I, Susan, have been watching a lot of Queer Eye lately. Honestly, I wasn’t thinking I’d become a fan. I remember the first run and, though popular, it wasn’t something I watched.
However, this new version is growing on me. CrisMarie got hooked on season one – I only started with season two. Of course, the relationship dynamics between the Fab Five, the five gay guys helping transform the person’s life, is fun and great to watch. They each have a unique style and seem to enjoy each other’s company.
It got even more meaningful for me after listening to a podcast, Getting Curious, that involved an interview between Jonathan Van Ness (currently the grooming guy of the Fab Five) and David Collins (creator and executive producer). I think I got a greater context and understanding of the history and story behind the show. I love a good story, so I was even more hooked.
But really what I am liking most is that it isn’t just queer guys and straight guys – the people on the episodes being transformed are women, lesbians, sisters, fathers, and sons. There are so many more branches on the family tree in this show. Yes, it has its roots in the original Fab Five and the Queer Eye. But I like that it’s not about sexuality or gender – it’s about acceptance and bridging. They are in places like Kansas, Atlanta, small towns, religious places. They are sharing their stories and relating across all genders, races, and backgrounds.
I love how they use a deeply sensual experience – food, clothing, design, color, hair and culture – to take a person, person(s) or family through a transformation.
It is amazing to me how many paths to transformation there are. A significant common thread is this notion of the senses – or getting out of our minds/stories and into our bodies.
I am not sure people totally understand that. Long ago in a Come Alive, another five-day transformational experience, my life shifted through breath, acupuncture, beauty, great food and deep, rich contact with people who had very different stories and experiences. That five-day emergent experience changed my life.
These days I am still a big fan of that five-day process for transformation. I’ve shifted in some ways because I have added horses as leaders and mentors for leadership and collaboration to that powerful path to transformation.
Like the Fab Five from Queer Eye, I also get to partner with someone who lives and LOVES bling, art, and drama – fashion, sensuality, and sexuality. I love that, and though we’re not the Fab Five we are the Fab Two! I do believe our combination is a great blend of yin/yang, light/dark, fun, being real and relational. We laugh, cry, sing, dance, scream and get the business of transformation done. I think our work is like that of the Fab Five, without the cameras and the visibility. It’s about acceptance and transformation – shifting the way you think and using more of your resources.
I like that my roots are deep in the teachings I got from The Haven — and now branch out into nature, horses, and even into corporate America. It’s not always an easy road to travel. Though that might just be what makes it so awesome.
There are so many paths to wholeness AND what seems most vital to all of these paths is the willingness to get out of minds, narrow stories, separation, and back to heartbeats, vibration, and spirit.
So watch a few seasons of Queer Eye, go jump into a Come Alive, join us for a Couples Alive in June at The Haven, or find a pasture near you to visit and watch some horses. I promise if you let a little of the lessons offered in, you will discover more color, creativity, and possibility in your day-to-day life!
One of the Fab Two,
Susan
Fab 5 Photo Credit: W Magazine
CrisMarie Campbell and Susan Clarke
Coaches, Business Consultants, Speakers and Authors of The Beauty of Conflict
CrisMarie and Susan work leaders and teams, couples in business, and professional women.
They help turnaround dysfunctional teams into high performing, cohesive teams who trust each other, deal with differences directly, and have clarity and alignment on their business strategy so they create great results.
Check out their website: www.thriveinc.com. Connect with CrisMarie and Susan on LinkedIn. Watch their TEDx Talk: Conflict – Use It, Don’t Defuse It! Find your copy of The Beauty of Conflict: Harnessing Your Team's Competitive Advantage here.