My recent forays into social media have had me thinking of the way we see each other. The way we see ourselves. I’ve found myself putting far too much mental energy into getting the lighting right or hitting the perfect angle or writing a clever caption (that no one is ever going to read). We spend so much time trying to put only our best feet forward online, that we’re fixated on the parts of ourselves we don’t want people to see. Filters and Facetune can get rid of blemishes on the screen, but at what point is that memory no longer of you? So, in the effort to make every online interaction look smart, sexy, and cool, I’ve just been hanging out with all my fears and insecurities--it’s exhausting. Because we know for every night out for the life of the party is another night spent in bed feeling like you want to die. But we know those don’t get the likes.

I’m not attacking Insta-models or saying that I don’t like to edit my photos. My favorite part about creating is in the editing, in fact. I think it’s refreshing to put something out to the world that feels a little more authentic, is all I’m saying. Taking a deep breath, embracing your flaws as a human, and letting the world know about it feels pretty good.