True Beauty Spotlight: Keetha McDaniel

I met Keetha while looking for an acupuncturist to help me through my bout of depression I was having and to help correct the pinched nerve I had in my shoulder as well. I went in expecting an older man who wouldn't understand the emotions of a woman and was pleasantly surprised to find Keetha. We cried together finding we were in the same state in our lives of losing our grandparents and offered me a hug and we chatted like old girlfriends. Then the acupuncture started even though the healing of just chatting with her had already begun. That was the start of our friendship. She is truly a beautiful person and her upbeat personality and views of the world make her awe inspiring. She never has a bad word to say about anyone. She loves fully and opens her heart to the world. Here are her thoughts about true beauty, self esteem and beyond:

"I believe that true, natural beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Since we are all different, we all have different perspectives of the world around us... therefore, our perspective helps to define who we are and what we hold sacred...which makes it impossible to have a true definition of beauty... As far as my own perspective goes...I believe that true, "natural" beauty is that which has not been tainted and shines as the Creator intended.

 

I want my daughter to remember me as a person who marched to the beat of her own drum. I want her to remember me as a woman who was passionate about what I believed in, and had a strong connection to other human beings and the world around me... Most importantly, I want her to remember her mother as being the one in her life who encouraged her to think with her heart and follow her intuition...

 

It's hard for me to say how I would like others to remember me. After all, I don't fully grasp what their perceptions are of me at the moment. How I see things through my eyes doesn't necessarily mean that I am defined by others this way... I suppose I would have to hope that they remember me as someone who left an impression on their life, just as they all have in mine.

 

For any women or girls out there who are struggling with self confidence and accepting yourself-- surrender yourself.  Surrender to the idea that anyone else's standards should not be  your own. It's easy to get sucked into the idea that there is a social standard for what is beautiful..or what is not. That simply is not the case. ALL of you are beautiful, whether you feel that way or not.

 

I believe that my best quality is my open-mindedness. I love the world around me, and even more so, I love the elements that make us all different. I try to see the beauty in all things, both familar and unfamiliar, and this enriches my life experience... I believe lack of an open mind equals lack of  potentially colorful life experiences...

 

As a society, I think that we can help others to see that they are beautiful both inside and out by changing our mindset and taking the oversized focus off of a streamlined "definition" of beauty. See the beauty in everything you see, whether it be a statue, earthworm, burn victim, or thundercloud. Everything on this Earth is connected, and the sooner we allow a more positive aura to shine from our own hearts, the sooner we will notice it shining from the hearts of others..."

 

Keetha's friend Joshua has this to say about her:
"I can't think of any other way to describe Keetha’s view on the world around her, other than to say that she truly does have an outlook of love that guides her every thought and every action. Everyone preaches love and acceptance these days, but few people actually live their life by the concept that love is what moves humankind toward a better place than what we now know. Keetha has been my close friend for a long time now, and I'm always inspired and comforted by the creative ways she can bring love, and life, to any situation. Her positive attitude and great personality just seem to just push all negativity far away from her…that is one of the many things that makes Keetha a beautiful person."

Peace and Love
Katelyn 

 

True Beauty Spotlight: Rachel Powell

       Rachel and I met through her cousin. I had recently moved to Louisiana and after a few failed hair cuts from places I picked out of a phone book my new friend Brandi told me her cousin did her hair. I made an appointment and three years later I am still going to her. In those three years I have learned that Rachel is one of the most caring women I know. She is constantly thinking of others and is so incredibly strong in her faith, even with all the stuff she has been put through.

 Last year, while pregnant with her son, she was diagnosed with stage 3b inflammatory Breast Cancer, on July 29th, 2009 at the age of 24. In disbelief, she decided to give it all to God and start on the road to fighting for her life and her unborn son's life. She was given only enough chemo while pregnant to stop the cancer from growing, not to kill it so that it would not hurt the baby. Avery, her son, was born October 23rd, 2009 and is now a perfectly healthy beautiful boy. Rachel went in December 9th, 2009 for a double mastectomy and the tumor was found to be cancer free. Miraculously cancer free. Through it all she kept a smile on her face and still thought of others first. I was amazed by her strength and beauty through it all. She is the epitome of natural beauty. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing Rachel.

1. What do you think is your best quality?

Loving others.

