pixel skylines
Andulka
EXPECTATIONS
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
oozey mess
KIROKAZE
gracie abrams
@theartofmadeline
Cosimo Galluzzi
Kiana Khansmith
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bliss lane
Today's Document
h
Game Changer & Make Some Noise
YOU ARE THE REASON
Cosmic Funnies
ellievsbear
izzy's playlists!
seen from Ukraine
seen from United States
seen from Bangladesh
seen from Moldova
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from Germany
seen from Norway
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Belgium
seen from United Kingdom
seen from India
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seen from United States
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
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@childish-branzino
Fruit of a mystery tree
I find along my path, resting by my feet.
Curious, I reach down
to see what sweetness nature holds,
drawn closer, to a gift in quiet wait.
I press my thumb in, gently, to peer into its tender heart.
But the flesh gives too quickly—
the skin breaks in violence,
my thumb left still
in a wash of deep red.
Mount Tamalpais, East Peak 2025.
How different things might be if, rather than saying " I think I'm in love," we were saying "I've connected with someone in a way that makes me think I'm on the way to knowing love." Or if instead of saying "I am in love" we said "I am loving" or "I will love."
Bell Hooks, "All About Love"
Perception and Online Profiles
I’ve been thinking a lot about the merging of personal style, personality, and self-perception.
We have essentially aestheticized personality, packing up style, emotional traits, and lifestyle habits into images to be consumed. Beyond nerds and jocks, we have new personas— “the clean girl” who is soft-spoken, health-minded, disciplined with dewy skin, those in “dark academia” who are brooding, bookish, victorian ,and hyper-intellectual. Beyond a fashion choice, we pack in values, feelings, and behaviors into a certain style. That isn’t to say we expect one person to perform one aesthetic, at least, not anymore, but the line between style and personality is wearing thin.
That said, this piece is not supposed to be a critique of aesthetics. I’m more interested in how perception of ourselves and others is affected by aesthetics. Aesthetics of online profiles are not the same as, say fashion style, which reflect the mood and activity of the hour. Online profiles, to me, feel fixed and immutable. Despite the timestamps, there is a lacking a sense of temporality and change when viewed collectively as one "profile".
This is in contrast with our own sense of self, which is constantly changing and context-specific. The things that are meaningful to my identity don’t necessarily belong in the purview of 800+ people. I think such is the reason that Gen-Zers lean into instagram stories, opting for a less-curated, "spontaneous", and fleeting mode of sharing.
So who dictates how we appear? Is it us? Is it other people?
Maybe my (withdrawal) from social media is just a Mcluhan self-aggrandized naval gazing. In other words, maybe I’ve placed concerned myself so much with “the medium being the message” that I neglect to put any messages out in the first place.
In a circle where most people around me have, and expect, to see an Instagram profile, does the medium matter less? I would think not. Given all the creative tools platforms like Instagram offer, every decision— every inclusion and omission— feels like an intentional choice.
Should I choose to put any less thought into my public/online persona, such choices would still be read with intention or aloofness.
As with all art, it is up to the viewer to interpret. Any information shared has a social effect. It would be reductive to believe that members of an audience cannot form their own views without the aid of a profile; but that same line of thinking would lead you to believe that the profile-maker is leading a lie, if those views are not in line with that audience’s perception. (This is what makes social media performative; it is life on display as art. An artist as the art; the personal brand made personal).
I feel that who I am is really dependent on the person I interact with, and that person carries their experience of me. That is who I am to them. I see no reason to change that, and I see no reason to paint just a version of myself into the world. There’s a strange cognitive dissonance when who I am with one person is not the same as who I made myself out to be online.
In this day and age, there is a balance to be had. This discussion comes to my mind over and over again, whether to adapt and how to do so. In my desire to be seen as a three-dimensional person, I’ve kept all the parts I value to myself. Maybe it is an introverts’ dream: to be known— just a little more—without having to say anything at all.
something to believe in
The issue with faith
is once broken, it lives in
all things and nothings