Inspiration - A Father's Advice to His Daughter

Co founder of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, Caryn Franklin tweeted a link to a blog discussing the works of Dr Kelly Flanagan, a a licensed clinical psychologist and happy father of three. The blog shows a letter that the Dr has addressed to his daughter, slamming the beauty industry. Below is a copy of this letter:

Dear Little One,

As I write this, I’m sitting in the makeup aisle of our local Target store. A friend recently texted me from a different makeup aisle and told me it felt like one of the most oppressive places in the world. I wanted to find out what he meant.

And now that I’m sitting here, I’m beginning to agree with him. Words have power, and the words on display in this aisle have a deep power. Words and phrases like:

Affordably gorgeous,

Infallible,

Flawless finish,

Brilliant strength,

Liquid power,

Go nude,

Age defying,

Instant age rewind,

Choose your dream,

Nearly naked, and

Natural beauty.

When you have a daughter you start to realize she’s just as strong as everyone else in the house—a force to be reckoned with, a soul on fire with the same life and gifts and passions as any man. But sitting in this store aisle, you also begin to realize most people won’t see her that way. They’ll see her as a pretty face and a body to enjoy. And they’ll tell her she has to look a certain way to have any worth or influence.

But words do have power and maybe, just maybe, the words of a father can begin to compete with the words of the world. Maybe a father’s words can deliver his daughter through this gauntlet of institutionalized shame and into a deep, unshakeable sense of her own worthiness and beauty.

A father’s words aren’t different words, but they are words with a radically different meaning:

Brilliant strength. May your strength be not in your fingernails but in your heart. May you discern in your center who you are, and then may you fearfully but tenaciously live it out in the world.

Choose your dream. But not from a department store shelf. Find the still-quiet place within you. A real dream has been planted there. Discover what you want to do in the world. And when you have chosen, may you faithfully pursue it, with integrity and with hope.

Naked. The world wants you to take your clothes off. Please keep them on. But take your gloves off. Pull no punches. Say what is in your heart. Be vulnerable. Embrace risk. Love a world that barely knows what it means to love itself. Do so nakedly. Openly. With abandon.

Infallible. May you be constantly, infallibly aware that infallibility doesn’t exist. It’s an illusion created by people interested in your wallet. If you choose to seek perfection, may it be in an infallible grace—for yourself, and for everyone around you.

Age defying. Your skin will wrinkle and your youth will fade, but your soul is ageless. It will always know how to play and how to enjoy and how to revel in this one-chance life. May you always defiantly resist the aging of your spirit.

Flawless finish. Your finish has nothing to do with how your face looks today and everything to do with how your life looks on your last day. May your years be a preparation for that day. May you be aged by grace, may you grow in wisdom, and may your love become big enough to embrace all people. May your flawless finish be a peaceful embrace of the end and the unknown that follows, and may it thus be a gift to everyone who cherishes you.

Little One, you love everything pink and frilly and I will surely understand if someday makeup is important to you. But I pray three words will remain more important to you—the last three words you say every night, when I ask the question: “Where are you the most beautiful?” Three words so bright no concealer can cover them.

Where are you the most beautiful?

On the inside.

From my heart to yours,

Daddy

I was moved by this father's need to set the record straight with his daughter, but what I like most of all was how this father chose words and phrases from beauty magazines and offered his own definitions of what these should mean. 

For Dr Kelly Flanagan's blog please click HERE.

All Walks Beyond The Catwalk

This project was initially triggered by my true concern for the way modern women are made to feel about the body in which they live. Drawing from those personal 'realisation' moments as a child when it dawned on me that I did not fit exactly into the beauty ideals, as well as the upset, dissatisfaction and lack of confidence within so many of the women I have met throughout my life along with the knowledge I have gained completing a dissertation that focused on the concept of a post-feminist society, I am campaigning for a change. 

Today my tutor introduced me to 'All Walks Beyond The Catwalk' which is a campaign founded by Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O'Connor which highlights and challenges the way in which the fashion industry heavily relies upon an image of beauty that is unavailable and unachievable for so many. Whilst working with some of the top industry creatives as well as creative students and their respective colleges or universities, the website says that "By highlighting the responsibility our industry has to recognise the psychological impact of its messaging upon the minds of young women and men, we believe we can encourage a shift towards a more ethical position.". Their overall aim is to promote diverse body shapes on the catwalk and in fashion imagery.  I just can't believe this is the first I have heard of it!