2. What advice would you give a girl/woman struggling with her self confidence and accepting herself?

You are the person Gad made you. You're your own worst critic. First you must love yourself for others to love you. People will see you in the way you see yourself.

3. Regarding not having your breasts, how did you come to terms with it and how did it affect you emotionally? When was your turning point that you accepted yourself missing a part of your body?

Not having my breasts affected me emotionally to the point that I did not feel comfortable with even being sexual with my husband. My marriage was affected, my mothering abilities was affected, the relationship with my clients, it all was going downhill. My husband sat me down and told me he loved me the way I was. He was so happy I was alive and didn't care about the missing parts. After that it still was a few months to where I just woke up one morning and fully realized that being alive WAS more important and I was given a gift to help support others but in order to do so I must first love myself.

4. How do you want people to remember you?

I want people to remember the love of jesus that flows through my veins and I hope they feel the happiness radiating off of me. Also, the strength that I had to overcome some of the hardest things in life and I never stopped smiling. I love without measure, never judge a person by what they look like, and I don't know a stranger. I hope that people remember me for all of this and I never want to change unless it's for the better.

5. How do you want your kids to remember you? 
I hope my kids remember that I never hid anything from them even if it was hurtful or even to deep for them. I wanted them to never be in the shadows and be included in every part of my life. I hope they never forget how much I love them and that I always show them and don't take my insecurities out on them. I love you my babies and I hope you never forget Bailey and Avery. Love, Mommy.

6. What is true, natural beauty to you?

The world would like to believe that beauty is what you wear, how much makeup you put on in the morning, how you wear your hair, how you look on the outside, or how fat or skinny you are but guess what, they are wrong. God made each of us beautiful in our own ways. We are made in his likeness, created in his image. The inside of you is what makes you beautiful. How you treat others, your attitude, and a lot of other things but the one scripture I live by is "Treat others as you want to be treat." That is how you become beautiful!

Thank you Rachel for taking time out of your busy life to do this interview with me. You are truly beautiful.

Peace and Love.

Beauty through a Man's eyes - Teague Tyloch

I already posted this on the facebook a few weeks ago, this was just so amazing I feel it needs a rightful place on the blog.

Teague Tyloch was so kind and happy to oblige when I asked him if he was willing to write about his views on beauty in a woman. I bring you the first rendition of "Beauty through a man's eyes." Enjoy!

Working on a car; taking it apart, seeing all of its pumps, filters, manifolds and belts strewn across the drive way. Aching hands, aching back; blood, sweat, and grease melting off my face and praying that I didn’t miss a bolt on the water pump as I go on to the fan. When the driveway is finally clean and the car in once piece, I crawl into the RX-7, foot on the clutch, key in the ignition.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what is about to happen next is true Beauty to me: My beloved pokes her head around the open hood and shouts, “The belt’s tight! Start her up!” and I turn the key. The engine turns for a few seconds and then comes to life. The beautiful rumble of an engine that hasn’t moved in a week, the thick smoke pouring out of the exhaust and filling my nose with the rich smell of burning fuel and oil- that is beautiful to me. What is truly Beautiful though is my beloved, covered in blood, sweat and grease, just like me. She is my team mate, my partner in crime, and she is absolutely thrilled that the car is alive again.

I find that truly Beautiful moments happen when a woman doesn’t even realize she is being beautiful at all. Children, I think are especially susceptible to being truly Beautiful. Most children are more worried about, “Where does the top half of your head go when you put that hat on”? Rather than what should I wear to impress the bejesus out of Donny today? As girls mature into teenagers, they know that they are beautiful, and they try to be beautiful… and in my humble opinion, often times fail.

And then, something awesome happens: Women mature. They find passions in life. They fall in love with dance, motherhood, sports, medicine, archeology, anthropology, cosmetology, astrology, cycling, the ocean, botany, working out, working on cars… They find their passion in life and they become truly happy again. When they are truly happy, women just beam with true Beauty.

Beauty is a 26 year old woman covered in grease on my driveway waving a wrench in the air- A 6 year old’s first trip to the beach and feeling sand crabs tickling her palm in a hand full of mud- a 55 year old woman meeting her first grandchild- a 4 year old riding her bicycle for the first time- a 22 year old riding a horse for the first time- a 65 year old going sky diving for the first time. Beauty is not lipstick, dresses or shoes; it’s when you are being purely you.

