Appearances Aren't Everything

Here's a picture of the gorgeous model Kate Moss sans makeup. She still looks great, it's just that the bright flash and clear resolution of this picture can't be flattering on anybody.

Source

I drudged this photo up from some corner of the internet because I really wanted to try airbrushing techniques. I got a skin texture brush set for Photoshop from this site, hoping that I could figure out how to use it. I think I did an okay job for a first-timer, but there are some CLEAR mistakes that I made, that I still see and cannot figure out how to fix. Anyway, here are the results!

The forehead and smile lines look a little strange, but this brush set is really cool and I'd love to keep using it. When I zoomed into the picture, the texture created was porous and natural, even though my blending techniques weren't too great. If you'd like to try it out, I suggest you download it, since it's free anyway! I really want to get better at it over the year because I'd like to do photoshoots with friends that look legitimate... especially if I'm doing them for the shop.

However, here's an interesting thing to think about: If I as an amateur can take this photo of someone looking natural and make it even remotely look "better" with the help of a kit, imagine what the media is doing right now to alter the faces and bodies of women all over magazines... Food for thought.

<3 Linda

Food For Thought: Obstacles

In honor of PostSecret Day, I went onto the site and picked one that really touched me. Many of the posts today about suicide prevention, but I wanted to talk about general hardship that leads to such dark thoughts.

I feel like at this point, I'm not quite sure where I'm at. These days, the only things that really get me stressed is when my problems involve people I care about. Letting go of friendships, opening my mind to new things, and listening to others' problems... these are all things that make me worry. Worrying is good-- to an extent. Those who do not worry at all face being reckless, which is equally as unappealing as being uptight. Life is all about the balance: Caring about people, about the world, without being destructive towards yourself. I used to find myself thinking so much about other people that I wouldn't deal with my own issues, and that's just as bad as not caring about anyone other than myself. And now, I just see everything as being not as terrible, because I know other people are dealing with much worse.

I'm lucky to still have yet to confront major obstacles, but for those of you who are struggling to get over something right now, know that you're not alone. Plato has this great quote: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". It's hard to judge anyone when you know you're not seeing the whole picture; you don't completely know what's going on in someone else's life that makes them react the way they do. I do not often talk about religion because I believe it is a very personal and spiritual thing, but I will say this: If you do believe in anything, you probably have a reason to. You know that you are not alone because you feel a power, a force of the universe, all around you. The hardest person to please is yourself, and that force (whatever it may be to you). These are the only things that matter, in the end. And if you can find a way to get through the hardest of times, you will prove to yourself how strong you are. Life is difficult, but the point is: We always get through it, even when we believe that we can't. That constant surprising ourselves with our own potential is what we live for; it's what makes life worth living. Remember that.

<3 Linda

Food For Thought: The So-Called "Comfort Zone"

Source sadly unknown.

Out of all of the inspirational pictures I've come across in my years browsing the internet, this is the poster that rings the most true for me. How can you expect others to admire you if you can't even please yourself? Happiness is a state of mind separate from circumstance (other than in extreme cases, of course), and so stepping out of that comfort zone will bring about a lot of bad things before the good comes, but we have to stop and think. You can still be happy without allowing your situation to influence your feelings. This is the reason why a lot of people who are doing what they love say that yes, they're stressed, but they love it all the same.

I think one of the biggest struggles in life is to get outside of your comfort zone. I remember moving to the United States, which in and of itself was a challenge. I could've curled up into my little ball and barely scraped through the years, but it became a lot easier to get out of my comfort zone after being forced to do it a million times. Now, I try to do one little thing that pushes me a little further each day-- whether it be to sign up for a theater group (!!), to make plans with friends and follow through with them, to explore a different path back to my dorm, or to even just talk to the cashier when I'm checking out my groceries. Who's to tell you what you can and cannot do? I'm not saying that I've even come close to my goal, but can you imagine being completely free of your own criticism? That's what I strive for... getting that nagging negative little voice that says "What are you doing? You can't do this" out of my head. And I know that one day, I will succeed. 

Things that make me super anxious may not even register on another person's radar as being uncomfortable. Everyone starts off at different ranges of comfort in their lives, but everyone has the opportunity to change it. The next time something pops up and you're offered the chance to do something outside of the norm, be like Jim Carrey and say yes! (That was a "Yes Man" reference; if you haven't seen the movie... You should watch it!)

<3 Linda