I know. Everyone has their own kind of beauty. And I do, mostly, believe that.
Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, they say. And sometimes even people who are traditionally beautiful aren’t all that appealing.
And sometimes, in a wonderful expression of artistry, one of my favorite manifestations appears…
Ugly-sexy.
So what is ugly-sexy, you might be asking?
It’s the poetic proof that traditional beauty isn’t always what makes someone appealing, or even sexy. There’s something else. A different quality that comes from within. Attitude? Charm? Confidence? Charisma? Soul? Whatever it is, it’s far more appealing than physical beauty alone.
Oh, I can smell the smoke from the gears turning in your mind. You’re wondering, what the hell is she talking about?
To that, I can say only one thing…
Sean Penn.
No one would argue that he’s traditionally good-looking. But, oh my word, that man is %*^+.
I mean, that’s one beautiful man.
So what exactly makes him so sexy?
It’s undefinable, the way a great piece of art is undefinable. You just feel it. You know it. You’re deeply moved by it.
Many people call it the “it” factor. Nobody really knows what “it” is, but you know when it’s there… and when it’s not.
As an artist, I’m obsessed with this idea. It’s something I’ve discussed and debated with fellow artists for years. You just know when something’s special, and it doesn’t have to be traditionally beautiful.
Frida Kahlo’s work? Not traditionally beautiful. But it has “it.” It’s remarkably special and deeply appealing. There’s just something about it. The same something I see in Sean Penn.
Some people have “it” and some don’t. But that doesn’t mean the people without “it” are doomed to a lifetime of unappealingness. Because I don’t think “it” comes from a smaller nose or a sharper jawline. I think it comes from knowing exactly who you are, quirks, crooked teeth, and all, and walking into the room like you wouldn’t trade any of it.
That’s what makes someone truly beautiful.
So if I had to choose, I’d take “it” over beauty every time.
And if you’ve ever felt like you’re not good-looking enough, not attractive enough, maybe it’s not about what you look like on the outside.
Maybe you just need to let all that beauty on the inside come confidently out.
If Sean Penn and Frida Kahlo can do it, maybe we all have a chance to be… ugly-sexy too.