 

Here's what some well known supporters of the campaign had to say:

 

“I wholly admire and support the endeavours of the All Walks Beyond the Catwalk campaign. As a photographer, I am constantly confronted by perceived ideals of beauty. The models, actors, musicians, and ‘real’ people who I see down my lens are all influenced by an oppressive world of unattainable physical goals. I always work hard to break through the artifice and capture something unique, original and beautiful in each of my subjects. Interest and creativity is not about perfection but quite the opposite; beauty comes from our idiosyncrasies.” - Rankin

 

 

“The most important thing is to have a confidence in what you are and not to feel that you have to be like someone else; thinner, younger, blonder. Originality is the greatest treasure.” - Alexandra Shulman (editor of Vogue)

 

 

“When it comes to choices around fashion, we’ve never had more, yet our choices around body shape appear increasingly limited. Why is it that 99% of all the attractive and intelligent women I know, models or otherwise, do not feel good about their bodies? Let’s change this.” - Debra Bourne (cofounder of All Walks)

 

 

“I became a make-up artist because I was fascinated by the rich and varied interpretations of beauty and form I saw in the 1980s when I first started. This is an element lacking today, making things seem rather dull in comparison. We need to celebrate diversity to the point where it no longer appears diverse. From this freedom, true beauty can be found. With this intention All Walks creates a pioneering space for change.” - Kay Montano

 

I really like the ethos of this campain and although I haven't wanted my film to be so focused on the fashion industry, I really like the message that All Walks Beyond The Catwalk are presenting here and I think there is a lot to be learned from these people who although enjoy careers within the fashion industry, are not settling for discrimination. Any organisation that fights to make something more inclusive of a wider range of people has my true support!



Green-Screen Challenges and Update.

I'm not sure if i've mentioned this earlier but my lovely step-dad (Brian) is teaching himself to work with a green screen as he has all the relevant equipment available to him at his work, so my film will all be filmed there. He has been running through some tests, unfortunately the content has failed to be sent over email but as soon as I have access to these initial trials I shall post them.  Brian has only tried out the green screen with still images, no moving imagery has been trialled yet.
Problems encountered:

• Images have morphed slightly, proportions aren't staying exactly the same
• Some residual green spill in the image
• Blue screens are far more effective if the model in front of the camera has blonde hair
• No access to blue screens! However a colleague has offered to lend a blue backdrop 
• If filming using a blue backdrop, it would have to be shot out of Brian's work place which would require borrowing lights and camera equipment. Realistic?

Inspiration

This is my all time favourite Lana song and it's definitely because of the film. Absolutely adored it from the moment I first watched it. I like how she's used dialogue to introduce the viewer to the song and although I picture my film as being very different to this, I think this is a fair representation of how I imagine it to sound. Speach over music, leaving behind the idea of rhythmic poetry but instead choosing the use of fluid language.

Trend Forecasting to be included?

Last term we had a trend forecasting project and I produced a small piece of text to go with my concept that heavily focused on the celebration and imortance of nature. Here is what I wrote:

"The journey of the growth of the mind is undeniably and intrinsically linked with the forces of the growth of nature. How distracted we have become. In times of distressed equilibrium, the eye will be reminded of the archetypal elegance of our home planet. Now we will observe and appreciate the details of nature’s harmonious rhythm as we embrace a global consciousness. Pay homage to the magnificent insect and the habitat in which he lives. Celebrate the complexity of a singular flower. Most of all, understand the importance of finding true pleasure in a beauty that cannot fade but can only be destroyed."

What I felt when writing that hasn't since changed. It's very relevant to what I'm trying to produce here. Not because I want to focus on nature necisarily, but I want my piece to encourage or suggest the truth that a better world will never be achieved untill we decide to become better people.

 

Higher Conciousness, 2011, Sarah Ollis

Production Schedual

This is my original production schedual, that went with my original propsal. Please note than my ideas have chaged somewhat and not all of this is relevant. For example, after much though and a few wobbly attemps at writing a poem with a certain type of rhythm to it, I've realised that although I'm a huge fan of this type of work I think something slightly more abstract and less rythm focused would suit my style a lot more. I think I've decided I want my dialogue to be more like the strange introduction to a book's first chapter.  Looking at all of the notes I have gatherd in my notebook, they would suit this style more.

In this production schedual I have also suggested the use of gathering information through surveys or discussions. Although I will of course be drawing influences from discussion with friends etc I reall think I want this to be very personal.

I think this is still a good rough basis on where I should be with timing of things though. I have whole day on Thursday to spent on the dialogue as everything is still very rough at the moment.

Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

know that worrying is as affective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. the real troubles in your life are actually things that never crossed your worried mind.

Inspirstion - Tara Dancing

This is a personal response of English artist Michael Daks in relation to 9/11. Originally titled 'Tara dances for World Peace'. The artist says of his work '... if only peace could be achieved by dancing.'







Similarly to Daks, my video will be a personal response to the daily attack against self-confidence in western societies. I love how he has used flour and spray paint on Tara's body to create a peace symbol. The still shots paired with imagery of war make an effective piece. The use of still images set to music in this way could be another possibility for me to explore.