Removing our body hair… where did it start?

Did you know that shaving is a fairly recent thing for us?

Removing our natural body hair started just over 100 years ago in 1915.

King Camp Gillette created the disposable razor targeted to men in 1901. As the power of greed took over it didn’t take him long to want to make more money. So what was he to do?
The only way was if more people needed razors. That’s when his marketing cap got larger and he decided to target the next half of the population…women. 

How did he do this?

He created fake ads with silky smooth women saying that being hairless was all the rage in Europe and we bought into this marketing gimmick. Which eventually spread all over.

It created a new standard for women and he got what he wanted, more money!

“Over the next 100 years women’s spending power increased, skirts were shorter and shaved legs on women became more and more popular.”

He succeeded by profiting off our insecurities towards wanting to be accepted and fit in.

Fast forward to today and many in our society view women with natural body hair as unattractive or even dirty, when that’s just not the case. 

It’s still fairly new to us and yet so ingrained in the way we live that we just follow along with it.

People do a lot of things because of marketing and being aware of it is the first step to breaking that standard for yourself.

The ideal image out there is pretty much smooth, soft skin, no hair, thin but curvy in all the right places etc.
For the majority of the world it’s a completely unrealistic beauty standard to hold oneself to, but it’s great for capitalism and consumerism so don’t expect it to stop anytime soon…

unless we decide to change that ourselves! 

The interesting thing is I thought I was accepted or taken more seriously when I went along with these standards, focusing so much time, energy and money on my looks. 

But what I noticed when I stopped putting my money into the beauty industry was it really had more to do with the confidence I gained in those moments from years of thinking I needed it. 

When I realized that I am enough just as I am, when I started really respecting myself, I got to the point where I didn’t want to support these industries made to make us feel that we need to change our natural selves in order to be accepted. Where I started really questioning why I was doing things in my life and did I want to attract people who only approve of me if I look a certain way? 

No Thank you! 

My force field is for love and acceptance and nothing will break that. We all deserve to know were enough, just as we are, just because we are here, and to not only know it but truly feel it!

You are so deeply loved.

(continued to part 2) 

Why Open Air Creative?…The Power of the Oak Tree

It randomly yet beautifully started a few years ago. I had an idea pop up and wanted to change my Instagram name from my personal one to a business one. A simple change that would turn into something that grew within me and with the idea.

I wanted to capture the essence of who I was and also the idea that I have in mind. The original one that might not be able to fully happen for years to come, but I thought of that name and it stuck none the less. It’s one that I had a couple different reasons for choosing and now have more to that meaning.

The main one being the power of fresh air (open air) and the creative abilities in all of us.
How we truly do gain a different level of healing, creativity, love and connection when we get as much fresh air in our lungs, bodies and minds as possible. 

For over a decade I’ve been known by those around me as someone who spends as much of my time outside as possible. Between spring and fall I will set up little nature nook offices anywhere I can to be able to work, read, dance, explore, take photo’s, sing, play etc. Basically you name it, I’ll do it if we are outside. Even when it comes to going out for supper or on dates I’d much rather be outside and have picnics then be in a crowded restaurant with stale air or lack of sunlight.

I noticed that anytime I have work to do, a writing project, research, reading etc and I try and do it inside, I’m no where near as productive in getting it accomplished as if I was outdoors. When it comes to crafting, painting, drawing, any type of creating or self care I’m the same.
My brain functions better, my mind is clearer, I’m more focused. And if I do get distracted it’s because of something beautiful in nature that gives me a lovely meditative break. One where I am able to come back to the task at hand with more joy de vivre or even in a better direction than previously.  

The more I talked to others about this I noticed two things.
1) That they also felt the power of fresh air and being surrounded by the elements.
2) Others who admitted they didn’t spend that much time outside seemed to have more mental health struggles and dealt with depression, anxiety, higher levels of stress and not as strong of an inner connection. They mentioned that they enjoyed the indoors because it was comfortable for them but that they often spent a lot of time watching shows and being distracted in ways that wasn’t filling their soul but was actually sucking them down that depression even more.

