This post comes from Autumn Whitefield-Madrano of The Beheld. I always set aside a chunk of time to read Autumn’s cerebral, incisive posts because they always force me to think with all of my brain. Her musings on beauty, sociology, and culture are consistently mindblowing, in the best possible way. Read on for Autumn’s contribution to Body Image Warrior Week:

I don’t write about body image.

I’ll write about beauty, any day of the week. I’ll write about what goes on from the neck up; I’ll cover the myth of men preferring long hair, or why I wear makeup, or Gen-X beauty trends. And of course every so often bodies worm their way in: One can hardly talk about the annoyances of “dress your figure” pages in magazines without talking about figures, after all. read more

This post comes from Kate Fridkis of Eat the Damn Cake. Kate is a total straight-shooter, and her blog is consistently hilarious and moving. Read on for Kate’s contribution to Body Image Warrior Week:

Why I Write About Body Image

I write about body image because I love eating cake, but women around me are always dieting.

I write about body image because I have been told it doesn’t matter, but every year, more girls have eating disorders.

I write about body image because everyone cares about beauty, no matter how much we tell ourselves we don’t. And because, really, we are beautiful, no matter how much we tell ourselves we aren’t. read more

This post comes from Rosie Molinary, author of two amazing books about body image and a fabulously inspiring blog. Rosie is as insightful as she is compassionate, and  her courage and strength inspire me on a regular basis. Read on for Rosie’s contribution to Body Image Warrior Week:

An Announcement

Years ago, there was an ad (Nike?) that I just loved. It read:

You are born. And oh, how you wail! Your first breath is a scream. Not timid or low, but selfish and shattering, with all the force of waiting nine months under water. Your whole life should be like that: An announcement. read more