Mediaplanet chatted with Tess Holliday, a plus-sized model, activist and founder based in Los Angeles, to get her insights on radical self-love, dealing with criticism, and her message for other women seeking self-acceptance.
You’ve been a powerful advocate for body positivity and self-love. Can you share a personal experience or moment that inspired you to become such a vocal advocate for these causes?
There wasn’t one moment, it’s just always been very clear to me that I was larger than most girls, especially growing up. I was reminded constantly that I was taking up too much space, and as I approached my early 20s, I thought, “Eff this, I want to take up all the space!” Becoming a model empowered me to find my style and step into who I always knew I was. Honestly, I want that radical self-love or acceptance, or whatever you want to call it, for everyone.
In a society that often promotes narrow beauty standards, how do you define beauty for yourself and encourage others to do the same?
I do this by choosing myself every single day. I make sure I’m nourishing myself in the ways I need, because beauty for me is more how I feel and less what I see. Every day, I have to move my body, practise gratitude, and do a long list of things to show love to myself. That’s why I ask my followers regularly, “How did you show yourself love today?” — because it’s so easy to get caught up in life and to forget about who’s most important: you!
Women, in particular, face immense societal pressure to conform to certain beauty ideals. How can we empower women to embrace their uniqueness and resist these pressures?
There’s so much power in us all being our authentic selves. Every single day, we’re sold the idea that we aren’t enough, and self-acceptance is a crucial step toward resisting beauty ideals. Who profits from us feeling bad about ourselves or wanting to look like everyone else? The beauty industry. Don’t let them trick you into thinking you have to change. It’s all an illusion.
You’ve faced your share of criticism and negativity online. How do you handle these challenges, and what advice do you have for others dealing with online negativity?
If it’s something valid, then I always take it as an opportunity to learn and grow, but if it’s just background noise, I ignore it. I only have so much mental energy, and I can’t waste it on opinions. My best advice is to make sure you know who you are, and set firm boundaries in your life and stay true to that. Thankfully I didn’t listen to everyone, because if I had, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
What projects or initiatives are you currently involved in to further promote self-care and body empowerment?
I’m celebrating 10 years this year of Eff Your Beauty Standards, and I can’t wait to celebrate many more. My work as an inclusivity and diversity consultant is expanding, and I’m really excited for what that means for the future of the industry.
Lastly, what message would you like to convey to all the women who are working toward self-love and self-acceptance?
Be patient and kind to yourself. It’s not a race. You’re allowed to make mistakes and not have all the answers. I too am still figuring it out. Enjoy your body every day and know that you deserve all the love you show others.
