Self expression | 5 minutes more please

I was given a copy of the Brainwash Project magazine today and I have to say that I am really impressed.

For those of you that have not heard of the Brainwash Project, it is one girls crusade to change the image portrayed to young impressionable girls in the glamour magazines.

Jessica Barlow who was honored at this years Australian Day awards. Started the Brainwash project in hope of making readers feel good about themselves, to encourage them to expand their mind and branch out and try new things. It is about recognizing the beauty that exists in diversity and the innate beauty that resides within each of us.

The project has seen Jessica travel far and wise spreading her message that girls don’t have to look like the models pictured in the magazines in order to be beautiful and unique.

Inside the Brainwash Project Magazine girls will read real life stories and see beautiful real girls. There is a plethora of information, advice, fashion, entertainment all of it targeted to real young ladies.

The front and back cover of the magazine is plain white with bold black writing and on the back the words ‘don’t judge by appearance’ pretty much sum it all up.

There was only a relatively small number of this magazine published, but anyone who has been lucky enough to get hold of a copy will no doubt agree that our young girls could certainly use more of these types of magazines.

Yesterday I went to see our Zumba instructor do her burlesque routine at The Greyhound hotel which is a iconic hotel in St. Kilda. I wasn’t really sure what to expect even though I had seen our instructors routine at Zumba class a few times.

The venue was packed, and there were people of all ages. All the performers had brought along their families and friends to cheer them on and help raise funds for the Beyond Blue foundation, which is an initiative to raise funds for people suffering from anxiety and depression.

It was a two hour show, filled with women of all shapes and sizes celebrating their bodies through self expression. Burlesque dancing is not for everyone, I know that I could never do it, but I really admired those ladies last night, they were so at ease with themselves, each one was unique and beautiful in their own way.

The evening ended with a unique twist, a wedding, between the hostess of the show and her Romeo that she had met online. It was romantic end to a lovely night.