BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF IS ONE OF THE MOSTVALUABLE GIFTS

The article on page 30 by Grace Woodward is one of the most important and inspiring pieces I’ve come across in a long time. As a stylist to the stars and a fashion director on X Factor, she was, as she puts it, ‘in the most glamorous industry on earth’ with a high-flying life that many could only dream of. She was jetsetting around the world, attending star-studded parties with beautiful people and handing out snippy judgments in her role on Britain’s Next Top Model. Yet it’s only now that she has begun to reveal that all was not as it seemed. Behind the scenes she felt unaccepted, lied about cosmetic procedures, and went to great lengths to stay thin and beautiful. When her mother died just eight weeks after Grace had her first child, things really fell apart for her, personally and professionally. She was forced to reassess her life and ultimately decided to walk away from the fashion industry. One of the things Grace’s story tells us is that behind many jealousy-inducing Facebook posts is a tired mother praying for a rest. Or when the Instagram stories stop rolling, often all that’s left is a woman desperately totting up the ‘likes’ so she can feel accepted. Online lives are not to be aspired to – they rarely tell the full story anyway. The other message to take from this confession is that being true to yourself is one of the most valuable gifts anyone can give. If you can’t look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and be proud of the person you are, then you need to change your priorities.

On page 26, I introduce you to Star, the computer-generated face of a new app that’s helping deaf children learn how to read. I travelled to Lapland in December for the unveiling and met Bronwyn Fleming and her son Jake, who are absolutely inspirational. While there are many issues with technology that need monitoring, the difference it has made to the lives of those who can’t hear is immeasurable and the StorySign app is the latest example of that. Hopefully more companies will now get on board to help them build a library that these children and their families will enjoy exploring.

Enjoy the issue!