A Sense of Self

This assignment was tough for me, I'll admit it. I don't think that awkward selfies with my phone camera, particularly ones where I am making a weird face on purpose, count as self portraits. Yes, I take them, and yes, they're of me, but they're not good. And since those don't count, I didn't have a lot to work with-- I don't like how I look in pictures and for the most part I'd rather be on the other side of the camera.

This would be the person I present to my friends. Just chilling, blowing a bubble. 

I think, having considered why I don't like seeing myself in pictures for a while, that I don't like it because I'm not altogether sure what I see. So I guess that makes it super awkward when I'm just looking at a picture of myself like.... who is this person? I think that a person is made up of a lot more than what can be seen in one picture, let alone a self portrait, if only because everyone is their own worst critic. I feel like the most accurate self portrait, unless you are seriously self actualized (and let's face it, no one really achieves that until they're old and wise... or old, at least) and confident, is a collage. I think that a self is made up of several other smaller selves: the self that you show the world, the self that you show your close friends and acquaintances, and the self you show only to yourself when you are at your most raw, or just those little pieces that you keep to yourself for whatever reason.

This is a picture of where I feel like my most personal self-- a place in Leadville where I go to hike, meditate, and just be.

Today's flickr will not be featuring many portraits of yours truly, but check out the cool shots of other stuff that I like... it's a part of a much larger collage.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna_elizabeth1/sets/72157632256562874/