Art is the expression of creation. I express how I am feeling through it. Movement, growth, acceptance can all be portrayed through color, paint, photography, fashion. All that is me is art.
I relate to fashion more than any other art form because it is expression in its purest forms. I wake up every morning feeling different. Life experiences shape who you are, so why wouldn’t I be slightly different in every instance. Therefore, my ever changing being cannot be defined. I choose my outfit in the morning because it helps me to show how I feel for that day. Bright colors for those sunny days, the happy times. When I feel edgy, I mix tones and color pallets that would be considered unexpected. Fashion is not mainstream, it is art. It is different for each and every one of us, whether we like it or not.
Taking pictures just got easier. We all have phones. Most of us have social media. Photography is a growing art form everywhere because of its accessibility. I took an AP 2D class in high school and it completely opened my eyes to the lens. Not the physical lens on the camera, but the lens of perception. Art can be perceived in a million TRILLION different ways because we all have our opinions. Lord knows we all have our own opinions. Perception is how you see it, so what I see is not what you see. That is what i love about the arts–there is no definitive answer no matter how hard someone tries to tell you otherwise. Entitlement is often connoted with negative feelings, but everyone is entitled to their opinions. My lens for my portfolio for the class dealt with self-portraits, which to many seemed glaringly vain, but to me felt most at home. Self discovery through the arts…I didn’t even question it. My lens transformed from a heavily coarsed idea of myself to the centered form of my being. I mean it is about self discovery so I chose to portray myself from the beginning as hidden because I cared way too much how others thought of me. I transformed to a vulnerable self where makeup was not an option and I was in my natural state. To accept yourself, you have to be yourself.
Hi Natasha,
Your post about expressing yourself definitely resonated with me. I am not a fashion icon like you are, but I do express myself through my hair. Like your expression of your mood with colors, I express my mood through the shape of my hair. For example, if I style back my hair with gel one day, it’s because I am in a crazy good mood, but if my hair is down and over my forehead, I am probably sad. If I have my hair styled to the right, it’s because I have to act formally that day. On those days I usually dress non- casually. Everyone has their own form of expression, and your’s just happens to be your fashion. I know absolutely nothing about fashion beside the latest footwear, so if you ever want to talk to me about fashion, talk to me about streetwear. Overall, it was a great read.
Great Work!
Infatuated, that’s how I would describe my stance on this work of art that you wrote. Perception is such a definitive yet ethereal part of life. How we perceive something may define our mind at a given moment, but our emotions like our thoughts are fleeting.
Your self expression and acknowledgment that you yourself indeed are art is beautiful and stirring. Not many can appreciate themselves in such a delicate and vulnerable way, yet stay as graciously humble as you have. And, those who do often endure years of self battles. You are so wise and perceptive ( no pun intended or was it?) and have creativity coursing through your veins. I believe that with your love for fashion and expression you will be able to bring forth great messages to the world. Fashion is a medium for expression: of voice, thought, opinion. By expressing you love, ambition, positivity, you can inspire others and in the end leave your paint stroke, making the world a better place with every outfit, with every photo. After all, a picture’s worth a thousand words, and sometimes the most powerful messages are not those that are read but those that are seen!