Hi Holly! Thank you for participating in this interview on body confidence! Could you tell me a bit about yourself?
Hi!
My name is Holly and I am a sixteen year old blogger from the west
coast of Scotland. I'm currently in high school and just starting my
last year, which is super scary because it means that it is soon time
for university applications and making life plans and I don't feel
quite mentally prepared for that yet! I am currently studying
Advanced Higher English, Advanced Higher Modern Studies and Higher
Geography because I'd love to be a journalist/writer when I am older.
Nothing excites me more than a good ol' book.
Sounds awesome, I love journalism too! I think all bloggers must be interested in writing to a certain degree as blogging involves a lot of it! So what do you blog about?
My
blog started of as primarily a beauty blog, posting reviews of my
favourite new makeup and skincare bits and bobs and my monthly
favourites, but I have now started branching out and writing about
books. I am planning on a few other slightly different blog posts as
well as I feel beauty blogs are so common now that it's good to be a
little different. I do still write my beauty stuff because it is an
interest to me but it's fun trying out new things.
I agree, I love trying new things with my blog! I guess venturing out and being different takes a lot of inspiration too! What inspires you in life?
The
main thing that inspires me is the people round about me that I can
see have done well. I have actually met Jackie Bird, the Scottish
journalist/newsreader (she is absolutely hilarious), and hearing
about her journey in life and how hard she worked to get where she is
today made me realise how difficult it is to achieve your dream but
it is worth it in the end. She is walking proof of that.
That's sounds so interesting! Dreams are difficult to reach but with the right amount of motivation, you can do anything! What keeps you motivated?
I
must admit, I am not the most motivated person in the world if I am
left to my own devices but stick me in a group of my friends and my
inner competitiveness appears and I strive to do as good as everyone
else, if not better.
What is your proudest achievement either in life or the blogging world?
Every
time someone leaves a comment on my blog or tweets me or sends me an
email saying how much they enjoyed the post or loved what I wrote it
honestly fills me with joy. It's a good feeling knowing people like
to hear what you have to say and not only that, follow your blog so
they can come back for more. In the real world, I pride myself with
doing well in school which may sound dorky but I don't really care. I
done pretty damn well in my Standard Grade exams, if I do say so
myself. Still waiting with baited breath about my Highers though.
There's nothing wrong with doing well in school and it's such a lovely feeling to know that there are people who are enjoying what you read! So can you tell me about your experience with body confidence?
Body
confidence is something which I really struggle with and have done
for a good few years now. Obviously we don't all love everything
about our bodies but some of us dislike it more than others. As much
as I wish this wasn't the case, I'm not happy with how my body looks
but I know I'm not the only one out there. There are a lot of styles
of clothes that I would never dream of wearing because I would feel
way too self-conscious and think that everyone was judging me, even
though they probably barely even noticed that I was feeling
uncomfortable.
It's true what you say, everyone feels self-conscious about something and you do feel like people are judging you but the majority of the time, they are probably feeling just as self-conscious about something themselves! How would you say it has changed your life?
Like
I said, I tend to dress in 'safe clothes' that don't cling to my skin
too much. I am only a UK size 8/10 which I know isn't exactly fat but
that doesn't mean I am happy with it. My stomach is my least
favourite bit and I feel like it is horrible and flabby looking so I
refrain from wearing shorted tops or anything that emphasises my
stomach. I love crop tops but I'm too nervous and to wear them.
How are you coping with it?
I
wouldn't say I am coping fantastically but I am getting better. I am
starting to (very slowly) learn that it doesn't really matter too
much how I look and I need to accept the way that things are. I
dislike exercise far too much to tackle it that way, and chocolate is
my downfall! I think you really just need to accept it and get on
with your life, rather than let it affect you any more than it
already does.
I totally agree, sometimes you can let it get to you so much that it clouds any possible way to deal with it and accept yourself for who you are! Do you feel like the media are doing enough to help people who suffer from low body confidence?
The
media are the worst for affecting how people think of themselves, if
I am being honest. TV shows are full of stick-thin confident people
who look and feel great about themselves and aren't afraid to show
off their best assets. That said, shops like Debenhams are softening
the blow a little bit by having plus size mannequins in their stores.
This is a great idea, we don't all look like the fake hourglass
figure that they use to try and sell their clothes to us! The average
women is a UK size 16, and it's great that some are accepting that
and showing it is perfectly okay to be that size.
Definitely, the media have such a powerful influence, particularly over people who are already feeling low about themselves and their looks! What are your top tips for anyone living with body confidence?
I
am going to be blunt with you all here - suck it up. Your body is the
way it is for a reason and if you want to change it you need to
either do a ton of hard work or sacrifice a year's wages on cosmetic
surgery for things that can't be altered by cutting the carbs and
going on a few runs. If you aren't prepared for drastic measures,
it's time for you to accept the way you are and move. Hate your legs?
Well, think about the things that you do like. Make a list of
all the things that you hate about your body, and then follow it with
a list of all the things you love about your body and also your
personality. I'll go first. I hate my stomach because it's kinda
flabby, my bum is really flat and looks rubbish in jeans and tight
skirts, my thighs are pretty jiggly, my nose has a funny bump in it
half way down and it looks weird if you look at my from the right
hand side. The list goes on. However, I like my eyes. They are a
pretty hazel colour and look really nice with so many different
eyeshadow colours. I like my hair because it's so thick and curly
that I don't really need to do much with it. This may sound weird but
I like my feet. They are really small for my height (UK 4) and my
toes are short and fat but they look kinda cute. I think I have a
foot fetish. My boobs aren't bad, they are an acceptable size and
look pretty good if I wear something that is tight. They are a pretty
average size so shops always have bras in my size because they always
put more out for average sizes.
See?
Not all things are bad. You just have to look past all the things
that you don't like and see the positives. Soon you will see that the
things you don't like don't really matter because you have all these
other great things going on that no one even notices your flat bum.
Thank you so much, Holly! Your interview and honesty on body confidence and your experience will help a lot of readers going through similar problems, I'm sure!
If
you'd like to visit any of Holly's links, check them out below!
Bloglovin:
http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/3375609
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/hollylabeaublog
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/hollylabeau
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/hollylabeau
If anyone has any questions or wants advice on anything discussed in this Q&A interview or on anything else at all, please do not hesitate to contact me! My links are below:
Twitter: @ChloesConcept
Tumblr Ask: chloesconcept.tumblr.com/ask
Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com
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