Dove Experiment

Since we saw the Dove Real Beauty Sketches Experiment on Tuesday, it got me thinking about insecurities and self-esteem issues and how they are connected with creativity.  And, I'd like to start with a personal account.

When I was bullied in junior high, it made me very self conscious.  I was not only self-conscious because of my looks, but also because of my other shortcomings.  I was terrified of doing presentations in front of the class, or even raising my hand to answer a question.  I figured that if I got it wrong, my classmates would find it hilarious and call me an idiot.  I didn't want to try out for any sports because, well, I've never been an athlete, so I figured I'd be a hindrance to any team.  Needless to say, I was not very creative, not even in my private time.  Sometimes, I'd write in a journal to get those negative feelings down on paper, but reading them over and over made me feel more negative.  I had no interest in the arts, but as time went on, I'd soon discover how these can aid in boosting self-esteem.

When you're being creative and enjoying it, your mind is on that and not on how many pimples you have on your face, or how frizzy your hair is.  When I began writing poetry and short stories, I soon felt comfortable enough reading them in coffeehouses or at the local writer's club.  It was really uplifting to hear compliments on my work, in fact it made me realize that something that was personal to me could also be personal for someone else.  When I read something I'd written, people were paying attention to my words and not what I was wearing or how my hair looked.

So, I would say that creativity, in one of its many forms, can help someone feel better about themselves and think less about the stuff that only we ourselves notice.  What I mean by that is, for example: has anyone ever looked at a celebrity that's had a lot of plastic surgery, before and after? Usually, I think that the celebrity looked better before all the work.  An average face that looks natural is much more attractive than a face that looks like a wax figure, in my opinion.   It's ridiculous for people to mutilate their faces and bodies just because of what society says is perfect, because no one's ever going to be perfect, no matter how much surgery they have.

Now, what you might be surprised to know is that I've had work done by a plastic surgeon last August.  I had a mole removed from my face, in fact it was in a really OBVIOUS spot, in the middle of my chin.  I wanted it off so badly, not just for cosmetic reasons, but any mole has the potential to turn cancerous.  The mole turned out to be benign, and my chin healed quickly.  Needless to say, I'm very happy with the result.  When I would look in the mirror before, I'd just see this mole that I wanted to tear off.  Now, I look in the mirror and just see my face, a nice, friendly face.  It has made me a better person also; I used to be really self-conscious because I thought anyone who was talking to me would be fixated on my mole.  But, since I had it removed, I no longer have that insecurity.  I have no plans of having any more surgery, by the way.  My take on plastic surgery is that people should REALLY consider if they want to alter their appearance and if doing so will make them better people before they go under the knife and do something they might regret.