Beyond the Binary

Celeste Divinity

What role does your hair play in your perception of self and beauty ?

My hair is a pretty decent facet in my relationship to beauty. For Black women, our hair has some of the most political history. For me, growing up openly queer (and eventually transitioning), my hair was often at odds with my perception of beauty. For a long time, my expression was dictated by my father who was in the military. That led to me having a very utilitarian style for a lot of my life. When I was 13 I began cutting my own hair and styling it. That gave me a lot of freedom to explore my expression. For a very long time i was styling my hair to meld in with a white paradigm that my hair was never meant to fit. I began embracing my curls and Afro once I left high school and then began my journey of growing my hair in earnest after a big chop in 2020. I have really grown to love my curls and Afro. Treating it with the reverence and care it deserves helped me do the same for myself.

What's something you wish you knew when you were younger that you now know when it comes to beauty?

I wish my younger self knew that beauty is not defined by the cultural zeitgeist. That my beauty is found in me. There is a special resonance to be found in loving yourself to healing and showing that love and beauty to your present body. We don’t need to morph ourselves into what we think others want from us to be loved. Our present self is worthy of love. There is beauty in the whole of you, as you are. 

Celeste Divinity for Soft Rows