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March 2026
- 21 hours ago
- 9 min read
Taryn Riddle
Beauty of the Month
Our March Beauty of the Month is Taryn Riddle! We have been admiring Taryn’s writing for some time now, so we are very excited to share her feature with all of you. Taryn is a poet and author of Somnambulist Chronicles. Just like Bridgett, she grew up with a journal in her hand, which later, in her teen years, became a way to put her feelings about body image and navigating standards into writing. Taryn’s talent for writing honestly about the inner landscapes of healing, becoming, and the in-between spaces of life is a refreshing take in our current world. She reminds us that beauty often lies in the gray spaces of mundane days.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF TARYN RIDDLE / interviewed by Beyond Beauty Project
“Defining my own path looks like finding beauty in the nuance of life—the gray areas, the unraveling, the grief, and the becoming. Not just the polished end result, but everything in between that makes us human.”
I’m a 24-year-old poet and author, and writing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was the kind of child who always kept a diary, and I still approach writing today with that same honesty—trying to capture what I’m truly feeling rather than smoothing it into something more comfortable. In high school I discovered contemporary minimalist poets like Amanda Lovelace and Rupi Kaur, and that was when I began experimenting with poetry myself. During a time in my teens when I struggled deeply with body image, writing became a way to process what I couldn’t always say out loud and to communicate those experiences to the people close to me. That instinct to translate difficult emotions into language is still at the heart of my work. In college I studied neuroscience and philosophy, which only made me more fascinated by emotional and psychological landscapes relevant to personal trauma I explore in my poetry collection Somnambulist Chronicles. At my core, I value honesty, empathy, and emotional awareness. I write because I want people to feel less alone in the complexity of their inner lives.
The Beyond Beauty Project is for every body.
How did you discover the Beyond Beauty Project, and what initially drew you to it?
Taryn Riddle: I originally came across the Beyond Beauty Project on Instagram quite a while ago, and I remember immediately feeling like it was a refreshing presence on social media. There’s so much noise online—especially on platforms like TikTok—around body image and beauty standards that can be really harmful, particularly for young women. Seeing a platform intentionally pushing back against that felt meaningful.
What resonated with me most is the way the project gives people space to tell their own stories, including Bridgett’s journey as the founder. As a writer, I believe deeply in narrative
as a form of connection and even activism. When people are honest about their experiences, it helps dismantle the silence and shame that often surrounds body image.
Being featured here matters to me because I, like most people, have my own complicated history with body image. As someone who has been through a lot in that area, I hope that sharing even a small part of my story can help someone else feel less alone, or remind them that it’s okay to have complex feelings about their body.
At some point, many of us realize that living by societal expectations doesn’t feel like our truth.
Did you experience a turning point when you decided to define your own path? What was that moment like for you?
Taryn: Growing up, a lot of the pressure I felt came from body standards and perfectionism—the idea that if you could just discipline yourself enough, you could shape yourself into something “acceptable.” I internalized that mindset for a long time. One turning point came when I realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in conflict with my body. I knew choosing recovery would come with growing pains, but I also knew I wanted the chance to live a fuller, more peaceful life.
Writing played a huge role in helping me define my own path. I had been journaling heavily during that time, but when I began imagining those diaries becoming something I could share with others, it shifted the experience from survival to purpose. I realized that if I could be honest about what I’d been through, maybe someone else reading would feel less alone in their own struggle.
Today, defining my own path looks like finding beauty in the nuance of life—the gray areas, the unraveling, the grief, and the becoming. Not just the polished end result, but everything in between that makes us human.
“The older I get, the more I realize that beauty is largely a construct—it can expand and change depending on what we choose to value.”
Looking back often brings clarity and compassion.
If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say about perfectionism and comparing yourself to others?
Taryn: If I could speak to my younger self, I would tell her that the way she sees herself isn’t the way the world sees her. When you’re deep in perfectionism, it can feel like everyone else is noticing the same tiny “flaws” you notice—one pound gained, one homework assignment missed, one imperfect moment. But most people are far kinder and far less observant than that voice in your head.
I would tell her that perfectionism is a moving target. No matter how close you get, it always asks for a little more. Life actually becomes richer when you stop chasing it and start allowing yourself to be human.
And when it comes to comparison—especially comparing bodies or the lives people seem to build around them—I would remind her that you don’t have to earn the right to self-compassion. It’s already inside you. Sometimes you just have to rediscover it and learn to trust the small part of you that never stopped loving yourself.
It’s easy to feel like we’re “behind” in life or not moving fast enough.
How do you remind yourself that your pace is the right pace for you? Or is this something you’re still learning to navigate?
Taryn: I think this is something I’m still learning to navigate. At 24, the feeling of being “behind” shows up sometimes, especially when I compare where I thought I might be in life by now to where I actually am. It’s less about comparing myself to other people and more about comparing myself to the expectations I once had for myself.
What helps me reframe it is remembering how much I’ve already overcome and how much growth has happened quietly along the way. Life isn’t really a race—it’s a process—and I feel lucky to even be in the position of exploring the things I care about, like writing, while learning how to balance ambition with mental health.
