What Everyone Should Know About Self-Portraits
It’s no secret that I love taking self-portraits. But it’s not just some sort of vanity project or selfish act. Whether you are a self-proclaimed artist or not, there are real, actual benefits to taking self-portraits that I am excited to share with you. Keep reading to discover what everyone should know about self-portraits and get inspired to pick up your camera (be it film, mirrorless, digi, or phone) and hop into that frame. And if you don’t know where to start, I got you covered.
Why are self-portraits important? Why should I spend my time on them?
If you’re asking yourself these questions, most likely you’ve felt a nudge to create some and are either here to provide reasons why you should take the plunge or else you’re here to find excuses to not lean into the call.
Either way, let me start with this: self-portraits are an exercise everyone can benefit from.
If that statement makes you relieved, great! Get going! If that makes you uncomfortable, then you probably especially need to get going on them. Oftentimes the things we would rather avoid are the things we need to face, and your potential for growth might be even greater.
Over the last few years my art has leaned in the direction of self-portraits, and I have no indication it will stop any time soon. My love of them has only intensified as it’s become one of my own therapeutic practices. I have grown tremendously during this time since diving head first into self-portraits, along with modalities such as therapy, meditation, journaling, and shadow work. It’s impossible to pick apart which modalities have contributed which proportion to my growth, and I’m really more inclined to think that they are all working in tandem; the system is greater than the sum of its parts, so I press on.
But why, Amy? WHY are they so useful?
Yeah, good question. Buckle up, because in true apologist fashion, I have a litany for you lol.
The Case Of Van Gogh
First let’s look at Van Gogh. Just from a purely artistic standpoint, there is reason enough to use ourselves in our art. Van Gogh couldn’t afford models, but he could grab a mirror and be his own subject for free.
This allowed him to be open at any time to work on techniques and experiment with painting in ways he couldn’t if he was always needing to pay someone to be his subject. (We are always available to be our own muse when we need one and we are free!) We see his art style progress through his self-portraits; it was through this “free play” that he allowed himself the chance to evolve.
Portrait photographers know that nothing dampens creativity like an exchange of money. When a client pays us for our services, our freedom dissipates, because we are now focused on the pressure to deliver something they’ll be happy with. This is why it’s important to work with subjects who aren’t paying us from time-to-time if we want to push through the stagnant periods.
So why use ourselves?
Being our own subject allows us to experiment without miscommunication, because what’s in our head doesn’t always translate well to the person we are using as a model. We know what we’re trying to achieve, so who better to be in front of the camera than the person who is also “behind” it?
When we are the subject, we also can quickly pivot from one idea to another without communication getting jumbled. We also feel freer to try out those things that feel riskier or more avant garde, because we don’t have to worry about feeling stupid asking someone else to execute them.
(Not that you should feel stupid, but oftentimes this emotion will stop us from playing. Let’s set ourselves up for success here!)
Van Gogh didn’t really mean for his self-portraits to be sold, and yet I think this is a case FOR self-portraits. This is an indicator that there’s something special about them that we might not see or even intend. What a self-portrait does is capture the inner and outer state of the artist, and people are drawn to that.
It’s known that social media posts featuring the face of the artist behind them tend to perform better. We all long for connection and have a genuine curiosity around who we are engaging with. So we love the fact that Van Gogh (who only has one surviving photograph) left us a trail of likenesses (even if not always meant to be hyper-realistic portrayals, they are all fairly consistent). They allow us to get to know the man behind the canvas, and because we do, we feel more connected to his art as a body of work.
His self-portraits show us his outward state and also capture his inner one as well, with themes of introspection, contentment, loneliness, and sorrow shining through the paintings.
We see his mental health decline through his self-portraits, and we also get one he created during a psychotic break. The Oslo self-portrait (where it resides) seemed so out of character for Van Gogh that its authenticity was disputed until recently. This self-portrait might be the biggest gift of all for those of us wanting to truly see and understand the man behind the paintings.
It gives us a raw and honest look at Vincent during a time of true tumult. Because it doesn’t align with the rest of his work, it would appear as if he’s not using that piece to move in any certain trajectory, but as a way to process his life experience. It allowed him to see himself, and gives us the same gift.
The Case For Being Seen
One of the reasons I love empowering others to take self-portraits is because it’s an act of being seen. We are most often (always?) behind the camera, and stepping in front of it is un-com-fort-able. (Remember when I said if it feels uncomfortable, you should for sure do it? I’m also a big fan of pushing through the discomfort if it means empowering yourself.)
