Rapper Nicki Minaj Rocks Natural Hair

-April D. Byrd


Hip- Hop femcee Nicki Minaj who rigorously refers and expresses herself as a "Barbie", posted photos to Instagram of herself sporting a more natural look.  The rapper who we see mainly wearing a rainbow of wig colors chose to go with a more dark color which most naturally reflects her own. 

(credit: Instagram)

Speculators say she chose the transformation in honor of returning to a more classic, gritty sound for her work. Nicki's new Au Natural look, looks good on her. Hopefully it will be the beginning of more natural confidence and authentic love for the star. Whether it does or doesn't promote more self-love to her fans, being real is still a good look. No matter how "Black Swan-ish" she looks with the make-up, kudos to her for making the switch!

(credit: Instagram)

What are your thoughts on Nicki's "New Do"?

"Selfie-Love": Are We Addicted To Social Media?

By: April D. Byrd

"looks like the first lady just wasn't having it!"

So, Roberto Schmidt the photographer that took the selfie that blew up on the internet says "Pictures can lie"... "the first lady's stern look was captured by chance". I say it looks like the first lady just wasn't having it! Did she really make the President change seats? and Exactly how inappropriate are selfies at a funeral? In his AFP blog post, Schmidt also said that All around him were South Africans dancing, singing and laughing to honour their departed leader. "It was more like a carnival atmosphere, not at all morbid." and it was totally relaxed. 

Social Media has seriously magnified the popularity of selfies. Now we'll probably never be able to tell whether it's vanity or really some in depth form of art? We can learn a lot about ourselves through a self-portrait. Mashable even made a list and rated The 16 Best Selfies of 2013. Social media has definitely made us "selfie" obsessed! Where is the dividing line between Arrogance and Confidence? Surprisingly the most arrogant  Self-confident rapper Kanye West recently made an anti-selfie move. At his concert "Yeezy" wore a mask that covered his entire face. To his credit when a fan shouted for him to take it off. Kanye screamed "I'm Kanye motherf**king West." then had the woman escorted out of the concert.

 we hope the fan got a full refund!

The impact of fame or recognition can make people a bit crazy sometimes. Social Media has done just that. Instagram is continuously upgrading with videos and now direct messages. Facebook is expecting a new upgrade as well. How bad is Social media really making us? The Diagnostic and Statistical  Manual of Mental Disorders has now actually included Internet Addiction Disorder and listed it for further study. Psychologists fear that Internet and mobile technology contributes to "compulsive personality traits" and is related to ADHD and OCD. Newsweek printed that a third of smartphone users go online before getting out of bed. 

I can personally admit that I'm a social media fanatic. My obsession even led to an internship. It's easy to get lost in social media world because those instant "likes" can make us feel like we're actually getting something done. However, It can be an effective tool, if we use it right. So I monitor relentlessly and hash-tag my heart out, all the while getting distracted by some other post in the process. Despite all the reports and statistics, Social Media is not all bad, it does give exposure. Without it I never would've started a magazine or met my she-ro Trey Anthony. In the instance that we do have something meaningful or interesting to say, it serves as a great platform. So by all means, Let the digital fun and discourse continue. 

What do you think of the Kanye and the President's behavior?  Do you consider yourself addicted to "selfies" and  Social Media?...how many hours a day are you on for business or personal reasons?
Share  and comment below.

April D. Byrd is a Writer, Founder of BOLD Journal online magazine and resident Social Media Blogger for Trey Anthony Studios. Send your feedback via social, you can catch her on Facebook and on Twitter/Instagram: @aprilinspired.

MONDAY MOTIVATION: Reverse the Negative Words That You Tell Yourself

What is the story that you tell yourself when you get alone with yourself? What are the words that you use to label who you are? I was watching the episodes of Oprah's Lifeclass dedicated to "Daddyless Daughters" and there was a part of it that Iyanla described as the "UNs" that we tell our self  that struck me. I realized that this is true especially for daddyless daughters but can also be applied to other womyn who may be filled with guilt and shame for any other difficult and life changing issue that she has been through.

