Self Portraiture as a Tool for Healing

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.”― Lao Tzu

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Self Portraiture, or "selfies", are often times perceived by people in a negative light. These images are seen as vain, self-ish, conceited. In a culture that profits from our insecurities and self-loathing, any action taken from a place of self-empowerment and loving ourselves can be seen as dangerous. Hence: interpreting selfies as vain.

Self-portraiture gives us the power to SHIFT that perception and allow ourselves to feel acceptance and adoration for our bodies. We get to rewrite that narrative into whatever serves us best. In self-portraiture there is no third party dictating how you need to look, move, exist, or feel. You get to arrive in front of the camera and set down any and all expectations previously placed on your shoulders. We get to shed whatever pre-conceived notions the media, society, or friends and family have implanted into our minds about what is best for us. You get to find your authentic self here in this container that is void of any other directing creative force. It's a vacuum of and for self. 

Selfies give us two unique gifts + tools that we can use to help heal our relationships with our bodies. 

1. They allow ourselves to see ourselves as others see us...

2. While simultaneously allowing us to control fully how we get to be perceived. 

In no other art form or creative process do we get these two opportunities working in tandem. In a typical boudoir shoot, you receive the gift of seeing how beautifully others see us. And as powerful and healing as that is on it's own (and that is another huge post for another day in itself), it denies us the ability to control exactly the light in which we are painted. 

Through self portraiture you get to control the whole scene. The intention, the mood, the angles, the posing, the goal and the end product. While relinquishing that control to a professional photographer has it's own perks, benefits, and healing rewards, being able to be in control offers us unique gifts. 

It gives us the ability to pin-point our self-yum's. The things that we think are just mmmm about ourselves. This is SUCH an important thing to know and a beautiful gift to give ourselves. Knowing our self-yums allows us to find deep comfort in them in the time's when we are feeling low. Like a comfortable sweater or your favourite movie, being able to acknowledge those yummy bits will bring comfort when you need it most. 

It gives us the ability to quietly sit and process those challenging parts of ourselves. We can challenge the way we view ourselves so we can mitigate negative responses, and learn to adore those parts of ourselves that we struggle with. It allows us to see our body, and make peace with our bodies as a whole. 

It gives us the ability to take the directors seat. To empower ourselves to take control over our inner monologue, and how that translates to outwards perception. 

Selfies are not inherently selfish or vain. They do have a darker side, which arises when we use them as a tool for outward feedback, validation, and acceptance. The power in self portraits comes when we only use them to find acceptance from ourselves. And like the self-love journey as a whole; it is a constant practice. I will never reach a day where I take my last self-portrait session because "that's it, I love myself enough now". Each session you sit in the director seat for yourself, you will find new rewards and new things to love about yourself.