reminder of self-portrait and title for series unveiled

So far, there have been a number of beautiful women participating in the self-portrait challenge.  I’ve been thinking about the way there’s this electric current running in between the blogs, beneath the words, and across the many beautiful self-portraits since we took up and began discussing this challenge.  There’s excitement and adventurousness and love in the air, and I’m really loving all of it.

I was talking to Jeremy today, trying to explain to him that I think it’s important for women to feel beautiful, but in a way that brings them closer to themselves.  For many women in our society, being beautiful is not about being close to themselves or being authentic; it’s about satisfying the other (and the other could be anyone or anything).  So, in light of this, what we should ask ourselves is this: how do we begin to feel beautiful?  How do we practice self-love?  How do we learn self-kindness?

Here, I ask that you discover what beauty means to you, and in this way, your individual beauty will shine through in your self-portraits.  Ask yourself, in a genuine and real way, how am I beautiful?  This will mean loving all parts of yourself, even those that you might have once thought unattractive.  What is interesting about the parts of ourselves that we find attractive is that it really seems, for the most part, we began to think certain aspects of ourselves unattractive when someone else pointed out, insensitively, that the particular aspect was weird or ugly or uncool or whatever.  For me, it was the boy I had a crush on in elementary school that told me my nose was big; his nickname for me was Pinocchio.  I now think he must have been picked on at home or something.  Such kids are often more insecure than others.

But, judgement from others aside, what do you really think?

The title of our series, which Wabi-Sabi Wanderings discovered, is: Elements of Self.  I find this title beautiful, simple, organic, authentic, spacious, universal, mysterious, kind.  When I think of elements, I think of fire, water, earth, air.  I think of the way in which we are continuously striving to harmonize interior and exterior.  I think of our many roles, our many faces, our many desires.

The Elements of Self, then, is that place within that is mysterious.  That place where harmony can happen.  I dare you to go there and look around a little.  I dare you to participate in this challenge and to uncover who you are — for you.

As a reminder, the first self-portrait in the series, which begins tomorrow, July 21, is:

Mask self-portrait. You can really play with this one.  Use leaves or flowers as a mask for a nature theme.  Use make-up and go overboard.  Use your hair.  Use your hands.  A mask cut from paper, decorated.  A mask from mud.  Partial  mask or full-on mask.

But this is a loose theme too, meaning, if you come up with something else, please feel free to move in that direction!

I will have my post up by tomorrow (hopefully in the morning).  Please come by and leave a link that I can incorporate into the body of the post.  You’ll have until this next Tuesday, so there’s no big rush.  Visit each other please and enjoy.  This is a wonderful opportunity for us to support one another as we begin to accept ourselves as we are.  I’m really looking forward to this, to seeing what you come up with.

For those of you who have already participated, thank you!   I hope you continue to participate, if not every other week, then occasionally.

*If you’ve already posted your first self-portrait for the Elements of Self series, please leave link here and I will include it in post tomorrow.

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