We often have as Iyanla said, "a treasure chest of Uns" that we tell ourselves. The ones that she listed are: Unwanted, Unloved, Unloveable, Unacceptable, Unimportant, Unattractive, and Unworthy. Now raise your hand, how many of you have caught yourself saying one of these words about you, if not all of them. I sure as hell have! I have allowed these words to creep into my spirit and find situations in my life that would affirm and reinforce what I told myself - that I really was unattractive, or "yup, I knew I was unloveable".

I think the most important thing that needs to be mastered to live a successful life (emotionally, spiritually, physically, career, etc) is that you really have to police the stories that you tell yourself and the words that you use to define you. If the words you use are negative, then its guarenteed that negativity will find a way to creep into your life. You've created and prophesized that for yourself.

So, this week I want us all to examine the words that we use to describe who we are and what we deserve. Be brutally honest and real about what you say. Write them down and describe how they show up in your life. For example, "I tell myself that I am unloved, so therefore I hide from and reject anyone who tries to show me love. I stay guarded and don't open myself to allowing people to really get to know me." Once, you write these stories and behaviours down, it's time to do the work to reverse it. I'm a big believer in affirmations. Create a statement that tells yourself something different about who you are and keep repeating it until you believe it and live your life that way.

I wrote about learning how to be a black girl in love wither herself a few months ago. And part of falling in love with yourself, is being able to look yourself in the mirror and like what you see. Not just how you look physically, but can you look yourself in the eyes and really like and appreciate the womyn that you see staring back at you? 

I wrote:

If I was a black girl in love with myself

I would actively work on being less critical of myself. I would look in the mirror and not wish you away. Instead, every day I would loudly declare, "I'm going to take care of you! You are beautiful! I'm proud of you! I love you! I love that KINK in your hair your beautiful nose, your wide spread grin, your crooked tooth, that scar on your belly. I would exercise, walk a few steps daily to just honor you! I would not compare you to other womyn's bodies. I would give thanks to God that he gave me another day with you. 

Change the message that repeats in you head. It's not something that you will get over in a day, it will take continuous and daily work. You will want to go back to telling yourself these stories, but press pause on it, acknowledge how you feel but then tell yourself a new story. Keep doing it until you start to feel better.

Watch the video of the "UNs" that Iyanla descibes that we often tell ourselves, here: 

 

Happy Monday!

MONDAY MOTIVATION: Why Oprah Saying Beyonce Makes Her 'Proud to Spell My Name WOMYN' is a Head Nod To All of Us

I watched the Beyonce Life is But a Dream documentary over the weekend as well as her interview with Oprah, and while I had not learnt anything new about Beyonce there were a few take aways for me as a womyn and as an artist. What stood out to me the most was during the interview at the end when Ms. O said to Beyonce, "After watching Life is But a Dream, I have to tell you that I come away reminded of that line in a Maya Angelou poem that says, 'You make me proud to spell my name W-O-M-A-N." Such a big compliment to pay a womyn! And, one that we all need to look ourselves in the mirror and say on repeat.

As I turn 40 today, I realize that with age I've fallen into being exactly the womyn that I've always wanted to be. My life is not perfect, but I can say it's pretty damn good! And, it's good because I've finally learned to let go of the inner struggles, things I don't accept about myself and to be really specific about the people I have around me. Instead of playing tug-of-war with these things I've given up the battle and chose acceptance of where I am exactly today.

