Say hello to our newest contributor! Meet Meftihe!

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about why I believe so deeply in Beutiful Magazine. I’m a 24-year old Australian living in California. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, with a major in Policy and Research. I love social media, writing and TV. Also cats, most fluffy things, and bubble wrap. I love travel so much that there’s a portion of my brain dedicated at all times to planning my next trip. I like to fondly think of my home, Australia, as the Racist capital of the world. Or at least that’s how it appeared to me growing up. When I was kid, and in fact up until my 20’s, I was the only black person in any given room. Schools, shopping centers, bars, work, it didn’t matter, it was still only me. So naturally, I stood out everywhere I went. Much of my personality has been shaped by this one fact. For me, there was no fitting in, ever. So I decided it was best to stand out. I became loudly confident, independent and funny. Always funny, because that was the key to disarming all the terrified white folk. You had to be charming, witty and above all self-deprecatingly humorous, or they would instinctively feel threatened and lash out. And sometimes they did anyway. I could regale you with all my stories of racism – overt or implied – but to me what matters most is how it built my passion for social justice. From the moment four year old me called out my racist swim teacher (my mother still laughs at this story, she was so proud) I realized that my greatest weapon will always be my voice. Written, or otherwise. My second greatest weapon, and another huge aspect of my personality, is unconditional self-love. Those closest to me both respect and tease me about this in equal measure. I’m probably the first to compliment myself, and insults about my physical appearance make me laugh, loudly. Because honestly, who cares? If I let someone else’s opinion shape me, there’s a good chance I would have never made it past the age of four. What matters most is how I view myself. I know all my flaws better than anyone could, and I choose to love myself anyway. Today, this seems to be a radical notion. I want to work on changing that. I am so very excited to join the team of amazing, passionate women at Beutiful Magazine. I believe deeply in providing the disenfranchised with a safe space to speak and be heard, and I’m so happy to be apart of creating one here at www.beutifulmagazine.com. The Internet is our generation’s greatest weapon, and with it we can achieve things that will leave the world shaken. I can’t wait to get started and meet you all!

About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.