw of me, you’d think this was all I ever looked like: polished, done up, put together, shiny.
Because it is important to me to have a real connection with my tribe, I rarely come to you this way. I come to you straight out of bed most days. I come to you with what’s real. It’s been suggested that this might be hurting my business because people are attracted to polished, but you know what? *MY people* are attracted to real. My people think real is beautiful. My people get what real life looks like.
I believe that many of us are weary of perfect, air brushed, tweaked, photoshopped, filtered images. I think it’s exhausting to be confronted with everyone else’s highlight reel all the damned time.
I love seeing people in the raw. It makes me feel a little bit like maybe I’m not the only one who often looks like she rolled around in glue and dove into a bag of rags. It makes me feel like I can relate to them, like they might understand me, and if I invited them over for an art date, they would be completely comfortable with my unmade bed and the dishes in the sink.
Don’t get me wrong! It’s nice to be all shiny and spackled once in a while, but it’s also more work than I’m willing to do most of the time. I like how I look when I bust out the Mac Retro Matte lipstick, but I am much more comfortable with grungy hands (paint encrusted, of course), paint spattered clothes, finger combed hair (if I comb it at all) and a bare face.
Kind of like this:
The Bed Head Diaries for Radiant II: Lesson Two
The above musings inspired this PDF printable. I hope you use it for something. <3
Have a fantastic weekend, bed head and all.
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Join me in Radiant II, where along with tutorials by 16 guest artists, you also get my full length video tutorials, the Bed Head Diaries, and musings like this, and this.
We’ll create art like this:
What Lies Beneath
This is exactly one of the first things I noticed about you that I thought was admirable. Of course more followed but this was one of the first things.
You can art with me any day!! I’ll be in my jammies with ink covered hands, my hair going every which way and hot coffee in the pot!! I appreciate that you are “real” all the time, polished & spackle or bed head & yoga pants!!
Completely agree! I am mostly in paint covered pj’s!
You know I totally love your authenticity, right? Life isn’t airbrushed perfection, and you show it as it is, and that authenticity and vulnerability are what make you, YOU – and you’re loved. xox
Yep, I do, I love your realness – not for me the polished look of perfect make-up and nails (though don’t get me wrong, you look totally gorgeous in the photo, thanks for sharing!). I put a bit of eye-liner and mascara on when I go out shopping (well, sometimes I do…), but usually I’m in a pair of old leggings and a baggy top, no make-up (or yesterday’s old make-up, I’m ashamed to say!) and paint all over my fingers. Now wouldn’t I be a bit hypocritical if I expected you to be any different? Methinks I would… Authenticity FTW!
Absolutely. I am me. I love the way you are you.I love the way you define the beauty in raw or unpolished..because the true beauty of the stone to the gem collector is the one he finds raw…then he has a dream to fantasize on .Fantasy of the raw unseen mystery of possibilities right.?
Master…no far from it in my life…
practicing..always…a young one in spirit and experience in the cave of raw possibilities.
Hugs
“The only way to get to a good product is to make a lot of shitty product.” YES.
I could not agree more – I want real, authentic which is true beauty. Stay true to you so I can stay true to me.
Spackle is highly overrated… Except as an art supply
I AM sick of polished. It’s NOT fun and sometimes feels fake. I appreciate your “as is” presentation. There’s no way you are losing any business being real. Absolutely no way. Also, the dancing. Love the dancing. You had me at that. Xo
I love real and casual…you will not lose me being yourself! Makes me love you more, you being real and showing your tender spots and hurts. I wouldn’t want you any other way! Please don’t change for folks that you might lose…there are too many of us that love you just the way you are!