PERSONAL

Ever wanted to understand the mind and body through natural forms? Bridget Hollitt explores the pure beauty of the female body as she creates unique shapes, emphasising the saying, your body is your home.

We sit down with Bridget to explore her thoughts on the ever growing social media enhanced community and the threats that can damage connection, self value and love that stem from this mode of visionary.

Our relationship with Bridget, that has blossomed over the past few years has seen her voice concerns and speak up in a world that is scared to be different. We ask her some questions, with the believe that they can help shift a movement, enlighten upcoming generations and build awareness on topics most important to not only Palm and Bridget herself, but the community in which one is placed.

These are her answers …

What does the term identity mean to you?
Ooooooft. That is a BIG question, one I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. And my answer is - identity is the way our inner life interacts with our outer life - it is the boundary between our inner and outer world, and all the chemical reactions that happen on that boundary. Maybe? Gosh, I don’t know!

Is it a label? Something that someone perceives you as, or the way that you view yourself?
I think identity is how we show up in the world. And that means knowing what is going on inside of us, and knowing that that is not necessarily reflective of the collective reality. There’s a privacy in the inner world of identity that is sacred, but also must continually be challenged. There are parts of us that no one will ever know, parts of us that we might never know. And the best place for us to identify ourselves is on the boundary line of the two.

If you could put it into words. What is your identity?
My identity is my purpose and how I go about pursuing that. I identify very strongly with what it is I am “supposed” to do, which is also just what I want to do. My identity is that, plus all its byproducts and ingredients. Fluidity is really important. Especially when you’re young. I don’t want to be able to define my identity too distinctly, even though at 23 I am beginning to see a shape emerge. I think it’s really important that young people let themselves ebb and flow out of different containers and shapes - there’s no shame around that. There shouldn’t be. Consistency can be such a cage. So long as you’re doing it with an awareness - I think it can get very disorienting if you are “finding your true self” over and over without the recognition that it may not be the final landing place.

So you’re an aspiring actress/ musician, when was it revealed to you that this is what you want to do?
I’ve always loved to sing, and acting was actually a way for me to make sure I got into the school musical, but the methodical, analytical nature of acting - and how that translates into a physical experience realllllly spoke to me, and taught me pretty much everything about life. They really feed into each other. I fought the feeling inside of me that those activities were how I wanted to spend my time and make my money but those feelings simply don’t go away (sigh). I went to acting school in 2017 and have just started writing music which is exciting!

Who do you look towards for any source of inspiration within these positions?
MUSIC: boss humans like Kehlani, Mahalia, Summer Walker - RnB singers who aren’t afraid to show their art and show the process of their art and their growing up. People who aren’t afraid to be fluid and explore areas of themselves within their work, but most of all who claim their power.
ACTING: Elizabeth Moss is my biggest idol right now for the craft - but people like Haley Lu Richardson and Hailee Seinfeld who are so full of energy and life are really important to me too.

Must follow Instagram account?
@hara_thelabel
@brainpicker
@ameliazadro

Would you say that your acting / music is a part of your identity?
I would say that acting and music gave me my identity. I wouldn’t know who I was without the studies of music and film/theatre. I wouldn’t have done the work to excavate my identity, which was really doing its best to hide from me. I see the world in terms of rhythm and music and energy, and this is perpetuated by my studies of music and acting.

What plans do you have for 2020?
I am hoping to do a few science units online, a film production class, learn Taekwondo. Lots of learning!!!

What goals do you have and how are you going to achieve them?
I’d like to make money from writing… I want to learn how to do a proper handstand in yoga. Get my green card! I’m gonna do it by slowly chipping away, and not getting too stressed.

Is there going to be a song release shortly?
Maaaaaaybeeee…. Stay tuned :)

You have started a blog for the brand nononsense, what was the meaning behind this?
The girls who started nononsense have a vision for a fashion label that sells clothes based on building a community, rather than an “aspirational” idea of beauty. I think this is the future of fashion advertising and is a really exciting, effective way to sell clothes and make waves.

