FBW: Interview With Mara from Medicinal Marzipan

FBW stands for Featured Blogger of the Week. Each week we will feature one of our calendar ladies or gentleman. Mondays will be a post written by the FBW and Wednesdays will be an interview of the FBW. If you want to know how you can be a part of the Blogger Body Calendar project, please click here.

1) Why did you decide to join the Blogger Body Calendar project?

When I was asked to be a part of this project, I was really honored, and knew immediately that it was a project that I needed to take part in, both for myself and as an example for others. I am not a skinny girl. I’m don’t have the type of body that people are accustomed to coming across displayed so blatantly, embracing it for all that it is worth without fear, embarrassment or shame. As the reality of the project set it and the scope that it was likely to reach, I started to get a little more nervous, knowing that the time was coming soon where I was going to have to strip down and get in front of a camera. Then suddenly, the project shifted in magnitude for me, becoming much more about my relationship with my body and my reservations about showing it off to the world.

But you know what? I honestly believe that’s when the best work happens – when you are effing terrified and you do things anyway, because you know that it will make you a stronger person. I am really grateful for the opportunity to get real with myself, get in front of a camera, and embrace my flaws in a very major, public, way. As a body image blogger, I do a lot of talking – about loving your body regardless of your size or place on the weight/fitness spectrum, participating in this calendar afforded me an important opportunity to walk the walk.

2) What do you believe is the single biggest factor causing poor body image?

This is a tough question to answer, because it can be very different for everyone. I’ve found that most often, poor body image dates back to a moment or more likely, a string of moments, where your worth was questioned and where you were judged solely on your body. This can be something as simple as your father telling you that you don’t look good in green, or that you look like a boy when your hair is braided like that. It can be something huge like being sexually assaulted or repeatedly tortured and made fun of because of your weight. I believe that poor body image is compacted by the shame that we allow to fester around these events, keeping them secret, and holding them close. Every second we allow these memories and past hurts to inform our image of ourselves we are giving them more power, until eventually, if left unattended, they can take over our entire lives.

I combat my own personal experiences of poor body image by no longer allowing these secrets to exist in my life. Now, I talk about everything, to the point of over-sharing if necessary, just to keep them from ruling my entire life. I want to dictate how I feel about my body, on my own terms and in my own voice. I strive to rewrite all of the negative scripts I harbored for the majority of my life, and teach myself how to love my body no matter what anyone else says or does.

3) What would other people say about your blog? (oh no. i’ve already gotten bored of your opinion. well, you can answer a different question if you want.)

I want people to say that I inspire them to love themselves better everyday. I want to be the person that they can remind themselves of when they are in a low place and feeling as though they are all alone. I want them to know that they are beautiful and worthy and amazing, exactly as they are, and that there are many magical and beautiful things in store for them when they choose to put down their shame and hurt, and learn how to love themselves.

4) Describe your calendar photo in 140 characters or less.

Carefree, beautiful, imperfect, sexy, and real.

5) Do you consider yourself successful at blogging? Why or why not?

Ha! I suppose if you define success as having built a community of amazing readers that inspire and surprise me everyday with their persistence, patience, and kindness, then YES. But if you define it as having a million hits a day, umm no. I wouldn’t trade Medicinal Marzipan for anything in the world. It is one of the few things that I’ve done in my life that I can look at and say: I have given it absolutely everything I’ve got. I’ve shown up week after week, even when I’ve been too tired/busy/sad/annoyed. It has made me a better person.

6) There are a lot of trends in the blogosphere right now, do you think that ninjas, unicorns, and zombies will soon be replaced by tai chi, Big Foot, and people who crave chicken (instead of brains)?

Well. I kind of love vampires, I won’t lie. I don’t particularly care for zombies or tai chi. I’ve grown to love oatmeal, even when eaten out of a jar. I don’t own a Garmin, but I’m a fan of Couch to 5k. I once was a social media networking pariah, but now it seems some people want to be my friend. These things I know for certain. Basically, I love the internet. xo.

Questions? Comments? Love? Mara, our Ms. March, can be found over atMedicinal Marzipan, at medicinalmarzipan[at]gmail[dot]com, and on twitter.

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