THE BEAT
November 26, 2024
FEATURING
Ellen Atlanta, Author of Pixel Flesh.
This month, I had an eye-opening conversation with Ellen Atlanta, author of Pixel Flesh, about the concept of aesthetic labor.
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Beauty at Work: The Unseen Demands of Aesthetic Labor
This month, I spoke with Ellen Atlanta, author of Pixel Flesh, about the growing expectation for women to contribute their image as part of their professional roles—blurring the lines between personal identity and intellectual property. These demands often go unrecognized and uncompensated.
The pressure to maintain the "right" appearance at work isn't new, but it’s rapidly expanding across industries, particularly in the digital sphere. Once confined to entertainment, hospitality, retail, and public relations, the phenomenon of aesthetic labor—where employees are judged by their ability to align their appearance, behavior, and demeanor with professional or organizational expectations—is now impacting fields like healthcare, nonprofit work, activism, politics, and even scientific research.
Anyone who relies on social media for their career or marketing feels the weight of algorithms that favor content adhering to certain beauty standards, effectively incentivizing conformity.
Ellen’s insights highlight the systemic issues tied to the commodification of appearance in the workplace, challenging us to rethink what we value and reward in professional spaces. For a deeper dive into aesthetic labor and its implications, read more from our discussion on The Beat.
UPHOLDING A BROKEN SYSTEM
"It's almost impossible to opt out now, especially with how visual everything is. But by participating, we're upholding the system that oppresses us."
—Ellen Atlanta
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Aesthetic labor and how toxic beauty culture harms women.
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Monthly Practice: "Make Over" Your Inputs
To some degree, we are all shaping how we present ourselves — the work we create, the way we show up, the impression we leave. But this month, let’s shift the focus from output to input. What are you allowing into your mind, heart, and space?
Step 1: Audit Your Influences
Pause to reflect on what surrounds you — books, conversations, objects, routines. Which ones fuel you? Which feel like clutter? Make note of it.
Step 2: Edit Without Hesitation
Let go of anything that drags you down mentally or physically: the inbox overflowing with junk, the commitments draining your energy, or the high heels causing your plantar fasciitis.
Step 3: Honor Quiet Beauty
Carve out space for the things that inspire and center you: a poem you love, a walk without earbuds, an uncluttered corner of your desk. Sometimes, beauty lives in the pause.
Step 4: Reclaim Aesthetic Energy
Invest in inputs that align with the self you’re building. Seek ideas and moments that challenge, refresh, or delight.
Because You're Worth It! 😀
Storybeat Updates
New Workshop Alert!
Networking for Introverts - 90s Nostalgia Edition
Friday, December 6 at 12 pm EST
Do you find traditional networking events awkward, intimidating, or draining? This workshop is for you! Using the Object Diaries framework, we’ll walk through a curated experience using your favorite item from the 90s as a conversation launchpad.
Dig up your favorite beanie baby, CD, or Pokemon card and join us.
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Listen to Object Diaries
Object Diaries is live on Apple and Spotify! Give us a listen and a written review. It means a lot.
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