Female Role Models

 

My mother – For most people, their first gender role model is their mother. I’m no exception to this rule. My mother spent her teenage years as a model and was moderately successful, but by the time I came around that was ancient history. The mother I knew was beautiful, but she had lost her interest in make up and high fashion so those things were never very interesting to me. I taught myself how to do my make-up and my fashion sense has always been questionable lol. My mother was often encouraging me to “sit like a lady”. She allowed me to experiment with my hair and make-up. We struggled with having an open and close relationship when I was younger so I never really felt I had anyone to talk to about being a woman. I just kind of navigated my way through adolescence with my friends.

 

Pink – A more recent example of a female role model is the artist, Pink. Pink’s music helped me navigate through a somewhat troubled adolescence and still influences me as an adult. I love her hard but pretty appearance and her tough girl attitude. She makes no apologies for who she is and what she wants. I remember specifically a song about the pressure to fit in in the music industry and how she got famous do what she wants and being who she is. She is physically fit and became a huge success by staying true to herself and not conforming to cultural standards of beauty and femininity.

 

Pink and my mom share the qualities of natural beauty and non-conformance. They are comfortable in their own skin and confident in their abilities. I chose these women as role models because they possess the qualities I find most desirable. They are confident, strong, successful, and make no apologies for who they are.