Barbie Comes Alive at Duluth Boudoir Photography

Spread the love

I was on a long drive the other day, thinking about what I wanted to write for this blog post. I wanted to write something profound. I always want that, but this time I think someone else said it better. I listened to this song by Hayley Williams, called Roses/ Lotus/ Violet/ Iris. I realized this is exactly what I wanted to say to this group.

So, here are the lyrics.

“I have seen your body

And I have seen your beauty

They are separate things

Pretty, pretty, pretty things

But I am in a garden

Tending to my own

So what do I care

And what do you care if I grow?

If I grow

Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses

(Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses)

Show no concern for colors of a violet

Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus

(Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus)

Hopes it won’t spark envy in your irises

I think of all the wilted women

Who crane their necks to reach a window

Ripping all their petals off just cause

‘He loves me now, he loves me not’

I myself was a wilted woman

Drowsy in a dark room

Forgot my roots

Now watch me bloom

Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses

(Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses)

Show no concern for colors of a violet

Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus

(Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus)

Hopes it won’t spark envy in your irises (irises)

And I will not compare other beauty to mine

And I will not become a thorn in my own side

And I will not return to where I once was

Well I can break through the earth, come up soft and wild

Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses

(Roses, roses, roses, roses, roses)

Show no concern for colors of a violet

Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus

(Lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus, lotus)

Hopes it won’t spark envy in your irises”

This shoot was Barbie. Barbie used to be only one thing, and we were told this one thing was the ideal thing. The perfect thing. The idea of doing this shoot originally scared me a little, since I knew I could never be perfect. If you want to read more about my struggle with perfection, I suggest reading my last post. My teeth are not perfectly straight. I do not have a thigh gap. I have hip dips. I have scoliosis. I’m not perfect, but I am perfect at being me. Our differences make us beautiful. In fact, even Barbie has recently made huge strides in inclusivity. My ability to blankly stare into the abyss like a plastic doll is pretty cool (and creepy) … and is actually perfect for this shoot.

“And I will not compare other beauty to mine.”

P.S. To Jes, Emily, and Katie I will never forget our amazingly fun day together. To this amazing group of women and in the spirit of having fun, loving yourself, and being inspired by music… here is a list of songs that I love that are about loving yourself.