ABOUT THE PROJECT
My project, Security through Insecurity, is comprised of a series of interviews and photographs of people’s insecurities and how they struggled with them and how they overcame them. My photos are remixed in a way that highlights the subject’s insecurities and stunning normalities. Interviews are paired with the images of that subject.
From a very young age, I have personally struggled with self acceptance due to societal expectations of body image. These expectations came from movies, magazines, TV shows and social media. I knew that these insecurities were merely surface level, but I let these expectations get the best of me to a point that affected my mental health. I felt like I wasn’t good enough for others because I wasn’t who people did or didn’t expect me to be. I felt uncomfortable in my own skin because I didn’t meet what I saw on TV or in magazines. Because of this discomfort I never felt confident with myself.
I grew up in an age where calling yourself fat as a fourth grader was normal even if you were not fat. This continued into my young adulthood and I further struggled with people’s comments about my body type. I came to a point where I decided I needed to accept what I have, embrace my strengths and not let what I don’t have get in the way of enjoying my life and the people around me.
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I still struggle with this issue and am not providing a cure all anecdote. We live in a society that is obsessed with losing weight, having bigger muscles, thicker hair, better eyebrows, less acne, being popular, and so on. It is so hard to not be stared in the face by media that tells us we are not our best self until we have been fixed by products or liked by a high number of followers.
I am also not trying to tell anyone how to live their life or that they can’t wear their favorite shirt, lipstick or even get procedures done.However, our insecurities are often highlighted and commoditized for profit. Because of this we find ways to compare ourselves to one another and try to own up to the high standards society has set for us, causing us to lose sight of our self worth and personal goals.
What I hope that others will gain from this book is a feeling of normality, comfort and many new perspectives from people with various backgrounds. The things that people perceive negatively about themselves are what makes us human, individual and truly beautiful. I want the pressure of society to be lessened by listening to what all of the people in this book have been vulnerable enough to share. I hope this book serves as a encouraging source for continuing this cultural shift of promoting self love and acceptance.
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Thank you so much to all of the subjects who participated in helping me create this book while allowing themselves to be vulnerable in answering my questions. Without them, I would not have been able to create this book or promote the idea of self acceptance and provide new perspectives. After reading through and discussing what everyone had to say I feel hopeful that the media will continue to be more grounded and inclusive with content. I hope all backgrounds of people will find reassurance through challenging issues from the pressures of society. I wish to gain more insight from various types of people and strive for further inclusivity for the future of this project.
Proceeds from selling this book will go to charitable organizations such as Project Heal and The Child
Mind Institute.