Self Portrait after 15 minutes Emily Brown

I contemplated in what situations I feel most like myself; the conclusion is a bit paradoxical- I feel most like myself when I am naked without voyeurs, when I am wearing makeup and when I am in the shower. These concepts are diametrically opposed. In the end, I got up around 3 AM when nobody would know I was awake, and spent over fifteen minutes putting on a full face of makeup for the first time in more than a week. I then immediately began running a shower, and prepared to get in, and thereby ruin the makeup, but first took a picture through the shower door. I was able to walk the lines between naked and exposed, and between performative and natural. I then edited the photo until I was pleased with the result, and was pleased to hear comparisons to The Mona Lisa as well as ghouls with buttons for eyes. As someone who struggles with self-esteem, I draw similar comparisons on a daily basis.