I wrote a quick note on my Facebook page the other day outlining the '40 things I know about myself as I turn 40'. A few of them are:

1.  I will never have a flat stomach or a six pack and I'm going to try my best to let go of that dream....
2.  I love vanilla cupcakes and I can eat them all day and this maybe the reason why i don't have a flat     stomach!
3.  Friends and family will often disappoint you, but I need to stop taking their lack of action or actions   personally it's not about me.
4.  I will continue to disappoint friends and family, and they need to stop taking it personally.
5. I want to have friends who listen more to me, who call me often and ask me how I'm doing? I want friends who share with me their lives, people who openly share their life lessons and encourage me to be a better person.
6. I want to actively work on my dreams every day. I want my play to go to Broadway. I want my own theatre, talk show, radio show! I want  full creative ownership to do work that I love the way I want too!
7. I need to accept that my to do list will never end. I create a new one every day!
8. I want to love who i love, with no explanations to anyone. Without thought to anyone but myself. I want to love how I want to be loved, with gentleness, consideration, soft kisses, deep conversations, and an ability to be challenged and to be challenged to be better. I want to care less about what people think about me, and care more about what I think of the people in my life!

But the main thing that I want as I move into this new chapter of my life is, I want to not only stand in and own the womyn that I am but inspire other womyn to do so themselves. I've realized that all of my work as an artist has been working towards and leading up to that. I want to inspire other womyn to love themselves period. To love their hair, to love what they do, love the way they look, love who they've chosen to be around them, etc.

I think this is what Lady O meant when she spoke about Beyonce and I believe that one day I will be sitting on her couch when she will share that sentiment with me as well.

But for now, I'm 40 and happy to stand with pride to spell my name w-o-m-y-n.

Happy Monday!

Halle Berry, Angela Davis and More Discuss Their 'Journey to the Woman I've Come to Love'

Halle Berry: “i would probably say that i fell in love with myself after my second divorce. i think it was at that time that i realized what i was made of. i realized that i was enough all by myself.”

We've all been there, while some of us still struggle with learning how to love the womyn that we are. There are so many forces in society that tell us who we should be, how we should act and what we should look like. So, finding your footing in this world to proclaim "I love me"  is a battle that takes some time, patience and kindness to yourself.

A new book out by award-winning photojournalist, Mikki Turner, titled Journey to the Woman I've Come to Love details the stories of notable womyn who learned to love themselves. The coffee table book features celebrities such as: Halle Berry, Sanaa Lathan, Angela Davis as well as many who are out of the spotlight such as everyday executives, activists and others who are just as inspiring. The essential premise of the book is initiated with the question that each womyn interviewed was asked, "“At what point did you fall in love with yourself?”

It's great to see a timeless book like this one released. Especially one that highlights the journey of womyn of colour because self acceptance is not a topic widely covered in our communities. It's another one of those topics that is seen as not something that womyn of colour struggle with. We are often portrayed to be these strong womyn who are confident and love our bodies regardless of size. Which isn't always the case - in most cases it's quite the opposite.So many of us are living the struggle of not liking who we are in silence.

I am definitely going to check out this book as I think that it's an essential addition to every womyn's bookshelf.

You can read an interview with the author about the book as well as view a slideshow of a few quotables from these womyn over at The Grio.

Size does matter!

Your playing small does not serve the world!

Every Tuesday night I have been attending a law of attraction/manifestation class, which has become the highlight of my week! The teacher often instructs us to examine our inner circle, look at who surrounds you and carefully look at what energy you take in or allow into your life. Do you allow people to "dump" on you? Do you have people who encourage your growth? Do you daily infuse your life with bad news and only listen to negative thoughts, ideas and things? 

Thus, I now avoid watching and becoming a voyeur of bad news on television. I've also been monitoring what things I choose to read on the Internet. Now I'm more aware of how I start my day and of who I choose to speak to first thing in the morning. Do I start my day in a sense of panic and fear, or do I choose to start with yoga, meditation, reflection and calm energy? I also look at how I feel emotionally after each interaction with friends, family and acquaintances -- do they make me feel better, more alive or just simply drain me? 

