Hi, Barbie!
It has been nearly a week since I first saw the Barbie movie by Greta Gerwig and company. It was one of the best nights of my life. If you have been reading my blog for a while, then you know I am quite the sensitive type, so you know that I also allowed room for processing time in addition to the grandeur of the experience.
Speaking of movie talk on the PDTB, you may also recall that my singular criterion for a movie to earn its place on my shelf is its “rewatchability.” Only a film that I can watch again and again, and take away something new each time, is considered classic.
The pink glamour of Barbieland is still reverberating in my mind, and I know it will stick with me always.
If you know me, then you know Barbie. And vice-versa.
She and I go way back. She taught me the nuances of who I am; how to play, how to dress, and pretty much everything I could ever need to know about existing as a blonde bombshell in this modern world.
I am really surprised that this blog is not all about Barbie. (actually, it is!) I know exactly the way the world perceives us high achieving, intelligent, fun loving, well-dressed confident, beautiful women. If that is not Barbie, I am not sure what is.
To put it simply… my dresses are my greatest possessions. My shoes, my grandest friends. I love getting dressed up to do the most mundane tasks, and my life revolves around feeling pretty to sing pretty!
Duh!
This archetype has been challenged before, even in some of my favorites. But Ms. Gerwig brings to the table the whimsical charm necessary to understand who Barbie truly is.
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Everyday is the best day. Slumber parties, pure beach, greeting your friends during a dreamy morning routine. What could be better than blue skies and sunshine?
Barbie begins to unravel the veil of perfection when weird things start to happen, like her feet going flat. She is not sure who she is without perfection. She is faced with the notion that if she is not perfect, stereotypical-Barbie… she is nothing.
Sound familiar?
By the by, overcoming perfectionism is so much more than just valuing ourselves for how we interact with those close to us and who we believe ourselves to be!
She then has to go to the Real World in order to find out why things are going awry and see if she can fix it. If not for the fact of no longer fitting into place with all the other Barbies, it takes some true self awareness to seek out the greater knowledge to understanding our truest selves.
In the end, she finds out… maybe the only thing there was to “fix” was her attitude about the whole thing, and embrace all that makes her unique and… human!
OK, hear me out.
Barbie is perfect, polished, manicured. She is a doll that little sisters cut the hair off of, who gets forgotten in the darkest corner of a childhood bedroom, is adored by millions for her flair and enchantment.
AND she represents all of the things that make being who we truly are worth embracing, standing up for, and able to be understood.
Once we get to know Barbie, we grow one step closer to understanding our truest selves. What could be more powerful than that?
My perfectionism will never fully go away. In my singing, it is necessary. My stylist never fails to remind me when she puts me in a gown fit for the stage.
How else will my muscles take over once the adrenaline kicks in to float the high note? Fluttering the final cadenza, sustaining a full phrase, and the long hours of practice in between. It requires discipline, extreme precision, rigor, determination. With this, one must balance their own creative freedom and dynamics amongst colleagues.
How could I be a prima donna without the perfectionist?
But, it need not rule other things, like my personal relations or how I spend my downtime. We cannot be the best at everything we do. Or the smartest. Or the prettiest. Or the strongest. On and on it goes.
Barbie herself learns the truth, her truth, and understands what it means to be human.
You deserve to be challenged and forced outside of what is comfortable for you. It is the only way to truly grow.
It is definitely my preference to be as put together as I possibly can in a given day, but the balance to that is a relaxed Summer where we wear play clothes, work, play, beach!
The semester is starting very soon, and I will fall right back into place in the routine of conservatory life. I will not miss a beat, but I may miss the long days of sunshine not caring about whether I brushed my hair that day or how many times I dove into the pool.
And when I do, Barbie will be right by my side.
XOXO, Bentley