loveable ISSUE ONE / FEBRUARY 2017
loveable Featuring; Katie Meehan and David Grist Photography and words by Gabrielle Davidson
roses aren’t always red and violets aren’t exactly blue, the society we live in never seems to speak the truth.
best face forward: breaking into the beauty industry with a facial disfigurement
Meet Katie Meehan, the beauty blogger with a community of people around the world watching and supporting her every step.
To look beyond the mirror is not a viable option when we’re constantly being reminded that the world works in a face value format. We’re analysed from all angles before being given the right to enter a room Katie Meehan is a 21 year old girl o enter a room. Katie Meehan is a 21 year old girl born in the North East of England. Her journey to self-love and acceptance differs from the masses as she lives with Cystic Hygromas: a facially disfiguring syndrome. She is now free of the restricting complications of her syndrome through surgery in her childhood and now narrates her journey via her beauty blog: www.katiemeehan.co.uk. In October 2016, Tumblr was estimated to have 319.8 million registered blogs. Blogging has created a platform for the people who do not fall into the box of front page perfection, a community of inclusivity in backfire to the exclusivity that the magazines and the fashion industry have created. Models are picked through a process of analysis, from facial symmetry to numbers on a scale. Men and women who do not fit this mould are almost used as a novelty within the industry; they are a topic of discussion to refute the claims of warping of young minds and glamorising unhealthy obsessions. Blogging has altered this standard by creating a platform for any voice to find its audience; with 18.1k Instagram followers and over 370 blog subscribers, Katie has created a new life for herself through blogging with hopes of continuing to grow and educate her readership, “There aren’t many bloggers that I know who have a facial disfigurement, especially beauty bloggers - so it’s lovely to be so accepted and make a name for myself in an industry that is so big and dominated by beauty.” The new normal is fluid, more than ever before there are communities coming forward with new ideas of beautiful, and the people that were overlooked and undermined have now found their spotlight. Blogging communities like the ChubbyBunnies on Tumblr celebrate women of various sizes who have felt undermined and scrutinized for their body shapes. Now they are celebrated and have a place in the fashion and beauty industry and people aren’t afraid to express their admiration. Katie is passionate about the community stating; “The best part about blogging is most definitely the people I’ve met. I have a great support network of some very beautiful women who are so supportive and kind to me. We all build each other up and are supportive of everything we do. This makes me feel so much more confident and like I can conquer the world.” In the era of “I woke up like this” selfies and A4 paper waistline challenges, people are feeling the pressure to filter and alter their lives to gain respect and admiration from peers. Appreciation takes form through the use of likes, holding high social significance as an indicator of power and popularity. Katie stays true to herself as she does not avoid the subject of her disfigurement and is transparent about
her struggles, “Blogging has changed my perception yes, it has made me more aware of my body and how it is portrayed. Being a blogger, your photo is taken a lot which doesn’t help your confidence on those bad days, but it has also made me a lot happier too. I do have days where I feel incredibly self-conscious about things and rather upset, but I think that’s quite normal really.” Blogging gives a voice to any individual willing to speak up, they are able use their voice to express issues they feel are misunderstood and personal to them in a safe place. Katie speaks of one of her favourite blogs by Marcus Mitchell, “I read a blog quite often by someone who has autism and his point of view on life. It’s refreshing and has helped me understand autism much more. Blogging has connected me with people I never thought I’d ever meet. It gives everyone a voice and I love that people are using that as a way to talk about their life and their differences.” In the summer of 2016, Katie was contacted by “The Undateables”, a Channel 4 TV programme which follows the lives of disabled and disfigured singletons looking for love. She was greeted with mixed comments of support and disgust for the show after announcing her exchange with the production company on social media, “I find it an incredibly offensive TV show as it just segregates people with disabilities and physical differences even further. It is something I don’t quite understand and is produced purely for entertainment” Katie explains. In backlash to the success of the show, BBC Three aired The Unbreakables as part of their Defying The Label series in July 2016. The show focused on the personalities of the people involved and revealed their identities past their disability. Katie believes that The Undatables creates a greater stigma around disability, widening the gap between us as it skims a fine line between raising awareness and making a mockery: “I find it odd as it portrays the people partaking in the show as lesser humans, it’s odd to watch and not something I find comfortable! It would make someone feel very uncomfortable and self-conscious, to imply that someone is undatable due to a disability or physical appearance would damage anybody’s body image, and especially if it was something they are already struggling with.” With a new season on the horizon, it’s time to raise awareness of the discussion and create a body positive movement for everybody, not just the able-bodied. To see a woman who exhorts so much confidence throughout their personal tribulations is a rarity, yet a refreshing sight to become accustomed to. Building a network of support and self-acceptance through her blog has helped many women and young girls find a safe space to express and understand their identity without the fear of being scrutinized. Body image is fluid and our views on it tend to fall into a state of flux with contradictory messages being sent by the media. No matter where you fall on the spectrum or how you feel, there is a community that you can find support in.
you are real
loveable ISSUE ONE / FEBRUARY 2017