Sunday, July 10, 2011

RWE not yourself

Mess up your hair. If you are wearing makeup – smudge it. If you have a pair of pants that dont really fit you – put them on. Put on a top that doesn’t go with those pants. Go to your sock drawer. Pull out two socks that don’t match. Different lengths, materials, colors, elasticity.
Now two shoes. You know the drill.
Need to add more? Ties? Hair clips? Stick your gut out? I trust you to go further.
Take a picture.
Get ready to post it online.
Are you feeling dread? Excitement? Is this not the image you have of yourself? Write about the fear or the thrill that this raises in you? Who do you need to look good for and what story does it tell about you? Or why don’t you care?

Haha, seriously, how great is this? This was my favourite challenge from the RWE Pledge. I thought it would be fun to put messy things on and then take a picture.
But then when I thought about it more, I realised I was cheating a bit. Because honestly, I would wear non-fitting pants out on a normal day if I felt a reason to. I don't pick matching socks very often and I only wear makeup if I feel like it. I  have no problem wearing freaky hairclips - and as for non-matching shoes: I just haven't found the pair that I can walk in or I would wear them proudly. ;o)

So - since this exercise is about going beyond your comfort zone, I figured I had to think about how I would not want to look on a picture. (Or at least one that I would put online) I made a list of things that I always try to avoid when I take pictures for the blog and then took one with exactly these things in it.

So here I am, with
- messy, unwashed hair
- old pj's
- a totally messy background
- tired eyes


I did feel a bit nervous to post this. But not because this is not the image I have of myself. Exactly because this is one very strong image I have of myself. This is the tracksuit-shabby, messy, lazy, sleepy, very very normal and boring side of me that I normally don't show to everybody. I have learnt to accept it but I try not to let it become too strong because I know it can easily take up too much space in my personality and crush all the other me's that I like too (they are infinitely more work if they are in charge, but they make my life so much more interesting ^^)

I'm not worried about not looking tood too much though. There is a little twang when I look at the first picture because I don't like profile pics of my face too much. (I think my nose is too big). But I have had tons of experiences of looking bad in public or being told I look bad in public and I still live, so I kind of have this "Been there, done that" mentality about this.
The only person I want to look good for is my love and myself. That's the reason I still walk around in freaky clothes and even do put make up on sometimes even though I live in the middle of nowhere and I hardly see anyone but the neighbours and my flatmates all day. Sometimes I feel like wearing my medieval dress, or having fairy glitter eyes, and sometimes I go to the shop in my pj's and without shoes.



Are you spending your day all done up or are you lazing around with your panties on the wrong way round? ;o)
Happy Sunday!



7 Comments:

Elisa said...

Before FlyLady I would wear PJs a lot during the day. Now I always get dressed in the morning and fix my hair and only rarely I put on makeup because my husband prefers me as I am.

I can't understand you don't like your profile of your face. I mean I always think I have a stange nose shape when I lookat my face from the side, but I am loved anyways so I try not to think too much about it. And as far as I can tell YOUR nose is not too big but it suits your face fine! You are pretty and perfect the way you are.

The challenge is great and I think it has something of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who said corners in buildings are not natural and boring and also said two identical socks are not natural and boring as well.

I have a tutorial for knitting socks with self striping yarns (there is a Hundertwasser range from Opal) the vertical way, which means they are knit flat and sewn together. I think you would love it.

G said...

That is such an awesome challenge - the two photos are lovely, i really like the colours in them both, and you look very happy! It's lovely. x

Zoë said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Zoë said...

Cool challenge.

It reminds me of one period in my life, when I was at my univeristy. I used to take my brother's clothes to my dorm, that were too big for me, but they were soooo comfyy. I used to wear his hooded sweathshirts when i went to my classes.

I remember the time, when one of my lecturers thought that I was a guy... Hmm.


I really enjoyed it, because I felt so free that time. Not taking care of good looks, just be comfy. :)

Cindy said...

I love this idea because it brings you out of your comfort zone. I think that feeling is necessary and needs to happen more than we really ever let it. Personally, I have a confidence problem so I usually feel inadequate...but I'm getting better because I understand that we all face similar problems and because of that fact, we can help one another. :)

yaga said...

thanks for the sweet comments! :o) sometimes it's just great to be comfy, and nothing else. i often also enjoy dressing up and doing crazy makeup... it really depends but I think as long as you do it because it's what you feel like, you will feel free.
i think the most important thing to help with confidence issues is to realise that you are not allone. i used to be a really, really self conscious kid and teenager. i still am very insecure in some situations or moods. but i know everyone has that from time to time, so i don't bother too much and try to push myself when i feel good.

june at noon said...

It's all about perspective, isn't it? I think you look pretty great in your "messy" setting. :)

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