"I never shared my feelings or insecurities because I was scared of how I would look to others. I never opened up and that created a lack in my relationships where people were scared to open up to me because they saw me as “blunt”. I eventually started to realize how unhappy I truly was so I started reading and journaling and further understanding that, in order to be happy, I needed to be more open and honest with people. I needed to be more compassionate which, in turn, made people feel safe around me because I was open to them. I quit my 9 to 5 in 2002 and started traveling all over the world until eventually planting my feet in California February of 2006. With a new mindset and fresh start, I quickly began making secure bonds and establishing strong connections with new friends. I tried to have no judgements towards the people I was meeting and saw no “flaws” because I had made myself aware of the fact that we all struggle, we all have our ‘flaws,’ and we all have our insecurities. I saw everyone as normal people on this road together called life."
"While, for years, I tried to formulate a plan, the project physically started in 2010 when I was talking with a friend of mine about an idea on sharing peoples insecurities without literally showing them and how I could possibly turn it into an empowering photography project. I decided that night that I wanted to photograph my friend with her insecurity written somewhere on her face or hands as a way to boldly displaying her greatest insecurity on her skin and fearlessly stare into the lens for a powerful headshot. I wrote “thunder thighs” on Amanda’s hand, alongside the photograph she came up with the statement, “I am not my body image.” And thus, the “What I Be” project was made."
"Subjects are putting their insecurities out in the open, and exposing a side of themselves that nobody has seen before. By stating “I am not my_____,” they are claiming that they do in fact struggle with these issues, but it does not define who they are as a person. They are not denying their insecurity, they are owning it. It is not aimed for people to say “You’re not fat,” or “You don’t have love handles.” It is to spread awareness on what people go through due to society’s paved roads. These are serious issues that some of us can live with, but most battle on a day to day basis."
How does this relate to my project?
'What I Be' displays an intuitive defiance against cultural norms with raw and honest depiction of individual insecurities that are dismissed, and judged by others on a daily basis. I truly admire the realistic,grounded and untainted finish to the project, with each subject having a different story to tell.
These are real people. Real people with real issues, that will have taken an enormous amount of strength to come forward and embrace to a mass audience. The total opposite of the airbrushed utopian figures that are depicted as 'role models' within advertising. These people are the role models. Steve Rosenfield is a role model in himself for actually having the sense to realise that having a successful career and a fantastic salary doesn't ultimately result in happiness.
Reflection
- This has made me realise that a reportage/social documentary approach to resolving my research through my practical response may be the most powerful and effective way to synthesise my project
- It has made me think more about stigmas and misunderstanding of illnesses, as well as how advertisements in the past have given off false ideations towards such issues
- SELF-ACTUALISATION DOESN'T MEAN EARNING A SIX FIGURE SALARY!
- ONCE WE ARE HONEST AND ACCEPTING WITH OURSELVES, THEN WE CAN TRULY BE HAPPY
- ADVERTISING EXPLOITS THIS!!!!!
(I'm excited because I think this is finally starting to make sense)
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