Growing up, my ideals were Barbra Streisand, Cher, and my mom.

Hear, O seekers of beauty and meaning, the tender yet powerful words of Kevyn Aucoin, artist of faces and dreamer of visions: “Growing up, my ideals were Barbra Streisand, Cher, and my mom.” These words reveal the roots of his soul, for they are not the idle musings of childhood fancy but the confession of what shaped his spirit—the icons of glamour, courage, and artistry, alongside the everyday strength of maternal love. Within this remembrance lies a lesson: our ideals are the mirrors we choose to guide us, and through them, we become who we are.

The meaning of this saying rests upon the power of inspiration. Barbra Streisand and Cher stood not only as performers, but as forces of transformation. They were women who defied convention, who embodied confidence, originality, and bold self-expression. For a young Aucoin, growing up in a world that often felt harsh and unwelcoming, they represented freedom—the power to live unapologetically, to turn individuality into triumph. To hold them as ideals was to reach for courage in the face of conformity, to see in their voices and presence a way to create his own.

But it was not only the stars of stage and screen who formed him. He places his mother alongside them, a testament to the eternal truth that the greatest influence is often not the distant icon but the one who nurtures, protects, and embodies unconditional love. While Streisand and Cher gave him visions of grandeur, it was his mother who grounded him in humanity. The balance of both—the distant star and the familiar guardian—gave him a compass that pointed to both dreams and roots, both inspiration and belonging.

History reminds us of countless souls shaped by such ideals. Consider young Leonardo da Vinci, whose ideals were not kings or soldiers, but the artists and thinkers whose works surrounded him. He studied them, imitated them, and then surpassed them, turning inspiration into genius. Or think of Frederick Douglass, who held ideals of freedom learned from both the fiery words of abolitionists and the quiet strength of his grandmother, who raised him. In each case, the mixture of distant icons and intimate love forged greatness. So too with Kevyn Aucoin, whose artistry came from both the boldness of stars and the steadfastness of his mother.

The lesson here is radiant: be careful in choosing your ideals, for they become the scaffolding of your soul. The people you admire are the seeds you plant within yourself. If you admire strength, you will grow strong; if you admire creativity, you will create; if you admire love, you will become loving. Aucoin shows us that it is not wrong to look to distant icons for inspiration, but one must also honor the quiet heroes near at hand—the parent, the teacher, the friend—who embody virtues not in spectacle but in daily sacrifice.

The warning is also clear: not all idols are worthy ideals. To follow blindly those who are glamorous but empty is to build your soul upon sand. What matters is not fame, but the essence that fame carries. Streisand and Cher were not merely stars—they were rebels, pioneers, women who broke barriers. His mother was not merely a caretaker—she was his anchor, his model of resilience and tenderness. True ideals carry truth, not vanity; substance, not shadow.

As for practical action, seek your ideals with discernment. Ask yourself who inspires you, and why. Choose not only the celebrated, but also the authentic. Look to those who have shaped the world through courage and to those who shape your daily life through love. Then, let their example ignite your own path. Do not remain a mere admirer—become a creator in turn, living in such a way that others may look to you as their ideal.

Thus, Kevyn Aucoin’s words shine not only as memory but as teaching: “Growing up, my ideals were Barbra Streisand, Cher, and my mom.” In them, he shows us that the weaving of starry dreams and maternal love can shape a soul into brilliance. Let us, then, honor both the icons who inspire from afar and the loved ones who strengthen us up close. For in the union of both, we find the courage to become fully ourselves, radiant in our uniqueness and rooted in love.