I Often Dream of Websites (and Glamour!)
Last night, all I seemed to dream about was websites! It didn’t even involve my own website, per se (despite all my obsessing over it the past few days). It was a shared value community-related thing and it felt oddly exciting (for a dream about websites). It was about self-image and becoming bigger-than-life — first in image, then in reality. I was seeing all these different people’s character profiles, skills inventories and each included an amazing self-portrait that beautifully captured that person at his/her best. All the profiles were somehow connected, too. I was flipping through them like a book (but with no hands, and they were websites).
The self-portrait thing made me think: dudes, we need glamour shots. That’s right, glamour shots. How’s that for a stretch into ‘unspiritual’, ’superficial’ territory (a closed-minded way to look at it, though, but prevalent among artists, intellectuals and spiritual types; and setting things up as opposites that don’t have to be). Fuck that shit. Get yourself some bling and unabashedly pose it up for some cameras. We’re all too cool these days. Remember how unapologetically over-the-top people were with their public images back in the 80s? There was something to that that’s important, that doesn’t have only to do with the excessive levels of narcissism that were characteristic of the decade. And it has nothing to do with the particular aesthetic of the time, either (men in spandex? women wearing quaterback-sized shoulderpads? none of that freaky shit — unless you’re into that freaky shit, then go for it!).
It’s the acknowledgement that self-image and public perception matter (they aren’t everything, but they matter!), and an acceptance of our inherent inclination towards the theatrical, the dramatic. I think we underestimate the importance of playing dress-up and play-acting in real life as one of the keys to happiness. We’re fascinated by celebrities — and make them into celebrities — because they totally ‘get’ this, and are living it, making money doing it. We’re all too repressed (not of necessity, though) so we live vicariously through them and at the same time hate them for it. I know I don’t necessarily speak for everyone on that, but I think I speak for enough of us.
There’s something important in giving that shit up, though. You’re the star of your own show, why not act like it? (I hope you guys realize I’m mostly talking to myself here). If nothing else, it’s just smart. It’s just branding taken to a higher level. It makes sense on a number of levels to encapsulate your ‘character’ somehow in visual, iconic form. Not only will this make you more interesting and memorable to others, it will also act as a ‘power symbol’ for you. It goes right along with the character sketch and the skillz inventory in that regard. As part of a shared value community, I want to relate to my fellow value-sharers visually, as real people, with like, faces and bodies and a personal ’styles’ and stuff — and, also, I want to know them as the selves they are striving to become. I want to lend my energy to that effort by holding that image of you in my mind. I want you to do that for me. Psychic mutual hype alliances.
Hey, here’s an idea if you’re at a loss — give me a photo of yourself, tell me what you envision for yourself, and I’ll photoshop it into 2D reality (it’s your job to take it into 3D, 4D, etc.). Maybe I’ll get real ambitious and paint it into reality — immortalize you in art. I may very well start offering my services as a “godstar” portrait artist, painting for people depictions of their Ideal Selves (approximations, of course, and subject to outgrowing, naturally). This is what my ‘super-secret art project‘ was that I posted about awhile back. When I think about getting back into painting, it’s that idea that gets me super excited, because it gives people a level of value that goes beyond mere decoration (not that there’s anything wrong with making walls look prettier). I think of it as visual hypnotherapy. A portrait like that would act as a powerful focalizer of intent — and an ongoing subliminal suggestion — acting not only as a constant, conscious reminder but also compelling you on deeper, ‘unconscious’ levels towards your ideal self-image, and thus to greater self-actualization.
The symbols we surround ourselves with have more power than most suspect. Most of us are hypnotizing ourselves very haphazardly, not only through the thoughts we feed ourselves (especially about ourselves), but through all the external influences we (do or don’t) surround ourselves with. Our external environment is symbolic of our inner environment, and changes in one facilitate changes in the other. There is no reason not to be taking control of this power, once you’re aware of it. And there is no more creative force in an individual’s life (at least that’s within the individual’s control) than his sense of self — his self image.
So yeah, hit me up for a godstar-portrait if you like. One day it won’t be free… But for now it’s absolutely a mutual benefit thing to make it so. I’ll be providing you with some potent visual hypnotherapy, you’ll be helping me build a kickass art portfolio. Win-win!
<– This here is not the best example of my work, by any means — it’s just a small collage, quickly made (and with no painting involved, which would change everything), but it expresses a lot about the character it depicts through the colors and symbols used that you couldn’t get from a straight photo.
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11 Responses to “I Often Dream of Websites (and Glamour!)”
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Brooke this is an awesome idea!
Here: http://bp2.blogger.com/_NR9A3eqTZ7o/RkoR0vMA1cI/AAAAAAAAAJg/I4gYbvReNcc/s400/P1010084.JPG
Make me look like Steve Irwin wrestling a crocodile, or some explorer dude getting cooked in a poy by canibals or somthing!
Ted
I will see what I can do! : )
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Give me some time though to get my shite together with the site and what not. It might be a little while, but I will hopefully not disappoint.
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You though, Ted, I’m surprised… you’re a wicked artist. What do you need me for?
It’s good I have a character description by you, actually, to help me create this. I should make that a mandatory thing if people want me to do their portraits.
Ted, you should try working on your facial expressions so people can more immediately frame the emotional context from which you speak.
Yeah, I have a blank look on my face in that one. You don’t have to do mine. I won’t be offended. Do ones for people you have a strong sense of, that you need to do it.
I probably will do one for myself though, what I am doing is creating a website, that is a mock up, of a website of a wold famous adventurer with tons of corporate sponsors and ongoing and past projects.
Ted
Ted, that sounds like a cool idea, the website.
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I didn’t say I didn’t want to do you portrait! I may bug you for some other pictures though, and do some kind of composite, or just pick the one I like best.
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Or if you’re planning to do one for yourself, that’s cool too. Your aesthetic style might in fact be more fitting with what you’re going for. But who knows…
Yeah, you can still do it if you want to. I think it would be cool!
I think I will take you up on your offer, because, shite, I think you’re right about all this self-image thing! Plus I like what you did on the collage…now, let me rummage and find a useful shot. What’s better, full-body-splendour or close-up-disaster?
@ Emmanuel:
Haha. How about both? Better yet, a couple of each.
I am always too afraid to alter the seeming reality all around me, since in so many ways our circumstances shape us, but dammit…you have wholesomely inspired me to break out of that limited perspective in this installment of blogatiousness. You see, I love what it means to have caught that one perfect moment out of all the world and know you succeeded -like recording a great song without any kind of studio fakery…but it is important to recognize the difference between that and deliberately creating your own impossible surrealist imagery. For surrealism is to me the ultimate expression of reality. It is so real that it is impossible! By the way, you look great in that peacock skirt! So I would love to send you a photo, but it is all too hard to really find a photo to capture myself when they all seem to have a life of their own and keep changing behind my back like the picture of Dorian Grey…
to the topic of self-image and public perception (and glamour!), remember what I said in this post? “Get yourself some bling and unabashedly pose it up for some cameras. We’re all too cool …