Written by: London Forbes, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
What is the definition of beauty? What does it mean to be beautiful? As a professional image consultant and strategist, I think about beauty every day — and how we can use it to establish a captivating and compelling personal brand. I have also had a few questions from all of you about whether or not it plays a crucial role in cultivating that brand. What is beauty, and how does it fit into the image you project to the world? Let’s explore that now.
What is beauty?
To start with, it’s important to define what we mean by ‘beauty.’ According to the Oxford English Dictionary, beauty is defined as: ‘Anything that pleases the senses or the mind’. This means that beauty is not just about appearance and aesthetics — it can mean different things to different people. That is because our thoughts and feelings about beauty are unique to each of us. For example, some people might define beauty as ‘perfect’ facial symmetry. Others might associate beauty with how well we look after ourselves — for instance, how much effort we put into living a healthy lifestyle, taking care of our skin, or maintaining our manicures.
Yet beauty is also about how you carry yourself. The confidence you exude, how you talk, and how you treat yourself and those around you. It could also be perceived in your generosity, kindness or other appealing aspects of your personality. All of these attributes make a difference in how you are seen by others. For as the saying goes, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ In a world of billions of people, many will have very different ideas about beauty. For instance, if I were to carry out a survey asking people how they define beauty, I’d surely get many different answers. You could put this to the test yourself and ask five friends what they consider to be beautiful — I’m confident that they will give you a wide variety of replies. That is because some might look beyond physical appearance and see the inner beauty underneath. In fact, just think about this for a moment — if beauty is subjective, you get to define it however you please. You get to look in the mirror and choose to see yourself as beautiful.
So the next time you are reflecting upon beauty, or the next time a person describes something as ‘beautiful’, understand that it is a personal perception. Each of us has a unique perspective on what it means. And it is crucial to understand that it transcends skin colour, size and physical appearance. It's not limited to the glamorous people we see on television or social media. As I stated earlier, beauty is a subjective experience. In a nutshell, it is what we make of it.
Beauty in personal branding
But what about creating a personal brand — and how does this fit into the notion of beauty? Firstly, I see personal branding as the process of cultivating a distinctive identity. For this reason, you need to create your own stylish look that is yours alone, as well as a clear message about who you are and a strong presence — both online and offline. These aspects of a branded identity can help you to gain a positive reputation, trust from your peers and respect from influential people. But first, you must consider how you would go about generating that distinct image, establishing your presence, and consolidating your message. Which part of your story, personality, and unique attributes could you draw upon to create your brand? These elements are all part of your distinct, unique identity.
Next, you have to work out what is uniquely beautiful about you and make that a part of your brand too. And remember, beauty goes deeper than the physical — it can be expressed through confidence, outlook and positive qualities. So when thinking about these personal, subjective aspects of your own beauty, you can use them as the starting point in creating a brand that represents your most authentic self. And crucially, the image that you choose to project needs to be aligned with who you are internally, in order for it to beam out externally. In other words, it must be genuine — your best and most beautiful self-expressed. This is what I mean by ‘branding’ — not as a persona but as a projection of the real and radiant you.
Conclusion
Which brings us back to the question — does beauty matter? As an image strategist, I believe that it does. And that is because this intangible, alluring quality ‘that pleases the senses or the mind’ is exactly what you make of it. With that being so, you can choose to see it in the world, other people and yourself. And you can choose to project it outwards, in a way that inspires and captivates others. In the words of Artist Theaster Gates, ‘beauty should be the starting point of everything.’ For this reason, no personal brand is complete without embracing beauty — however you choose to define it.
Need help channelling your inner beauty and developing an empowering personal brand? Hire a professional image consultant or get in touch for a chat.
London Forbes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
London Forbes is a fearless founder whose own journey of self-discovery illuminated the path to her success and her mission of helping others realise their own value and cultivate a strong personal brand and image. It is both an art and a science to cultivate and curate a successful image, and BYICON was born from this — a vision for authenticity, self-love, acceptance, and harnessing your most valuable asset, yourself, to cultivate a strong ROI.
