Never a Straight Line: #FollowFollowFollow The dizzying beauty of #BrookeShaden's photography and provocative thinking. #Repost @brookeshaden ・・・ It's Monday, which means a new video is out showing behind the scenes of this image (link in bio). But I'm also taking a moment to talk about self-portraiture, the harsh judgments, and the control we have over that conversation. 💛 In my first few months of creating, I shared an image that showed my rib bones heavily accentuated - on purpose - for the story of the image. I got many hateful comments calling me names for being too skinny, anorexic, etc. It upset me, made me feel terrible about myself. And, to boot, I was also receiving emails saying I was too ugly to create self-portraits. 💛 The next time I made an image where my bones showed, I intentionally directed the conversation. I talked about the choice that I made to do that, the story behind the image, the theme, and suddenly, the image wasn't about me or the model anymore. It was about the art. 💛 I've learned over the years how to find control in the vulnerability of sharing art. How to let negative comments roll off my back. How to take ownership of what I put out there. 💛 This week, I'd love to see your self-portraits. If you've never done one before, dive in. I dare you.