perfectionism sucks

#truth: This photo is one of literally hundreds - I took so. many. photos. SO MANY!!! 90% of them I felt that I looked like the most awkward person ever either because my face was scrunched in a weird way or I didn’t like the way my arms looked, etc. Even after I found this one that I liked, I asked a friend to help Photoshop it.

Then I decided, this is stupid. It’s a friggin’ photo. People will probably not notice the things I don’t like about it, nor will they care. So I decided to use the original photo, albeit still with a filter.

A lot of times when I’m in pictures, I make myself look weird or goofy, because I know if I do so that it’s intentional and within my control. When I actually TRY to look good in a photo, I ultimately end up picking it apart very quickly. It’s in our culture (especially for women) to not be proud of the way we look, to find flaws or something “wrong” with ourselves. But why has self-criticism become notoriously acceptable? 

Seeing myself in photos and not criticizing myself so harshly is something I’m trying to work on and get more comfortable with. Imperfection is unattainable, unrealistic, and plain unhealthy for everyone.

via Instagram.