I was recently contacted by LA based actress, singer and presenter
Nia Peeples who told me she loved
Beautiful You! Was I flattered much? Flattered alot. Thanks Nia. Nia's kind words prompted me to ask her why she had connected with
Beautiful You and if she would be interested in doing an interview with me. I was thrilled when she said she would. Read on to learn more about Nia and an exciting project she is currently involved in that you might just find some inspiration from.
Hi Nia. It's great to connect with you. Can you please tell Beautiful You readers about yourself and your career/life thus far. I have been an entertainer my entire life and have worked as an actor, singer, dancer, writer, director and producer. I have had some fabulous successes with things such as the NBC hit series “Fame” and the film “Blues Brothers 2000” and a number one dance hit “Trouble.” Through it all I have continued seeking my true path in life, never wanting to be defined or confined by what I do, but rather having what I do be an expression of who I am.
In 2005 I traveled to Indonesia where in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated South East Asia, I spent a month at sea on a schooner delivering emergency supplies and medical care to isolated villages on the west coast of Sumatra. This trip helped inspire my new website,
“Nia’s Elements of Life” which is an inspirational and fun women’s advocacy site. I am an avid surfer and I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.
On your website you say "For my entire adult life I have been subject to wigs, push up bras, crazy trainers, layers of makeup magic, harsh lighting, painful shoes, super diets and support hose. I have been treated by a dermatologist for acne I never had, and counseled by a cosmetic surgeon for saggy knees I could not find. My hair has been permed then straightened, colored then stripped, blown out only to be shoved under a wig." That sounds like an extraordinary amount of pressure and body image/self esteem sapping experiences. Why do you think this happens in 'Hollywood culture' and how have you managed to keep your confidence intact?Hollywood is all about illusion. It exists because it presents us with an opportunity for escapism - which is fine - until we start believing that it’s real. What I love about
Beautiful You is that it helps put these things in perspective. It encourages women to be real and to love themselves enough to see the truth about Hollywood and the fashion industry, which is so important.
I think I felt more pressure to look like that Hollywood ‘image’ before I was actually in the business. From the outside looking in, everything was perfect. Once I got inside, I was able to see how much all that beauty was an illusion. Everyone needed good make up, the right clothing and help with lighting. I was able to keep things in perspective because I saw firsthand how much work went in to making everyone look “naturally beautiful.” I also saw how naturally beautiful people were easily made to look ‘bad’ with all the wrong things applied. The most powerful tool in keeping my confidence in tact was knowing what I could control or affect and what I couldn’t. I had no control over the fact that I was 5 foot 2, but I could directly and immediately affect my talent by honing my craft.
You have just started offering free teleseminar classes via Elements of Life , that impart your philosophy on health, beauty and fitness. What do you hope to share with people through Elements of Life? I want to share the journey. Life is about evolution, transformation. I believe there is beauty in everything and in every one. The more we see it in others and in ourselves, the more it begins to emerge. And the more it begins to emerge and we begin to honor it, the closer to our authentic selves we become, allowing us to experience more joy and happiness. I think women are so hard on themselves. We move toward perfection as though it actually exists. We need to give ourselves a break and start embracing who we are naturally, with all our quirks, fears and strengths. Learning how to identify and celebrate the good, then identify and do away with any self limiting beliefs.
Elements of Life is about discovering and uncovering your beauty and strength from within, then gaining the courage to honor and grow that. We share some inspiring quotes together, some funny anecdotes and we have exercises that help with the process. I also share what I call little ‘tidbits’ - bits of information I have gathered along the way, tricks of the trade and little things I have learnt from being a mom for 20 years. It’s enlightening, inspiring and fun. Just the way life should be.
I know you don't promote diets of any kind which is of course fantastic - we know they don't work! You do however mention that feeding and treating your body well is very important to feeling beautiful and healthy. Can you tell me a little more about your work in this area?Health. Beauty. Fitness. I believe success in these areas depends on three things - what you’re born with, how you feed it and how you treat it. What you’re born with is all about embracing who you are and what you were naturally born with. If we begin by accepting our natural selves then we can realistically head toward strengthening and improving ourselves if that’s something we feel we want to do. The good news is there is so much information out there on nutrition, fitness and health that finding what works for each individual person is actually possible. No two people are the same and no longer are we all subject to the grapefruit diet of 1978. Thank goodness!
If we accept what we are born with, we can choose the best path for ourselves. If we feed our bodies, our minds and our spirits well, then we will be the strongest we can be.
Lastly Nia, as an insider to the tv and media world - I can't let a chance go by to ask you this question. What do you think the media world of tv and movies could do better to celebrate beauty in people of all shapes and sizes. What role can they play in helping people feel strong and positive about the way they look?Hollywood is such a funny thing. Creating movies that touch everyday people with very human stories and characters is one of the goals. But for some reason they find it necessary to cast those stories with unusual looking people who have unusual looking bodies. I say unusual because the industry standards are not every day standards. Thin is not necessarily healthy. Often that ‘perfect’ bikini body requires such an extreme diet that it’s not practical or healthy for anyone. In my life I have known MANY engaging, charming, witty, intelligent people who had much more USUAL looking bodies and faces. And it didn’t make me any less drawn to them. I’m saying lets not confine beauty, charm and wit to those unusual body shapes and faces of Hollywood. Beauty, charm and wit come in all shapes and sizes. Let’s start seeing more of that.
Thanks for sharing more about your life and work Nia. I wish you all the best with
Elements of Life and really admire you are helping people to discover their true and beautiful selves. If you are a fan of Nia's or looking for some guidance and inspiration I think joining
Elements of Life would be a wonderful thing to do. I truly believe communities of powerful women can change the world....
