nakedjen

It takes a long time to grow young.

Every birthday is a privilege.  Mine is especially so because a little festival called Sundance happens to coincide with it each year and offers the perfect celebration of my journey on this planet for yet another trip around the beautiful burning sun. I never can remember how old I really am and I suppose that right there is a testament to a life lived well and out loud and in a furiously happy way. 

Here's to all of you who keep all of my candles burning so very brightly.  Your love is pure magic. Blessings to you.  Each and every single one. 

 

It's Been So Long

How do you get the naked girl to show up at your store grand opening? 

You give her free clothes!

Happy Naked Friday! 

 

Roll The Dice

Nickel slots spinning endlessly in despair. Ancient waitresses teetering on stilettos in torn fishnets hawking watered down cocktails in hoarse whispers. Frat boys sucking on cheap cigars and yelling hit me, baby, with a high five. Elvis. Always Elvis.

And a naked lady. Appearing tonight.

Vegas, Baby.

naked is naked and naked is me.

i took naked photos yesterday morning. because i keep getting emails from folks saying, "are we getting naked friday photos?!! it has been a really long time..."

and it has. been a really long time. i know this.

it isn't that i don't enjoy being naked. or celebrating it, in fact. because, i do! absolutely.

i'm just in a space, at this moment, where i'm feeling like putting naked pictures of myself on my blog isn't something i really should be doing.

and, yes, my photos are already splashed all over the place out there. i know this. i'm not going around deleting them all or trying to capture the ones that are already polluting the internet.

part of it, i guess, is that i'm in the process of rethinking exactly what it is that i'm doing with my life. perhaps i'm having my own mid-life crisis of some sort? god only knows. i just know i'm in my own HEAD a whole hell of a lot (and it isn't the best and most fun place to play) and i keep thinking about what's next?! i'm barreling towards 50. which feels like a place where a person might have some sort of fucking clue?!

but that's the cruel joke of this life, i think. some of us get the answers right from the start and then others of us spend our life taking off our clothes, changing costumes, putting on new ones and stripping bare again, because nothing ever quite feels like it fits us. at all.

i know i'm happiest NAKED. but i also know i spend a whole lot of time and energy explaining myself NAKED. and that is where my biggest issue is right now.

if i have to explain, if it takes all that energy to get everyone else to truly "get" it, is it really even worth it to me? what is the point?!? 

naked isn't just a person without clothes.  naked isn't nudity. naked isn't pornographic, even. naked is a life lived bare, without apology, very much out loud, fiercely and furiously and generously and in gratitude and sometimes, yes, it is really fucked up and full of flaws and mistakes, but because it is naked, you're going to see all of it.  there are no covers, there is no screen, there is no filter.

naked is naked and naked is me.  a picture of a naked me might not even say all of that.

and that is just a small dark glimpse into my head at the moment. there's lots more cavernous canyons of crap. but since they're mostly full of crap, it's not even worth attempting to vomit it out here.

Much Ado About Make-Up

I suppose that when all is said and done, we could just blame Emily Gilmore. But the truth of the matter is this: Make-up for all of us is truly a choice. Whether you wear it or you chose not to wear it, it will always be an expression of you.  Your beauty is more than your make-up. Your beauty is all you.

 

* This blog post is part of No Make-Up Week. Rachel Rabbit White is encouraging the entire world to explore their own personal relationship to make-up. I'm participating. I think all of you should, too. Because whether you wear make-up or not, it is still a choice and is truly a part of all our daily lives.

I Have No Secrets

I believe that about sums it up. Perfectly. Bravo for honesty and way to own her glitter.

I have words. Lots of words. Swirling and tumbling about in my head. I will be back shortly with coherent and complete sentences. Of words. Funny how that works. My trip to NYC and Blogher was everything and more that a little naked girl who was sometimes sporting a tutu could hope for it to be.  I lost my voice completely while I was there.  It was all those words.  I just can not stop using them. 

So, tell me, Internet. How are you? What's new? Everything all right? I really do want to know. As I said earlier this morning, I love you. Every one. I'm all in.

The love is in the giving and I've always got so much more to give

I mentioned that I am a very blessed and lucky and well-loved woman.  I also will share that I love fiercely, as well. Without any real rhyme or reason or in any true particular important order, a few of the magical heart awakenings that occurred during my little trip to the fair.

* There are many angels among us. You may bump into one or two or even seven of them while wandering the myriad of paths. Keep your head up.  You don't want to miss them.

* One of those angels is most certainly named Ichabod.

* It's okay to blush when security calls you Tinkerbell.

* Medicine comes best when it's wrapped in a hug served by a friend along with some really good food. 

* Boys like breasts. It's just how it goes.

* There is no way on this Earth to ever have too much glitter.  Ever.

* False eyelashes actually do melt if it is hot enough.  Eyelash glue is an allergen. Remember this.

* After twenty-four years it is still possible, oh yes it is, to have your mind completely blown at the fair.

* Even when you're absolutely sober.

* You really do like Pink Floyd. You just forgot that you really do like Pink Floyd.

* You've gotten really good at saying YES.

* Saying YES has, in turn, gotten very good at providing you with some beautiful opportunities.

* Gratitude is good.  So are hugs.  Long meaningful hugs filled with gratitude and love? The very best.

* Religious experiences can occur while you're naked and singing songs around a fire pit.

* There are magical messages to be gleaned in the glint of a child's wide-eyed wonder. Don't miss it.

* Your own palm tells quite an interesting story.

* Singing Shakedown Street with Bob Weir can, well, I'm a Deadhead people, let's just say there really are no words to truly describe what happened.

* Twenty-six hours together in one car can give you a myriad of reasons why you should never get married.

* To each other, that is.

* The more things change, the more that they absolutely stay just the same.

* A Tofu Tia is still one of the most satisfying meals on the entire planet.

* Your best friends will always continually surprise and delight you.  Don't forget to tell them you love them.  A lot. A whole lot.  Yes, even more than that.

* Sometimes the very best kombucha is wearing a beet.

* Bliss is wrapped in all kinds of packages.

* You might just be best suited to be a love slave to a clown.

* Don't forget to hug the trees.

* Your heart chakra radiates at 10000 volts.

* Love really does look fantastic on you.  

Now to go out, spread the joy and the love and give it all away.  It's all in the giving.  Dare to give freely and you'll be amazed at what beautiful and magical and special things can happen. 

love is a place

love is a place
& through this place of
love move
(with brightness of peace)
all places

yes is a world
& in this world of
yes live
(skilfully curled)
all worlds

i love all of you. every single one. with all my heart. and more. thank you, for always loving me. whatever the spirit of saint valentine's day means to you, i hope you'll celebrate it in the way that fills your heart to overflowing with love.

xox

I am Naked.

December 26 Insight or aha! moment. What was your epiphany of the year?

Being naked can be a very political statement.  If necessary.  That is all.

My Smile Keeps Me Warm

December 14 Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?

Let’s face it.  I get naked a lot.  It is part of who I am, it is what I do.  I do it for a large variety of reasons, some very personal, some political, some not so personal at all.  In celebration of my birthday this year, I got naked at the Sundance Film Festival.  It took an amazing team of really beautiful people to help me do it.  Standing there in the freezing cold with just my smile to keep me warm was, yes, the best rush ever. 

I absolutely can not wait to do it again.