Real Stories. Real Struggles. Real Beauty.
by Bernadette Anderson, MD, MPH | edited by Ammie Elliott
Beauty standards told us what beauty should be. They didn’t tell us what it would cost. Beauty isn’t always pretty. It’s complex. Deeply personal. Sometimes it empowers. Sometimes it wounds.
The beauty confessions below speak the unspoken—judgment, struggle, and, in some instances, freedom. Each voice echoes the moments we’ve hidden, the beliefs we’ve inherited, and the courage it takes to unlearn them. Pause to read, reflect, and perhaps recognize a piece of yourself within their words.
EVERY MARK TELLS A STORY, AND EVERY STORY WEARS ITS CROWN.
Share your beauty confession with The 34 Gallery! A powerful quote will be created without your name and featured in the Beauty Series—helping us build a wall of courage, healing, and realness. This space is yours to tell the truth about beauty. Whether it’s one sentence or a full story, your words can help others feel seen, understood, and less alone. Your response is anonymous. Your truth is safe here.
- Close your eyes.
- Inhale the truth: I am not broken. I am becoming.
- Exhale the lie: Beauty must look one way.
- Let your breath remind you: Your worth is never up for debate.
Prompts to inspire:
- A beauty expectation you’ve felt pressured to meet.
- A stereotype or comment that hurt or shaped how you see yourself.
- A truth about beauty you’ve never said aloud.
- Something you want to reclaim about your appearance.
Use the form below to add your voice to the display. What beauty standard will you rewrite?
