Summary: Taryn Brumfitt on embracing your body, tackling a global self esteem deficit and boobs that double as a scarf Taryn is my Obi Wan. She is the founder of the Body Image Movement and maker of the documentary Embrace which was released on the 16th of January this year in selected cinemas. This brilliant film follows Taryn as she challenges the pervasive message that we all have to conform to one body type - and if we deviate we are disgusting and less valuable than those that do. I was so excited to interview her. But I was THIRTY minutes late for my ONE HOUR slot with her. So I went ninja and dove straight in. But then my bloody cats started playing with a paper bag and I decided to leave it rather than waste valuable minutes putting them into the laundry room. Hence why it sounds like there is a squirrel tap dancing in the background. So. I start by asking Taryn what she would say to those who feel frustrated that we are still banging on about this? She replies 'Yes We Will carry on banging on about it until we fix this really big global problem'. She continues with a truly golden nugget 'you can't be all that the world needs you to be when you're consumed by how you look.' And the nuggets keep coming... 'There are so many brilliant women I know who should be in leadership roles but aren't because they don't have the self esteem or confidence to put themselves forward...' 'What will you be thinking about when you take your final breaths? What thoughts will be going through your mind..I've asked thousands of women and no one has ever said "my bug bum"...because it's not important...so lets tap into that perspective...life is so short. We can either go down the road of self loathing or we can go down the other road.' She speaketh the truth. Ultimately Taryn wants to start a conversation and for people to make a commitment to embracing their bodies. That is most certainly not easy when we're in a sea of media but her documentary is certainly a huge step forward. For more information on where to see the film visit The Body Image Movement's website.
