When I discovered that this week’s color palette for the Summer of Color challenge was candy apple red and yellow, I knew I had to use a selfie I took last week.
I love this photo of myself. Because it’s goofy, and it’s not. Who doesn’t want Frida-esque poppies sprouting out of their head?
I’ve declared this the Summer of Exponential Self-Love. I did that the moment I decided I wanted to participate in a community who are playing this summer with exploring self and soul through the daily practice of taking selfies.
That’s an example of my structuring a container to support myself – something to make it easier, kinder, more gentle, and more fun to participate in something that feels a bit challenging and pokes at places where I’m tender.
I’m not only looking at myself, but letting others look at me as well. And I wanted to surround that which feels both profound and sacred with a little nest of comfort. So my self-care around this is declaring exponential self-love.
I relish self-reflection – I like digging deeply in the name of claiming that it’s all mine to know and I want to. I don’t really want to go through my life with secrets hidden from myself, and this summer I’m using the selfies as a lens to see things I might not have been able to look at in other ways before.
It’s stretchy and a bit uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean I can’t evoke laughter as well. And surround myself with flowers. I agree with Lydia Child who said:
Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning.
Will you play along with me in the Summer of Exponential Self-Love? What thing can you be tender with yourself about? What thing can you celebrate? What makes you laugh? What does your self-care look like? What flowers would you like to wear on your head? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
I love your picture. It’s perfect for this week’s SOC challenge. I love it when synchronicity comes out to play.
Today was a perfect self-care day. A painting workshop in the morning, out to lunch, and to the bookstore to find just the right pastel magazine. All are things I do anyway but today they were done with the intention of taking care of myself. It’s the intention and paying attention to how I felt that made the difference.
Have a great week.
Intentional self-care is so lovely – good for you Ginny! Wishing you a lovely weeki as well.
The perfect image for SOC! I love it.
Thanks!
xo Wonderful!
Thanks Kristin!
Great selfie, expressive and fun! The colors of Soc work great! 🙂
Thanks Anne, I appreciate you stopping by.
LOVELY shoot!!. Gorgeous dress & gorgeous hairpiece too (the flowers!). I’m learning to see things as they are, curious but no judgement and then if I could, make art from what I see :). I LOVE to laugh at my cats’ antics every day :). I probably should goof a bit more too, you look like you’re having so much fun with the flower hair!. If I should don a frida-esque flower hair, I would wear lots of hibiscus!. TFS :).
Oh Shahrul I love your intention to see without judgment and then be open to making art about it. That’s the perfect guiding philosophy for an artist! No doubt you’d look wonderful in a headpiece fashioned from hibiscus. And that seems like a perfect tribute to artists as well, as kenaf which is used extensively in paper making is a species of Hibiscus. Wishing you a laughter-filled week with lots of antics and goofing off.
That’s a fab photo – I would definitely want poppies coming out of my head, one of my favourite flowers! It works great for the SOC. Have a great week.
How fun would it be to have little garden plots our heads? Thanks for stopping by Diana, and wishing you a wonderful week as well.
“I’m not only looking at myself, but letting others look at me as well. ” — this is a profound practice. Thank you for letting us see you … you inspire.
Thanks Cynthia Lee. It’s so fascinating to me that the pieces we move into wholeness for ourselves are the pieces that most need to be seen by others.
This is a great photo and yes a bit Frida like in colors and whimsy- love this!
Thanks Lori – I appreciate you stopping by.
Awesome photo! such a fun way to use this week’s SOC colors!
Thanks. It’s such fun to see how everyone playing in SOC is creating with the palette!
Fun photo! Great way to celebrate the colors of the week!
Indeed – and I certainly believe in celebrations 😉
Such a great picture and inspiring words. It’s nice that you are taking time to take care of you, we all need to do this more. What a neat way to use the SOC this week, have fun next week!
I’m a big proponent of self-care because it requires you to know yourself and I think that’s a good thing. Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a happy week as well.
I adore the selfie. Very Frida-esque. What flowers would I choose…it varies but today I feel like a mix of daisies and lavender woven together.
I love the questions you ask and the words you write. Always inspiring.
Thanks Natasha. I’m with you – every day a new floral inspiration. But daisies and lavender are definitely winners.