Friday, March 28, 2008

.without 40 oz. of social skills.

I had this weird idea on the bus several days ago: that I could do a Flickr photography project dealing with my social anxiety, with the goal to be to help me overcome it - at least a little.
It came to me while I was thinking about how nifty it was to have a camera phone and be able to take pictures wherever I was. I thought I could call it "Impressions" and make my goal to be, like, 5 people a month? Or maybe I should do more - not sure. But what I would be doing is going out, seeking people who seem friendly and talking to them just enough to explain the project and ask them if I can take their picture. And then, to ask them 1 thing about themselves and 1 impression they had about me upon meeting me. I was even thinking that I could make it a teensy bit easier on myself by making a T-shirt that says "Ask me about my Impressions Project" and wearing that sometimes. Maybe then, people would come to me. The goal would not be even to necessarily create lasting relationships with these people, so I wouldn't have to *worry* about how they see me. I mean, if I meet cool people I connect with, great - but that's not what it's about. It's just to desensitize myself to that fear of talking to new people and to help me see how I really appear to others rather than how I think I appear.
Anyway, this is just an idea in its infant stage. I have many of those and that doesn't always mean I follow through. But it gave me a few hours of excitement over the possibility at least.

5 comments:

  1. I like the idea a lot and think it would be great for you--but may I suggest that you be in the photos too? To me that would make them better, esp when you look at them later, you are there and since you have to hold the camera a certain way to get a shot of you & them--you would have to stand closer. I think you'd have a lot of fun posing with people.

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  2. A great idea...Someone I know did something along the same lines, to help in their struggle with social anxiety..instead of taking photographs, they went a step further and posing as a student journalist, took to randomly asking people questions on current events.

    I think it helped said person a lot...

    Hope you go through with the plan..

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  3. I love this idea ~ I'd be especially curious about their impressions of you and whether they matched up with what you had in your head.

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  4. So, did you go ahead with the idea?

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  5. It hasn't gotten further than the infant stage, no. I don't know if I am very comfortable with the idea anymore and maybe that just means it needs modification. But I thank you all for your support.

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