Do you believe societies habits/ views are the primary cause of many peoples ‘nonsense’?
To me, there will always be nonsense. Loving ourselves and seeing ourselves clearly is impossible from the inside. There will always be comparison. But I do think that comparison is culturally overemphasised. Rather than saying things like “Oh, you work harder than most” to reassure each other…what if we said “you work hard. You’re a good person”. If we talked about things outside of the paradigm of comparison, I wonder what would happen. I’m not sure but I’d love to find out.

It stems around the core idea of weight/food struggles. Almost 1 in 12 people live through this, why do you think that is?
I think our weight is the biggest and easiest way for us to manifest our control. We eat 3x a day and that’s 3x a day we can exert our control over ourselves and the world around us. Control is a big human illusion, and I think there are a lot of myths about how we can and can’t control our reality that lead to a lot of compulsive behaviours.

What is your most favourite thing about yourself?
Shit. Um. My burning curiosity and desire to understand everyone and everything.

What is an insecurity you need to let go of?
The idea that people will judge me based on my appearance.

What insecurity is society taught not to talk about which needs to be more wide spread?
I think the insecurity of being insecure. We try and hide our insecurities from each other and ourselves but the easiest and cleanest ways to get over them is to face them and claim them! Everyone is insecure, some of us more than others…and I think knowing when you are in that some and when you’re in that others is incredibly healing and helpful for moving forward in life.

How do you believe we can change the future of not only females but society as a whole by eliminating the stereotypes of ‘the ideal woman’?
I think we will just get a hell of a lot more done. I think when we stop putting energy into the perception of ourselves based on our gender and sex, we can focus more closely on the things that matter: like saving the planet, and finding love. I think the ‘ideal woman’ stereotype leaves men women and everyone living in an imaginary world that doesn’t align with the truth of reality and is utterly boring. I can’t wait for a world where our minds are open enough not to categorise people based on their gender, and where there is less pressure for everyone to fit into the “place” we have imagined for men and women.

You often talk about finding harmony in life through experience/connection opposed to materialistic value, how important is this?
To me: extremely. But I also respect that for many, money, things, and luxury represent something important. I am a very privileged individual so money doesn’t have the emotional weight that it would for anyone whose ever experienced disadvantage. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting money.
I believe that human connection is the true currency of all people. I think putting weight on anything outside of that is illogical and ineffective for happiness, because I think we are biologically programmed to prefer connection over anything else. But I also think maybe some people aren’t like that? I can’t say for sure. Maybe for some people, their currency is facts and figures, or success, or aesthetic beauty. I don’t know. I think we also find connection through different avenues. My main warning for myself is to not put emphasis on things that are avenues to connection rather than the connection itself. Loving the end not the means.

**Lastly, What is a moto/ saying that you live by?**

Acknowledge the dark - focus on the light.

Move forward in truth.

“ This is so important to me. The idea of compartmentalising this way for any gender, for men and women, is so damaging. I see a lot of unnecessary suffering based on ideas we absorbed from our experiences about what we should be, and it hurting all of us collectively: men, women and everyone. When a woman believes that she is supposed to look or act a certain way, it can get in the way of her relationships with others, with herself and her work or career. The same for a man. I think it’s a really difficult time for everyone because the rules are being thrown out the window. Some of us want to cling to them, some of us want to release them but don’t really know what to replace them with. I think once the stereotypes are truly out the door, we can all calm down and just find a place based on our interests, how our minds work, our ambitions…not how much we do or don’t adhere to the mould we’ve been set. Letting these boundaries be bled through allows us all to just be, and not take it out on each other when we aren’t what we are told we should be. I think men suffer just as much from not having access to certain resources as much as women do. And I think men suffer as much from our frustration at these prescriptions as much as we do. Until we’re willing to throw everything we learned out the door and figure out who we are outside of gender, we won’t get anywhere.

But to answer your question, I think that once we’ve dissolved the idea of the ‘ideal woman’, advertising will get really interesting. When we’re advertising based on ideas, values, lifestyles that excite us all, rather than idols that are that perfect balance between sweet and sour - sweet and demure in public and a sexual deviant in private. Or the picture of youth, or an unwrinkled, unwrinkled unblemished human. Advertising that is based on ideas, moments we can all connect on is so exciting to me and it’s popping up everywhere.

I think that there will be a balance in the corporate world that we will all benefit from. I think women have skills that can make a workplace a little more exciting. “