Welcome to the inside of my head!!!! My journal is a place where I let my thoughts off their leash and they get to run free. Unafraid of what others might think, feel, or say. Here I will be sharing with you everything that is important to me. That could be anything from the state of our beloved planet to my new favorite nail polish. Do your thoughts have a playground where they can let loose and be free? I invite you to "gift" yourself and your thoughts by keeping a journal. You never know what new and fun things you might find in there.Tomiko

2007-12-02

When did "curves" become a 4-letter word? When did having a "little something extra" to hold onto become a crime? As a model, I grapple with these questions all the time. Let's face it. I work in an industry that glorifies skinny women. Plain and simple. The skinnier you are, the more you work. What kind of message is that sending to women and young girls around the world? And why are we listening? I've been warned against biting the hand that feeds me, but I am growing weary of the "food" they are offering. Their food leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Their example of beauty doesn't always fit into what I think is beautiful. So what I am to do? My mother didn't raise a fool. I would be hard-pressed to find a line of work where I can be my own boss and make the money that I make. But I cannot sit idly by as the self-esteem of millions of women and young girls is crushed because they don't look like the model on the cover of their favorite magazine. So I have chosen to speak up and behave differently. I have chosen to BE an empowered woman with a voice and who is unafraid to be heard. I have chosen to BE at ease with not fitting into size 2 jeans. I have chosen to BE confident on photo shoots where my curves are in direct contrast to the "hipless wonders" that I sometimes work with. I have chosen to eat dessert because that's what I want to do. Believe me, I understand the struggles that we women face when it comes to our bodies. But I am in control of how I feel about me. No one else gets that privilege. The me that I am knows that eating well and exercise are the keys to a healthy (and even curvy) body. I invite you to listen to yourself, do what you can to be as healthy as possible (by your own standards) and let the world know that you love yourself just the way you are.