Hello my blogger fam! I hope everyone has started 2016 with a bang! We are going to do something a little different on the blog today with the start of a new series I have called “I’m Inspired By”.
One of the most rewarding parts of starting my blogger journey is hearing from so many women on how much I inspire them. I realized over the holidays that there are so many women who have inspired me through my journey to self acceptance and body love. And it was that journey that inspired me to start my blog.
So I thought it would be fun for you to learn about some of the women that have inspired me. Every once in a while I will feature one of them on the blog to share how and why they inspired me and to celebrate them. Because without their support and encouragement, I wouldn’t be where and who I am today. And this series will be all about diversity, these women are not necessarily going to be plus size but they understand the struggles I have faced and have always accepted me for who I am.
I met Jacky when she was much younger and working at her parent’s nail salon. Those who know me know how much I love my nails and nail art and so with all the time I spend at the salon, I had the opportunity to get to know the family and Jacky.
When I first met Jacky I remember being intimidated by her. She was young and beautiful and had a smile that lit up the room. And she had this confidence and aura about her that was undeniable. And her sense of style, while let’s just say it is superb! My natural assumption was that she had it all and man I wish I was that lucky.
But as I spent more time in the nail chair getting to know her I realized that we all have our own struggles with negativity and self doubt. See Jacky had chosen to take a leap of faith and pursue her passion for acting full time. Show business is a cut throat business and you constantly get nit picked about everything. It is hard to take that kind of criticism and rejection on a regular basis and it is definitely hard to persevere. Over the years I have seen Jacky take this criticism and rejection with grace and continue to strive to learn from it and push herself to be better.
In the past few years, Jacky has moved away to Vancouver to pursue her craft and was brave enough to leave her close knit family and friends behind. I admire the strength that she has had at a young age to pursue what she loves. There are definitely easier roads she could take or she could give up all together. But that’s just not in her nature.
What I appreciate the most is the support and honesty Jacky has always shown me. She has never made me feel any less about myself because I am fat and she has always told me I am beautiful and to love myself for who I am. I remember her telling me that we all have flaws and that those flaws are what make us beautiful. And she always reminds me that we are all individuals, no two are alike and that those differences are to be cherished and celebrated.
When Jacky talks about her acting and having to put herself out there she says:
“No two people can have the same performance, regardless of how similar their background, physicalities, etc. It’s almost impossible, unless you mimic one another!” This takes a lot of self love, exploration, open-mindedness, and bravery, to be able to say to the world, “this is me.”
I wrote this post to give back to someone who has been there for me and to celebrate a friendship that has helped me more than she probably realizes. Here is some background on Jacky:
Jacky Lai has worked in film and television since 2011 and has appeared in countless advertising campaigns across the U.S. and Canada for brands such as Acura, Tylenol, Subway Restaurants, Dentyne Ice, and Axe Deodorant, just to name a few. She has travelled all over the world, from Los Angeles to Ireland working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones), Grant Gustin (The Flash), and Travis Fimmel (Vikings).
Jacky and I had the chance to catch up over the holidays and that included talking about all things fashion and style related and I asked her about how her personal style has evolved and she had this to say:
“Travelling has enabled me to explore the unique style of each culture, why certain things or colors appeal to certain areas of the world. This has helped me to understand what I am drawn to, what suits me, and has shaped my own individual style. It is easy to fall into one category but no human being has one personality, or expresses only one emotion, so why subject your style to that. Be brave with your choices, your style will inspire others, and those who don’t quite “get it” can remain in their bubble and bite the dust of your awesomeness!”
I think this is great advice, no matter what size or age you are, we are all awesome!
I hope that you enjoy my attempt at something new on the blog and hearing some more of my personal stories as a way to get to know me better.
I leave you with a final quote from my girl Jacky – “What makes you special, is you.” Love you girl and can’t wait to see what great things are in store for you.
If you would like to learn more about Jacky please check out her website hijackylai.
