A self-portrait isn’t something I would usually try, but this was a class assignment. My goal was to use it to push myself to share more about who I am than felt comfortable. So, I figured I could at least give you all a synopsis. I’d love to hear your feedback
Step 1: Make it
I forced myself to sit in front of the computer and type continually for three hours. No stopping to think, no editing, no nothing – just straight train of thought.
The idea is that we are constantly editing what we say to people, and choosing the side of us that we allow them to see.
Often, we are like icebergs though – much of what exists lies below the surface. By writing without editing, I sought to eliminate the filter from what we normally share and go a little deeper.
Step 2: Share it
I then used what I had written as a running text that went from page to page – or in this case, from poster to poster. The text was transparent, revealing a photo of myself signifying that through my words, you can begin to learn who I am, and yet you still can’t see the whole picture.
Additionally, each poster had a different background, each of which conditioning the actual content, representing the fact that many times I can even share something about myself, conditioning it to hide the real meaning. As you can see, on some posters you can see the image much more clearly. On others, the text is barely legible.
Finally, I distributed the posters to my classmates, each poster symbolizing a conversation or personal interaction, and the fact that once we share who we are, it really can’t be taken back.
Now there is a little bit of me spread all over Barcelona.
