PIECES OF US // HALF FACE
/
HALF FACE // I don’t like my side profile. (Strong noses, ya feel me?) This is why I knew I wanted this shot for this prompt.
I often think maybe one day I’ll get a little shaved off the bridge 👃🏻 but then I remember I don’t appreciate the Kylie Jenners of the world. I admire the beauty of women like Maya Rudolph and Sarah Jessica Parker and Laura Linney and Idina Menzel and how REAL and unique they are.
My issue with my side profile has to do with my anxiety disorder. It’s my brain sending me an alarm signal 🚨 “this part not good! this part unlovable!” that I’m misinterpreting as a real threat I have to react to. I don’t. WE DON’T. I’ve learned through therapy that this is a FALSE alarm, like one of those car alarms that blare in the street that no one around seems to have the beeper for. 🚙🔊You hear it, but you do not allow it to alter your day or your life or your preplanned agenda. It’s annoying, but would you ever let it stop you? No.
We don’t do well with distress, but not all feelings of distress should be attended to. Some - like the distress I feel about my side profile (feels so silly typing it out) - should be treated as irrelevant. Because it is. It really is. I can feel it and gasp 🤭 and think “Oh no!” But guess what? I’m still going to ham it up for the camera, I’m still going to laugh, I’m still going to dance when my song comes on. I’m a fluid, dynamic body & soul filled with wit and humor and talent and light, not some static side shot.
This post was a part of Ali Edwards’ self portrait adventure challenge PIECES OF US.
I participated as way to do a few things:
1. pop back on Instagram - I haven’t been able to “get into it” lately (my last post was on New Year’s Day)
2. explore my body through my olw little word: HOME - I’ve been thinking of my body as my ‘home’ & I want to explore that idea this week through the lens of this challenge
3. find out what really matters to me - …in terms of my creativity & what I want to share. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately…that zest and direction for how I want to use my voice & craft has had little to no focus since I went back to teaching, and slowly but surely I’m getting more clear about it. I think this challenge is a good start.
4. ALSO FUN TO NOTE: Kristin + I recorded a podcast episode dedicated to the whole thing!
We talk about our plan for the week with this challenge, the magic of being part of a creative community of memory keepers, and everything in between.