The reminder I come back to when I feel behind is that there’s a past version of me who could only dream of the life I’m living now. Remembering that helps me hold a little gratitude, even in moments when I still feel unsatisfied or uncertain about what comes next.
Our understanding of beauty shifts as we grow. How has your perception of beauty changed over the years?
Taryn: When I was younger, my understanding of beauty was heavily shaped by admiration and popularity. The people who were seen as beautiful around me often fit a very specific mold—thin, long hair, and very Eurocentric, traditionally feminine features. For a long time I internalized the idea that beauty meant fitting into that narrow definition.
As I got older, that perception started to shift. I began meeting people in real life who didn’t fit those conventions at all but who I genuinely found beautiful because of who they were—their kindness, their presence, the way they carried themselves. I also became more intentional about the media I consumed, choosing influences that felt healthier and more expansive.
Now, when I think about beauty, I think much more about the human qualities behind someone’s appearance. Resilience, vulnerability, kindness, and emotional honesty feel far more meaningful to me than fitting a specific standard. The older I get, the more I realize that beauty is largely a construct—it can expand and change depending on what we choose to value. And to me, real beauty now looks a lot like the courage to be seen as you are, and to give others permission to do the same.
Authenticity can be a daily practice.
What helps you stay true to yourself in a world full of expectations?
Taryn: For me, authenticity is something you practice rather than something you arrive at once and for all. I try to stay grounded by checking in with myself regularly—through writing, reflection, and asking whether the choices I’m making actually align with the life I want to live. Writing has always been one of the clearest ways for me to hear my own voice.
I also think people sometimes misunderstand authenticity. There’s this idea that being authentic means staying exactly the way you are naturally, or to start off, forever, but I don’t believe that. Allowing yourself to grow and change is part of being honest with yourself too. If the version of you today isn’t happy or fulfilled, there’s nothing wrong with making changes in your life to move toward something healthier.
At the end of the day, staying true to myself means trusting the work I’ve already done to get here—trusting the skills, insight, and self-awareness I’ve built along the way to make decisions that will take care of my future self.
“I try to think of my mind and my body not as enemies, but as two cosmically intertwined entities slowly remembering how to be friends.”
Self-love looks different for everyone.
How do you practice self-love in your daily life?
Taryn: For me, self-love often looks like small, daily choices rather than big, dramatic moments. A lot of it has to do with setting boundaries—especially around where I spend my energy—and recognizing when something is draining rather than nourishing. It also means challenging those perfectionist urges that sometimes show up, like the impulse not to rest or not to take care of myself, and choosing to do the opposite when I can.
Writing has always been part of that process. I use writing to understand myself, and recently I’ve been returning to reflective journaling again—writing with no intention of publishing it or turning it into content, which is surprisingly challenging but also really freeing.
I’m also a big believer in the tools I’ve learned through cognitive behavioral therapy. Challenging negative thoughts and rewriting them has become almost second nature to me after years of practice. And just as importantly, self-love means giving myself grace for the moments when I slip up, because healing isn’t linear. The big moments we tend to celebrate are usually built on small choices repeated over time—until they become a kind of mental muscle memory for how we care for ourselves.
Caring for the body is both physical and emotional.
What are some ways you honor your body—physically, mentally, or emotionally?
Taryn: Honoring my body today looks a lot like paying attention to what it’s trying to tell me. Physically, movement is really important for me—whether that’s going for walks outside or walking on the treadmill, often with my dog. I also try to stay attentive to the cues my body gives me around hunger, fatigue, and energy, while learning to distinguish those signals from my emotions. Sometimes that means asking myself small questions like, “Am I actually hungry, or just bored?” or “Am I tired, or emotionally drained?”
Mentally, I practice compassion toward my body using some of the cognitive behavioral therapy tools I’ve learned over the years. A friend once suggested that I keep a photo of my childhood self on my phone, and when my inner voice becomes critical, I try to speak to myself with the same gentleness I would want for the girl in that photo. It’s a simple exercise, but it’s been powerful for me.
Emotionally, honoring my body means acknowledging what I’m feeling instead of bottling it up. I try to communicate openly with the people closest to me—like my fiancé and my family—rather than shutting down or avoiding difficult emotions just to keep things easy for everyone else.
Is there a story, lesson, or mantra that has guided you along the way that you’d like to share with others?
Taryn: Studying philosophy of mind in college made me think a lot about the relationship between the mind and the body. For much of my life, those two parts of me felt like they were at war with each other—my mind always trying to control or criticize my body instead of listening to it.
But over time, I’ve started to see things differently. The mind and the body are born together, and one day they will leave this world together too. Somewhere in the middle of that shared life, we’re all just learning how to live inside ourselves a little more gently.
At 24, I’m still learning. But more and more, I try to think of my mind and my body not as enemies, but as two cosmically intertwined entities slowly remembering how to be friends.
Taryn's Socials:
IG, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, & Substack: @tarynriddlee
Purchase her poetry book:
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