To makeup or not to makeup, that is not the question

As I build a portrait business where makeup plays an important role, I almost feel the need to apologize to my former self.

For decades I wore no makeup and rarely trimmed my hair. I grew up in Berkeley in the sixties and seventies, and continued my au natural lifestyle at UC Santa Barbara where I adored being in the mountains or on the beach whenever possible.

I got my first salon haircut  while working in San Francisco’s financial district in my twenties.  But then grew it long again, when I went back to school to study photography.

My mom thought for sure I was going to shave my hair off, when I decided to live with Thich Nhat Hanh and the monks and nuns of Plum Village.

This is how I looked in 1993. This was the last day of a four month winter retreat, where I learned and practiced the teachings of mindfulness. My beloved spiritual teacher had showed me the path to happiness, and I felt radiant.

One day as I was in the zendo (meditation hall) by myself copying down a sutra, Thay (how his students address him, it means ‘master’ or ‘teacher’) asked me if I’d like to help organize and accompany him on a trip to China. He had been exiled from Vietnam in 1973 and hadn’t returned to Asia since then. In 1995 we took that trip to China where he was welcomed with wide open arms. In the photo below, we contemplate his wise words as the translators take notes for the Chinese listeners.

This trip was the culmination, I’d say, of my inward journey, seeking and embracing what was beautiful inside me.

Here is Sister Chan Khong, who is the right arm to much of Thich Nhat Hanh’s social work throughout the world. We were enjoying a quiet moment together by a lotus pond in China, when I took this portrait of her. She is generous, strong, and hardworking, with an internal beauty that shines brightly through her kind eyes and sweet smile.

So how is it that I am posting pictures of my monk and nun role models, alongside a photo of me glammed up with professional hair and makeup? Are these parts of me in contradiction with each other?

I think not.

Beauty is found on the surface as well as deep within. Working on improving one, does not reduce the importance of the other. I wish I had discovered earlier how fun it is to make the effort to look your best!