#365feministselfie: 2018 Year in Review

Five years ago, my pal Veronica Arreola invited anyone and everyone who was up for it to participate in her #365feministselfie project. The rules were simple: Post a picture of yourself every day for a year.

I participated in 2014, the first year of the project, and I was really glad that I had. In subsequent years, I would post occasional selfies with the label, but I didn't dedicate myself to doing a picture a day. Until 2018.


[Video compiling all 365 photos, set to instrumental music.]
As in 2014, I found that participating in the project made me more comfortable in my own skin, which is quite a gift to accompany aging.

I was again keenly aware of the spaces in which I felt comfortable documenting my life, and those which I wanted to keep private. Those aren't always conscious decisions, but sometimes they are. I am protective of certain parts of my home — and certain pieces of myself that I conceal, often taking selfies of myself just about to leave to go somewhere, but keeping the destination private.

Mostly, I appear happy and/or content in most of the images, which is a fair representation of my disposition, but there are also photos of me sad, grieving the losses of Matilda and Olivia, angry, injured, in pain, ill. I am still much less comfortable documenting negative emotions than positive ones. I never, however, feigned feeling something I wasn't for a selfie; I mostly just tended to remember to document my day when I was feeling okay.

Other random observations: Over the course of the year, there are selfies taken in two countries — the U.S. and Barbados — and three states — Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey — as well as two throwback selfies, one of which was taken in Indiana and one in D.C. I swam a lot. I obsessed about Manchester United a lot. I love Deeky a lot.

Deeky is also far more willing to pose with me for a selfie than any other of my companions, including and especially Iain, who loathes having his picture taken. I am grateful to Iain for being game to make the occasional appearance, since any document of my life is incomplete without him.

So, that was my year.

My thanks to Veronica for challenging me to participate in this amazing project. Which, by the way, continues this year, for anyone who wants to take part. In case it isn't obvious, I highly recommend it.

As always: Please feel welcome and encouraged to share your own selfies in comments, whether current or some of your favorites from the past year!