Recently our secretary Scherly Durandis interviewed Valerie Anselme, the lead on The Flawed Beauty Project and the creator of the inspiring video #ENOUGH, a class assignment has turned into a video that has touched many people - letting them know that being themselves is #Enough. To watch the video, click here.
When were you passionate about the flawed beauty project? How did this begin? My passion began in 2013 and has been a passion of mine since. First idea I had was to make a photo book for the Adventist Hospital in Haiti. After starting taking pictures, I shared it with workers and those in the hospital and they were amazed looking at the photos. That was a memorable experience for me because I got the chance to see how the pictures can touch people's lives. What made you do The Flawed Beauty project? I wanted to do a project that stood out and was different than what people usually see. I wanted to do a natural hair theme but many people have done it, so it was back to the drawing board for me! I thought more about it and knew I wanted to touch people's lives. Then I started thinking about flaws. I researched Richard Alvedon and studied his styles and pictures. They were always so raw and it shouted the person's personality. I thought more about what way I want to go on and I knew people were big about being self conscious. So I figured that maybe this can be a project that can be helpful to people, and to give others the chance to speak about their flaw. The people that you have in the video or photoshoots, were they self conscious at first?- Since it is about a flaw they feel that they have? Well it depends because some people are confident about showing their flaws. But for those that do get that way, I tend to get in a conversation with them and befriend them. We would talk about the flaw and experiences, and give a chance to open up more so it can be a bit more comfortable. By doing that they eventually see that you’re a person too. A photo shoot is an hour long and hopefully that is enough time to be much more comfortable in front of the camera. People who are extremely uncomfortable, they would not usually come to a shoot but if they do come, I try to "fix" the vibe by playing some music because that has helped others as well. Tell us more about the formation of the #Enough video. This video was an end of the summer class project. It is a spoken word piece along with visuals. I have had people in my life, including myself, that felt like the length of hair wasn’t long enough or how their skin wasn't nice enough. I wanted to let everyone I know or anyone I could touch that they are #Enough even though they don’t see it. That is where the poetry came from. Tara, Jackie, and Deborah are the ladies who are in the #Enough video. The make-up used in the video metaphorically represents how we hide our insecurities. The turning point in the video is when they start to wipe off the make-up and stating "I am Enough". What do you hope people get out of watching this short film? #Enough I hope people are inspired and take this video to heart, knowing that despite what they believe are their imperfections or physical flaw, they are #Enough. If you want to see more of Valerie Anselme's projects and photos, visit this link.
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I believe Revive My Turf is an excellent way for youth to become involved in their communities. They can bring positive changes to their homes not only for themselves, but also for the generations to come. With a Spiritual emphasis on their activities they can spread the love of God and truly be stewards in their community. - Stacey C. Joseph, Director of Temple Salem Pathfinder Club