The challenge – my thoughts so far

Yes, I still have the damn flu! But with some persistence and some encouragement from my fiance, I still have a photo for you. It’s fresh out of the bath, wet hair, no makeup, and a nice little crop of mosquito bites all over my face. It’s funny; when I first started this challenge, I don’t think I would’ve used this photo. It wouldn’t have been ‘good enough’.

Because I’m already feeling as though my attitude is shifting as a result of this challenge, I want to share with you what I’m learning so far:

I’m not a supermodel, and that’s cool.
Really, I knew this all along, but when it came to photos, for some reason I always just wanted more, better. Is this a subconscious result of all the air brushing in magazines? I have no clue. But the point is, I’m learning that this is what I look like, and it’s not so bad. If I can’t accept that, then I’ll never get past my phobia of having my photo taken, and I don’t want to live my life that way. I don’t want to look back on my life and regret not having photos of myself to remember the different stages of my life.

I’ve learned to be a little more comfortable in front of the camera.
What’s that saying? Use it or lose it. I’m realising that having your photo taken is just like anything else in life: the more you do something, the more comfortable you become with it and the easier it becomes.

I’m starting to learn what makes me look better, and what doesn’t.
The camera really never lies. I notice that on the days I wear a certain bra, I look a little better. I notice how much makeup I prefer to see myself in (surprisingly, most days, it’s less!), which hairstyles suit me better (but I still want to get my hair done soon!) and which clothes I like myself in more. And as a result…

I’m making more effort with my appearance.
I like to think that I’m now doing this for the right reasons. At the risk of sounding all Oprah, I feel like making a little more effort (not to the point of obsession) lets me feel that I’m living my life a little bit more how I want to live it. Also, this has given me a reason to care more about my appearance.

I’m sure I’m not the only mum on the planet who wakes up some days and just thinks, ‘what’s the point of getting out of my pajamas, doing my hair and makeup? No one’s going to see me anyway.’ I’m finding this challenge is proving to be a fantastic antidote to the ‘invisible mum’ syndrome.

It’s making me feel as though I’m looking after myself better.
Seeing these photos everyday is motivating me to want to exercise more (after I get over the flu). Freshening up for a photo everyday, especially while I’ve got the flu, has lifted my mood in spades.

I’m also noticing by looking at the other beautiful participants’ photos, a shift in their approach to their photos as well. It’s been terrifying for all of us to face this every day. I can’t speak for the others, but I am honestly finding it a lot easier everyday than I thought I would. Please join us, so you can experience this too.