I was MORE than happy to remain behind the camera for years on end, but when I started almost compulsively taking self-portraits in 2020, I knew I was subconsciously trying to send a message to myself.
At first I thought I was trying to find my voice, but after a visualization exercise with a therapist, I realized it was far dire: I was needing to see myself.
Self-portraits became a way for me to see myself and take up space…literally. And honestly, it doesn’t matter if anyone else lays eyes on your self-portraits, because the most important person who needs to truly see you is…you.
Self-portraits have allowed me to value and honor myself, which translates to me trusting myself and my voice in other arenas of life. Empowering yourself in one area will allow yourself to step into your power in other ways.
The Case For Body Image
Is taking self-portraits going to completely heal your body image issues? Maybe not. Will it help if done consistently over time? Probably yes.
When you make a practice of showing up in front of the camera, I think it’s near impossible to NOT move the needle on accepting your body.
I don’t think I know a single soul who doesn’t have body image issues. We all have body image issues and self-image issues. We get to use therapeutic tools to help us understand and acknowledge all parts of ourselves in an effort to move toward shalom (wholeness, or a state of well-being).
Being vulnerable with ourselves is a way to grow more comfortable with the parts of ourselves we would prefer to splinter off. And if we’re able to make art from the vulnerability? Well, that’s a way to alchemize the shame into something beautiful.
The more art you make with yourself, the more you will start to see yourself and your body as a source for art. (Is there anything lovelier than being an actual art source?)
I am walking proof that time and consistency will lead to results. At the end of 2021, I was talking to a therapist about my body image issues. She also knew my love of self-portraits and tasked me with the assignment of taking a series of images celebrating my body.
I knew enough to know I couldn’t do that. No way could I show up and celebrate something that I just felt shame about. At this point, she asked if I could at least show up to document the shame. Now that I could do. So I did.
I ended up creating a series of images that still mean a whole lot to me. I find them filled with beauty and sorrow and raw, vulnerable emotion. I am so grateful that I took on the assignment.
A little over a year later I ended up taking a picture for an Art Lab prompt where I was dancing naked in my studio. I don’t remember when I linked the two, but one day the thread revealed itself to me. I saw these images and realized I had inadvertently documented progress.
The Amy who was documenting shame couldn't imagine dancing naked in her studio. And the Amy who was dancing naked could barely remember a time she was so bogged down by copious amounts of body shame. But these pictures serve as a visual diary of the points along the path, which allows me to recognize and celebrate my progress.
And of course I’m not healed. If we carry with us the notion that we will ever be healed, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Perfection isn’t the goal (it can’t be), movement toward wholeness is. As long as we are on earth, we are works in progress. But to see records of that movement toward shalom is one of the most beautiful documents we can make.
The Case for Self Reflection
Similar to accepting your body, if you can show up as your authentic self in front of the camera, you learn to accept your inner states as well.
Giving voice to your grief and joy and loneliness allows you to welcome these aspects of yourself instead of bifurcating them off, becoming more fragmented and less whole.
Self-portraits have been powerful for me as a mode of self-reflection and expression. I find this especially true when I am working from a prompt (because everything is about everything!) I find a seemingly unrelated prompt gets the conversation going for me to reflect on the things I am currently dealing with in life. As I work through this self-reflective part, it leads me to self-expression. It’s often why I use words with my images, because I am giving you a backstory on the self-reflection that got me to the image you see.
(As an aside, words can be a positive and a negative. Sometimes it’s a lovely thing to hear what the artist was wrestling with, and sometimes it gets in the way of making our own, separate connection with the art. That being said, if you feel led to write words, do it! If you feel led to leave them out, then leave them out! There’s no “right” way.)
Go Get ‘Em
Whether you want to experiment and move forward in your craft or if you are needing to practice some self-love and acceptance, self-portraits are a clear source of myriad benefits.
Oftentimes the biggest hurdle we face is that we need someone to give us permission to take them. We need that reason to finally be like “Welp, I guess I have to take them now.” So consider this your assignment from me. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can’t take the classroom out of the teacher (or something like that.)
Still don’t know where to start? I have you covered. Download my free 30 Days of Self-Portraits guide! The community is growing each month, and holy moly, the inspiration just keeps coming. (One of my favorite parts about empowering others, is getting inspired by what you all create!!!! It’s mutually beneficial!)
Need even more hand-holding? Upgrade to the Full Guide for daily inspiration, thoughts, and accountability.
But no matter which path you choose, just get started. You can thank me later (and honestly, send me a message thanking me, because as a words of affirmation girlie, those keep me going.)