Project Headshot: R.A.W.

Because of the rapid growth of social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, etc., a good number of individuals have become obsessed with how they look like in their profiles. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Gotta make sure everybody online think we’re gorgeous, right? We see all these good-looking people in the media and people are made to feel like they need to change how they look like in order to be accepted.

Well, one of my blog buddies started this photo advocacy called Project Headshot: R.A.W. and I decided to participate. Basically, the goal is to show everyone your physical flaws and owning them. I think it’s a great idea since bloggers are also part of new media and an advocacy to spread self-acceptance and self-improvement is a good way to start changing one’s life.

The rules are simple:

1. Take a photo of yourself looking as natural as possible. Don’t edit anything except maybe to improve the lighting. No make-up, go au naturel. Just like a mugshot.
2. Sport your USUAL FACIAL EXPRESSION. No one smiles forever right? Don’t squint, don’t pout, don’t twitch your facial muscles much, just present yourself casually.
3. Make a blog post about it and state your flaws. Of course, you have to include said photo in it.
4. A link pointing to the advocacy would be appreciated but it is not necessary.
5. Lastly, share the advocacy and inspire others!

I honestly believe that a lot of bloggers will think twice before doing this, but I hope more people will participate because I think that accepting how we are promotes a good message to our readers.

I'm not smiling. That's smizing! Hahaha.

1. There are 3 scars on my face. One on my forehead from when I was playing carelessly as a kid, one on my left eyebrow when one of my piercings got accidentally pulled out, and another one on my lower lip when I accidentally pulled another piercing. (So a clumsy guy should not have piercings. I’ll still get one in the future though.)
2. My eyebags have become permanent from all those sleepless nights.
3. I have crooked teeth.

But the thing is, I don’t really consider them as physical flaws, or at least, not anymore. These so-called imperfections give me character. Aside from my eyebags, I’ve never edited out those scars in any of my photos. They have stories to tell and I’m dang proud to have them.

Overall, there are other parts of my body I’m not particularly fond of, like my chicken legs and my fat gut, but it’s something I can work on in time. For now, I can manage.

Just like The Daily Blah said, “By joining, you pledge that IT’S OK TO BE YOU and that YOU EMBRACE YOUR FLAWS and YOU CELEBRATE BEING UNIQUE.“