Elements of Life is sure to be a part of that.
Hi Nia. It's great to connect with you. Can you please tell Beautiful You readers about yourself and your career/life thus far. I have been an entertainer my entire life and have worked as an actor, singer, dancer, writer, director and producer. I have had some fabulous successes with things such as the NBC hit series “Fame” and the film “Blues Brothers 2000” and a number one dance hit “Trouble.” Through it all I have continued seeking my true path in life, never wanting to be defined or confined by what I do, but rather having what I do be an expression of who I am.
In 2005 I traveled to Indonesia where in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated South East Asia, I spent a month at sea on a schooner delivering emergency supplies and medical care to isolated villages on the west coast of Sumatra. This trip helped inspire my new website, “Nia’s Elements of Life” which is an inspirational and fun women’s advocacy site. I am an avid surfer and I live in Southern California with my husband and two children.
On your website you say "For my entire adult life I have been subject to wigs, push up bras, crazy trainers, layers of makeup magic, harsh lighting, painful shoes, super diets and support hose. I have been treated by a dermatologist for acne I never had, and counseled by a cosmetic surgeon for saggy knees I could not find. My hair has been permed then straightened, colored then stripped, blown out only to be shoved under a wig." That sounds like an extraordinary amount of pressure and body image/self esteem sapping experiences. Why do you think this happens in 'Hollywood culture' and how have you managed to keep your confidence intact?
Hollywood is all about illusion. It exists because it presents us with an opportunity for escapism - which is fine - until we start believing that it’s real. What I love about Beautiful You is that it helps put these things in perspective. It encourages women to be real and to love themselves enough to see the truth about Hollywood and the fashion industry, which is so important.
I think I felt more pressure to look like that Hollywood ‘image’ before I was actually in the business. From the outside looking in, everything was perfect. Once I got inside, I was able to see how much all that beauty was an illusion. Everyone needed good make up, the right clothing and help with lighting. I was able to keep things in perspective because I saw firsthand how much work went in to making everyone look “naturally beautiful.” I also saw how naturally beautiful people were easily made to look ‘bad’ with all the wrong things applied. The most powerful tool in keeping my confidence in tact was knowing what I could control or affect and what I couldn’t. I had no control over the fact that I was 5 foot 2, but I could directly and immediately affect my talent by honing my craft.
You have just started offering free teleseminar classes via Elements of Life , that impart your philosophy on health, beauty and fitness. What do you hope to share with people through Elements of Life?
I want to share the journey. Life is about evolution, transformation. I believe there is beauty in everything and in every one. The more we see it in others and in ourselves, the more it begins to emerge. And the more it begins to emerge and we begin to honor it, the closer to our authentic selves we become, allowing us to experience more joy and happiness. I think women are so hard on themselves. We move toward perfection as though it actually exists. We need to give ourselves a break and start embracing who we are naturally, with all our quirks, fears and strengths. Learning how to identify and celebrate the good, then identify and do away with any self limiting beliefs.
Elements of Life is about discovering and uncovering your beauty and strength from within, then gaining the courage to honor and grow that. We share some inspiring quotes together, some funny anecdotes and we have exercises that help with the process. I also share what I call little ‘tidbits’ - bits of information I have gathered along the way, tricks of the trade and little things I have learnt from being a mom for 20 years. It’s enlightening, inspiring and fun. Just the way life should be.
I know you don't promote diets of any kind which is of course fantastic - we know they don't work! You do however mention that feeding and treating your body well is very important to feeling beautiful and healthy. Can you tell me a little more about your work in this area?
Health. Beauty. Fitness. I believe success in these areas depends on three things - what you’re born with, how you feed it and how you treat it. What you’re born with is all about embracing who you are and what you were naturally born with. If we begin by accepting our natural selves then we can realistically head toward strengthening and improving ourselves if that’s something we feel we want to do. The good news is there is so much information out there on nutrition, fitness and health that finding what works for each individual person is actually possible. No two people are the same and no longer are we all subject to the grapefruit diet of 1978. Thank goodness!
If we accept what we are born with, we can choose the best path for ourselves. If we feed our bodies, our minds and our spirits well, then we will be the strongest we can be.
Lastly Nia, as an insider to the tv and media world - I can't let a chance go by to ask you this question. What do you think the media world of tv and movies could do better to celebrate beauty in people of all shapes and sizes. What role can they play in helping people feel strong and positive about the way they look?
Hollywood is such a funny thing. Creating movies that touch everyday people with very human stories and characters is one of the goals. But for some reason they find it necessary to cast those stories with unusual looking people who have unusual looking bodies. I say unusual because the industry standards are not every day standards. Thin is not necessarily healthy. Often that ‘perfect’ bikini body requires such an extreme diet that it’s not practical or healthy for anyone. In my life I have known MANY engaging, charming, witty, intelligent people who had much more USUAL looking bodies and faces. And it didn’t make me any less drawn to them. I’m saying lets not confine beauty, charm and wit to those unusual body shapes and faces of Hollywood. Beauty, charm and wit come in all shapes and sizes. Let’s start seeing more of that.
Thanks for sharing more about your life and work Nia. I wish you all the best with Elements of Life and really admire you are helping people to discover their true and beautiful selves. If you are a fan of Nia's or looking for some guidance and inspiration I think joining Elements of Life would be a wonderful thing to do. I truly believe communities of powerful women can change the world.... Elements of Life is sure to be a part of that.