Differences Magazine

Julia Bluhm, Sparks Summit, and a handful of other organizations are back with a lot of momentum and a full agenda.

Sparks Summit, Miss Representation, LoveSocial, I Am That Girl, and Endangered Bodies are teaming up for a campaign meant to challenge magazines, their editors, and their readers to think outside the 'photoshopped' box. Instead of placing limits on beauty and defining it for what it is, Julia Bluhme, Sparks Summit, and all the above-mentioned organizations want you to understand that real beauty is limitless. Beauty cannot be solely defined by the enhanced versions the public sees in magazines, it goes beyond that.

The 'Keep It Real' Campaign is a 3-day challenge that takes place over various social media platforms. The goal on each day is multipurpose: to inform the general public of the enhancing tactics used in editorials and to get editors and magazine personnel to listen to their readers. Participating is really easy, especially because the challenge takes place on social media sites we use every day; Twitter, Instagram, and blogs.

Plus you wouldn't be the only one participating. Along with many supporters of the cause, magazines and editors have responded favorably to the #KeepItReal Challenge. The person handling Lucky Magazine's twitter promised to relay to their editors the multiple tweets from their readers regarding the #KeepItReal challenge. Joanna Coles, the editor in chief of Marie Claire, praised the idea and linked to an article that demonstrated that Marie Claire supports the change #KeepItReal promotes.

Here is a breakdown of the 3-day Challenge:

Day 1: Tweet about having a real spread in your favorite magazines by using the #KeepItReal hashtag, and mentioning the magazines.

Day 2: Blog about it! Use your words (and all of your social media platforms) to get your opinions out there.

Day 3: Take a picture of what real beauty is to you and Instagram it! Your picture could end up on a billboard in NYC.

This is just a summary of the ways you can participate in the #KeepItReal Challenge, check out the Sparks Summit website or Miss Representation Facebook for more details!