-Teague Tyloch

Days 3 and 4

Day three I had to actually think about not using make up. I almost reached for my typical mascara that I have grown accustom to using any time I do a photo shoot involving myself. My security blanket. I have extremely long lashes that stick straight out with no mascara so the mascara kind of tames them and curls them. I have to learn to love my lashes sans mascara. I am getting there. Slowly but surely.

Day 3

Yes, I am a goon.

Day 4

Here's the other submissions for the past two days and I have to say, no make up is needed 'round these parts!

Kelly Kammrad: mother of 3, camper aficianada, naturally beautiful 

Joni Martin: Doula, writer, mother, purely beautiful

Gloria: 'Mother of 2, dreamer, loving, friendly' and perfectly fresh faced and beautiful

Ashley Ward: Truly beautiful

Maryam Gerling Salassi: photographer, crafter, quirky and simply, all around beautiful

Jennifer Richey: student, photographer, woman, naturally beautiful.

Thank you to all you wonderful and brave women who are seeing that women are most definitely better exactly how they are, no make up or retouching needed.

Peace and Love.

Katelyn

When submitting a photo, please also add in a few random facts about what it is you like to do to feed your soul. :)

Day 2, no make up

 There is a lot of love happening today over on the facebook page. So many brave women are joining in on the no make up challenge, whether it be 30 days no make up or just sharing a photo with no make up and no retouching, it makes them brave. I would like to take the time to share about them here. 

 Jennifer Richey: student, photographer, woman, naturally beautiful.

 Kina Williams: thinker, photographer, woman, simply beautiful

Amanda Williams: Mother, photographer, dreamer, woman, truly beautiful 

Christina: Natural birth teacher, mother, photographer, woman, purely beautiful

And me, Day 2, no make up.

Thank you for sharing your photos with me. I can't wait to see how many more women embrace this. We are pulled into the trap of thinking we can't be beautiful and confident without our faces being covered in products. We're throwing our money away trying to be something we are not. I don't want my husband to think he's married to two different women. I am glad he actually encourages me to not wear make up. Taking care of yourself and being put together does not have to involve "editing" ourselves. 

Email any submissions to projectcb@yahoo.com.

Peace, Love and (natural)Beauty.

Makeup: Who needs it?

So this article was shared with me on the facebook page a couple weeks ago and I was uplifted to see that these high school girls really got what it means to be beautiful. They decided against wearing makeup every Tuesday to show what real beauty is. My friend told me I should ask people to send in photos of themselves au natural to showcase this very thing. I however want to take it a step further. 30 days, no makeup. I don't believe it makes a girl any more beautiful. Actually I believe that in most cases girls wear too much and it detracts from their beauty. Sure, for me, I guess it's not a huge jump to not wear make up for a month since I rarely wear make up as it is, the occasional mascara, blush and concealer to hide mommy dark circles but when I do wear the make up it's because I am feeling self conscious. I tend to edit out pimples in photos, smooth a bit, etc. I am guilty of doing things that I otherwise hate when photographers overdo in post processing when it comes to myself and photos I post of myself. For the next 30 days I will be sharing a photo of myself, non retouched and natural. We need to stop "editing" ourselves. Makeup can be a huge crutch to most women…and even some men. I encourage you to join in with me and challenge yourself. If you would like to send in a photo or even do the 30 day challenge with me please by all means! Email your submissions to projectcb (at) yahoo (dot) com. The world needs to see real, unadulterated beauty.

*you can click to view large

Peace, love and beauty.
Katelyn

Welcome!

Project: Chasing Beauty came to light around June of last year, 2009. I was struggling with my post pregnancy body, learning to accept myself which I never fully did before getting pregnant. I was sick of always feeling ugly and worrying about my body. I knew that wasn't what made me. I am my soul, my heart, my ideals/morals. I came to the realization with being a mom that I can't teach my daughter how to love herself and expect her to have high self esteem if I did not love myself. How could I ask more of her than I ask of myself? I wanted her to see the beauty in everyone without judgements or ideals that society places on us all. It's a huge epidemic now a days. We need to make a change.

Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. I can only do so much and it needs interaction with all you wonderful people for this project to make a difference. Please email any inquiries to projectcb@yahoo.com.

Peace and Love. 

-Katelyn