Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

An essay on beauty which really reads like Bri Lee's processing of the disordered eating and mental ill health she revealed to herself and the world in Eggshell Skull. This is Bri's examination of the internal battles she has experienced around her own self image and the intertwined concept of beauty, rather than an all encompassing review of "Beauty" in today's world.

Bri's research and her own truth sharing is engaging and interesting. Reflections on older texts like The Beauty Myth, and today's social media influence are compelling and strong reminders for those of us who have read those.

But the first half, to me, lacked the insight into white middle-class privileged platform, and the intersectionality I had expected of such an examination on beauty standards.

One of the points of revelation for Bri came from the privilege of having been asked to sit for a photoshoot for a glamorous magazine, where she could pick the designer she could wear - these opportunities are not afforded to all published writers, nor successful women in their professional field. Bri's own beauty privilege, albeit acknowledging her disordered eating struggles, is not discussed (although she did mention at her book launch I attended).

The mental health clinician in me wonders if this essay is Bri laying out these thoughts and raw truths, and discussions of change in her own behaviour, as a record of progress. A way to keep herself accountable. I hope this means she continues to work, and examine and get the support she needs around these damaging self talk.

This was an interesting read after reading Clare Bowditch's Your Own Kind Of Girl - opposite ends of the body image self talk. I felt like I want to get Clare's book to Bri, for all the tools it shares about overcoming the destructive internal voice.

I know Bri is thinking of writing a similar examination on Brains, based again on the book launch conversations, and thus I hope she can find ways to expand her thoughts and research further, to perhaps an essay collection.