Hello Ladies, Gentlemen, Boys and Girls.
Today I am going to be talking to you about self image. It’s rare for me to ever take time off from being sarcastic to talk about something seriously, but here we go.
My single is out on November 15th – “Perfect”. The song is fairly self explanatory and I don’t want to go into a big heartfelt speech where I end up getting emotional and spending the rest of the afternoon trying to calm down, but it’s an important issue to me that I don’t feel like I can skim over.
It doesn’t matter what you look like: it’s what’s inside you that matters.
People used to say this to me all the time when I was younger and I used to think it was a load of rubbish and scoff at it. The thing is, as I’ve gotten older I’ve realised it is true.
People LIKE me. Lord knows why! I’m sarcastic, lazy, confusing, I THINK I’m funny... but people like me. People enjoy my company and I enjoy theirs. I laugh a LOT. I’ve already got wrinkly smile lines on my face and I regularly find myself doubled up in pain through laughing so hard. My life is excellent, despite not being what the media says is good-looking.
When I was younger, suffice to say that I had a few low points and I did feel bad about the way I looked. I have yoyo-d from thin to fat for years. The difference is that now, if I decide to lose weight it’s because I want to. Not because I feel I should do to fit in.
In “Perfect” I say “If I say I’m okay as I am, I’m okay”. The point of the song is that thin, fat, blonde, red, brunette... It doesn’t matter what you look like. You shouldn’t judge people on appearance. If I were to judge everyone on appearance as the media perceives I would probably have never met some of the most amazing people in my life.
I wrote the song in a moment of self-doubt, bizarrely. I looked at my squeeze at the time and wondered why on earth he was with me.
“Wish that I could see the world through your eyes, see what you see in me. I know I’m not all that you deserve, according to the magazines”.
He was a catch and I felt like I wasn’t. I’d seen old friends and then heard their bitchy remarks about me. I sat there all ready to write a song about how I was not good enough, when I realised that actually, I was. I was entirely good enough, because it doesn’t matter about looks. I don’t care if people think I’m hideous.
If Kate Moss is happy in herself being slim, then good for her: If she’s miserable then more fool her. It’s okay to be fat and happy. It’s okay to be thin and happy. It shouldn’t affect the way that people look at me.
The music industry is so self indulgent already that I doubt it will ever change, but if I can make at least ONE of my followers or friends stop fretting about their weight or their nose or their hair then I feel like I have achieved something.
The young girls who are my fans on facebook and twitter terrify me with their low self-esteem and worrying status’s about not eating. STOP IT.
I quote whoever writes Christina Aguilera’s songs for her when I say “you are beautiful no matter what they say”.
Don’t let people bring you down. Be proud of who you are and what you have achieved, whatever that may be. Be happy in your skin, let people in and try to see the best in people. I try to see the best in everyone and it frustrates me that some small-minded people do not.
Anyway, Rant over.
Here are a few lovely bits of press we’ve had lately:
http://tunatheday.posterous.com/leigh-mary-stokes-interview
http://www.new-reviews.co.uk/?p=470
http://www.famemagazine.co.uk/2010/10/28/fame-recommends-leigh-mary-stokes/
We were also on Wave 105 last Sunday where we did a live version of ‘Perfect’ and also ‘Monsters’ along with some chit-chat.
I really am a Twitter addict. My favourite Tweeters are Lauren Laverne, Caitlin Moran, Graham Lineham and Classifeeds. @Classifeeds is my Twitter husband, he's also hilarious.
If you want to get involved with Twitter please visit www.twitter.com/leighmarystokes but you can also find my daily ramblings at
www.leighmarystokes.wordpress.com
I have a “Things that amuse me” section that I update regularly.
Here’s some stuff from there, please do pop over and enjoy.
These hoods are available from www.merrimaking.com and are amazing. Totally worth a second plug.
See you soon guys,
Leigh xxx