I say that not with any type of shame for that lifestyle because I’ve lived it too and heck to be honest in the winter months I can still end up in routines that are similar. I used to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder pretty bad and have dealt with my fair share of mental health issues, mainly depression and anxiety. When I noticed a beneficial change in me was when I started spending most of my time outdoors.
Even if in the winter its just getting out for an hour or so a day, it does help.

Open Air Creative to me fits well for what I’m trying to accomplish, which is to get others to really enjoy the outdoors more and see the beautiful creative abilities that happen the more we are immersed in it. How truly powerful and healing fresh air and the elements can be.
To be in the Open Air and Create in that space, whatever comes to your mind with no restrictions, no limitations, simply however you and mother nature wants you to do and be. 

After I chose this and decided to start promoting my photography more I noticed the abbreviation was OAC which I would use as OAC Photography.
I know some will read it as O.A.C but I look at it I see Oak but with a C. Because there are no rules in my books and the creative venture allows for whatever you want to be to be. And for me I wanted to use the C as the K in oak.
However you pronounce my photography business it doesn’t bother me either way, whatever you’re called to saying it as will work for me and I’ll love you just the same.

But diving further in there is a power to the Oak tree and so much growth that happens when we connect to not only them but to nature all around.
The more I looked into the Oak tree the more I knew this was the abbreviation I wanted to use for my photography. I wanted to explain that a bit more so you can see the power in the oak tree is also the power within you too.

If you research it a lot will pop up, like the beauty of the height it can grow to, the length the branches can spread out, the leaves, the over 800 different types of oaks, they can surpass well above 300 years (not uncommon for them to make it past 1000). They provide healing benefits, an ability to protect us from storms, provide shelter and shade, they are linked to powerful God’s in greek mythology such as Zeus and Jupiter, we feel loved and comforted when we huger kiss them, we can benefit from simply being around their majestic power and energy and so much more.

But the thing that stood out for me was how it can take around 30 years for an oak tree to produce its first acorn. How even then due to many factors the production rate can still be pretty inconsistent and they don’t hit their peak til 50 years of age, going into their 80’s. 
After hearing that I just knew there was a beauty to me choosing this name. 


I know so many people, myself included, who have been hard on themselves for years because they feel they are not where they “should” be… Whatever that means (I personally think that word needs to be eradicated from our vocabulary and we should stop should’ing all over ourselves).

That if we could only view ourselves as the beautiful and mighty oak trees we would see that we are exactly where we need to be at the exact perfect timing. No need to rush, push or over exert ourselves to try and get our production rate to be higher sooner, for that won’t work. It only stresses our bodies more and slows down where we are meant to go, where the bigger plan is for us and to not try and manipulate our lives to get there sooner. 

The Oak grows slowly and at its own pace, which is something we can all learn from. To appreciate the pace we are going and not get caught up in comparing ourselves or our journeys to others, because we are exactly where we need to be. The oak is also associated with honour, wisdom, strength, resistance and knowledge, something we gain as we just live in the beauty of the moment and appreciating the path we have been given.  

So when working with others on opening up a new level of healing, creativity, power, connection and strength, I want you to view yourself as an oak tree. To trust that where you are is exactly where you need to be. That connecting to the greatness outside is not to try and rush that process but it is actually to simply bring ourselves back to our natural way of life. Connecting to not only nature but our souls in a deeper way, bringing that natural happiness to surface without the pressures we can easily face in our society.

This name fits perfectly for what I’m trying to achieve when working with clients, the beauty in what I mentioned above and also how trees provide us with clean air to breath and an amplified energy to be able to create in a move loving heart centred space.

“The oak is a living legend, representing all that is true, wholesome, stable, and noble.” 

How could that not be the most perfect abbreviation for Open Air Creative, aka OAC.

Stay tuned as I post more about the ideas to come that I would love to have you embark on with me and Open Air Creative.
You are all so deeply loved, as high at the oak tree and even further above. 
You are as powerful as the roots that ground her so strong.
You are as knowledgeable as the wisdom growing from her core.
You are all you need to be, just as you are, just as the mighty oak tree.