Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mess up your hair. If you are wearing makeup – smudge it. If you have a pair of pants that dont really fit you – put them on. Put on a top that doesn’t go with those pants. Go to your sock drawer. Pull out two socks that don’t match. Different lengths, materials, colors, elasticity.

Now two shoes. You know the drill.

Need to add more? Ties? Hair clips? Stick your gut out? I trust you to go further.

Take a picture.

Get ready to post it online.

Are you feeling dread? Excitement? Is this not the image you have of yourself? Write about the fear or the thrill that this raises in you? Who do you need to look good for and what story does it tell about you? Or why don’t you care?

(Author: Matthew Stillman)

I don't do pictures... period. I've never been comfortable with having pictures taken and that's not likely to change.

Ever since I was little I've had problems with the image of being different. I was the tallest one in my class at least through the 8th grade when Martin came aboard and I've never been popular or willing to share with people... just like today, I'm vegging at home writing, learning more about WordPress and Thesis rather than calling friends and hanging out with them.

As it is usually the case lately what image you want to present is tied with who you want to be. It is also true that you present multiple images depending on who you're with but any and all of those images need to be grounded in the reality of who you are and who you will become.