The results of this intimate inspection of my life have astounded me. When you start to do deep inner work your outer world begins to drastically shift. I have noticed many shifts and movements in my relationships, friendships and family relationships. What I have been keenly aware of is how people respond to my own self-growth and changes that I have made or continue to make. I now notice that when I share good news that has happened in my life, several people whom I thought were my closest friends and/or allies have responded in either silence, half strained smiles, speeches of, "Must be nice, good things always happen to you!" or just a sense of grudgingly approval. 

This has been hard for me to witness and also to even admit. And in the past I have tried to down-play or keep good things that have happened to me to myself because I don't want others to feel bad or to think that I'm "bragging" -- I have felt a huge level of "success guilt," that somehow I must be unworthy of good things?  Thus, it has been difficult for me to celebrate my own successes and I have felt a need to suppress my own joy. 

 Often in my life I have felt a need to dim my own light in order to have so called "friends/family" feel better about themselves and this has left me feeling unsupported. This feeling of non-support has manifested itself in physical form leaving me with backache, a constant sense of fatigue, and an upset stomach. And I know my body has responded physically because I have had a hard time processing emotionally what I truly want from others in my life. I've always had a hard time asking for what I want emotionally. I recently wrote in my journal, that I wanted the universe to provide for me, people who truly support and celebrate my successes. People who are committed to my growth and want me to be the best.  And because I really try to celebrate the successes of the people in my life I also deserve that in return!  The universe has responded by providing me with a new circle of support and I'm now overwhelmed by how the new people entering my life express their love and support for me. 

Yet, I must also acknowledge those in the past who often celebrated with me. I have been blessed with a few folks in my life who continue to push me to grow, who encourage me to strive, who see for me things even bigger than I can imagine!  And I hold and cherish these people alongside "strangers" who send me emails or tweets celebrating my victories or telling me that my life inspires them to do greater.

 

Since attending my manifestation classes and being encouraged weekly to manifest only greatness in my life, I realize that me playing "small" does not serve anyone and it definitely does not serve myself. As the Marianne Williamson, quote states, "Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone." Marianne Williamson" 

So I have decided to shine bright. Play really BIG! Regardless of what people's reactions or non-reactions are. I am a child of the Universe/God, and God would only want GREATNESS for me so that is what I desire for myself, unapologetically.

I welcome your feedback and please share your own experiences of now playing BIG!!! Wishing you continued greatness!

blessings

Natural Dark Skinned Blonds

Scientist have recently discovered that a single mutation in DNA is responsible for almost half of the variations in Solomon Islanders hair color....their naturally blond hair that is.   Apparently, these dark skinned blond beauties have their own genes that have developed and mutated over the years, and are not a result of European explorers as one would assume.  

After taking samples of both Europeans  and Solomon Islanders, they have found that the mutation found in the genes of the Islanders does not appear at all in the European samples.

They speculate that it could be a result of sun exposure or heavy fish consumption,  but in any case, blond hair has evolved not once, but twice.

The Solomon Islanders have some of the darkest skin seen outside of Africa and the highest occurrences of blond hair outside of Europe.  In fact, the population of blond haired people on Solomon Island is comparable to the percentage of blond haired people in Europe -- about 10% of the population.

This discovery is unexpected and phenomenal.  It just goes to show that we truly come in all shapes and colors.  

What are your thoughts? 

Love Me and My Hair

I stumbled on Singers Room a little while back from a friends Facebook page and it's actually a great source for music...I like mainstream music, but I also enjoy those artists who are relatively unknown.

the Singer's Room is truly a site for music lovers.  It has a great mix of both mainstream and non-mainstream artists.  It was sited as one of the top internet music sources by XXL magazine and was created in 2006.

What's cool about the site is that it is an outlet for artists to communicate directly with their fans and the rest of the music community.  If you are a music lover, check out this site.  You never know what you'll find! (certainly not the music you find on the radio)

I found this song on Singers Room over the weekend and it's a great song about loving yourself and your hair.  It's called 'Love Me and My Hair' by Juliette....hope you enjoy it.

Take this in and remember to love yourself.

http://singersroom.com/content/2012-04-21/Juliette-Love-Me-My-Hair/