Image/Representation

     it's weird. how do we present ourselves to other people? I can't count the number of times I've worn outfits or said something thinking I was coming off in a certain way, only to be taken otherwise. In particular, how do we present ourselves physically? instagram springs to mind, specifically edited facebook pics. So many people put such effort into editing their own photos, changing the color contrasts, gradation, adding poetic/angsty captions to better explain how they feel. Only to have their efforts nullified by someone else's tag in an unflattering picture (also. Although I feel bad ripping on these people, I feel a little better because I did the same thing for my dma homework). Why do we put so much effort into disguising who we are when the truth is already out there? While pixlr-ing my photos today, I had to wonder. Do these effects really express who I am? is it so important whether I add an overexposed or burned effect? Without those sparkles in the upper right hand corner, there must be no way the photo can reveal my innermost truths. What does making my face into Warhol-inspired pop art say about my identity? nothing. Surely the image itself is more important than the ways its doctored into something tumblr-worthy. 

     Not to say that the assignment wasn't fun, it was. and wasn't interesting and thought provoking. I thought it was all of those things. But I urge everyone to focus on what's truly meaningful about their identity, not just the extra gradation.