Taylor Swift on accepting her body and turning thirty
By Sabrina Reed
It’s not only the end of a decade, but also the end of an era for Taylor Swift. December 13 marks her birthday and the start of her 30s, a new decade focused on accepting her body and control over her work.
Having spent nearly half her life in the spotlight, Taylor Swift is walking out of her twenties cool with who she is and a bit more secure than she has been. She told British Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Edward Enniful, in a recent interview that this decade has been like walking through a costume shop trying on different outfits and then choosing her regular clothes.
For Taylor, turning 30 means more choices, and she’s not taking that for granted. She’s aware that it’s a luxury for her to be able to choose what she wants to work on, when she wants to work on it, and for how long. Listening to her recount her time as a young artist is a sharp reminder that while most teens were worrying about part-time jobs and good grades, Taylor was touring.
“There were times when I played hundreds of shows in a year,” she told Enniful. “I was 17 years old, and I would get exhausted and burnt out.” Hearing her say in the next breath, “Now I can work the amount I know that I’m capable of handling,” feels like a triumph. That is the dream after all. To reach the point in your career where a good portion of the cards are in your hands.
But it’s not solely control over her time that Taylor is excited about, it’s the acceptance of her body on her terms not society’s. In Taylor’s own words, “I’m a woman; I’m not a coat hanger.” Granted that may seem obvious to some people, but it’s important to recognize that an essential part of growing into yourself is self-acceptance.
Taylor admits to falling prey to the same toxic messages we all receive, but she can recognize them now as surely as she can recognize that she needs to be healthy, take pleasure in food, and not use her body as a means of control when she’s feeling out of control in other areas of her life.
What Taylor’s describing isn’t new. These are the tenants of self-care and self-love many before her have spoken about, but Taylor speaking openly about her own struggles means a lot to people, whether they’re forever fans or casual listeners. Let’s not forget, Taylor’s audience is vast and the ages vary. Many of her fans came of age with her while others aren’t trailing too far behind. Her words will resonate with some, and be eye opening for others. Taylor’s take doesn’t have to be fresh to be real.
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