Mood – Lizzo

Can we talk quickly about the entire mood that picture of me is? Young Patience (even just 10 or so years ago) never had the confidence stand in front of a camera in a dress like that giving body and attitude. I still have many moments where the insecurities try to overtake me. To be quite honest I am currently in one of those moments but working through it. I’m still on an ever evolving journey but oh how things have changed. Patience of today…well she doesn’t worry too much about what others might think about her body. It has been such an amazing experience to be a black plus size woman in the era of Lizzo. She is such a vibe and I thoroughly enjoy it.

Lizzo is my girl. I have been a fan of Lizzo since I was introduced to her some years ago. I was immediately drawn to her, which I think some of it has to do with the Taurus energy she gives off – Taurus gang lol. She was really the epitome of the girl I saw myself as in my head but was lowkey afraid to be fully – cute, fun, creative, talented, sexy, and sure of herself. I do enjoy her music but more than that I enjoy her as a person. On top of that, growing up I never saw an entertainer quite like her. Sure I saw black plus size women in the media but they almost were always older and not quite what I needed while I was dealing with major insecurities. I didn’t see someone quite like her that was out here my age being young, black, big, fashionable, and confident. There seems to be a very clear division when it comes to Lizzo though. People either stan for or can’t stand her. The ones that aren’t fond of her can’t seem to keep her name out of their mouths. After a particular comedian recently had quite a bit of commentary on Lizzo’s body are assumed health (which is nothing new) it sparked me to want to write a little about it.

It’s so wild that you can literally be merely existing, minding your business and you will offend people. From what I’ve seen, that is just what Lizzo does and it’s much the same for many openly confident plus size women. How dare we?! I am not saying that people have to agree with her style choices and how she chooses to show her body but no matter what it always comes back to the root of her being a bigger person. The fake concern of health always blows my mind because all of the internet doctors don’t truly know the health of someone by looking merely looking at them. Yea we all know the fact – the more weight/fat a person carries the higher the risk of certain health problems but that is only a portion of the picture.

I would love to get to a point where our society can just let people live and not give unsolicited advice. It is different if it’s someone you know personally, intimately and there is a respect and safety within that relationship. Or how about if they actually ask for advice or your opinion on the matter, then it can become a topic that you all can openly discuss. MAYBE then you can speak into their life and that is a big maybe because most of the time the way these conversations are approached are just out of line. Some things don’t need to be said because guess what? Many people who are big, skinny, or whatever said adjective is used to describe their physical appearance already know. See it’s easy to pick the one thing that someone may have struggled with the most in their life to try to beat them down with it when at the end of the day – that is really low hanging fruit for a person to use as ammunition.

Lizzo is talented, like really talented. She performs honey and I am still waiting to see her live in concert. Not only does she sing but she can do so live while doing full out choreographed routines and playing the flute. Do you know how much breath control and stamina that takes? I know that there are a lot of us that can’t do a 30 second tiktok dance without being winded and people have the nerve to focus on everything but this woman’s talent. Some of your favorites can’t even do it. She created a dance competition show called Watch Out For The Big Grrrls on Amazon Prime (which she just won an Emmy for – hello!) and it is so so good. If you are an undercover professional dancer wannabe, dealt/dealing with insecurities revolving your appearance that might be holding you back, or just want a good show to binge I highly suggest watching it. It’s for everyone and it really made me fall in love with Lizzo more. I think, and maybe this is an assumption, that some might take her as a joke because of how she makes light of things people say about her but she honestly takes her craft and career seriously and it shows. She genuinely wants to spread love and light to everyone. Might I add the woman is gorgeous! I just love the fact that she is unapologetically herself and she hardly ever attacks directly back at people that drag her.

I wanted to spread some Lizzo love over here because I think we all need to find our inner Lizzo in whatever form that is for you personally. Confidence does not come easy for most people especially when everything and everybody would rather you be ashamed instead but it is a choice you can make – one that I think Lizzo makes well. I requested her song Naked this week in my dance class. If you haven’t heard the song give it a listen below. It was one of my favorite episodes on the show when the girls heard the song for the first time. At first listen it sounds purely sexual but if you have ever been in a time in your life where it was hard to accept yourself or simply look in the mirror – you will understand that there’s more to getting naked than just taking off clothes and I don’t even mean physically – that’s what the song represents for me. It’s more of a mental stripping of the lies I’ve fed myself my entire life about my worthiness because of what I look like – and maybe you have too. I’ll let you sit with that.

What is your take on Lizzo? Do you listen to her music? What do you think of the criticism she receives? Let me know!

Beauty is a gift, but curses everyone that chase it. I wish we could live without the body expectations. I seen every part of me and, babe, I can’t erase it

-Lizzo