Coming Home to Self-The Evolution of My Self-Portraiture

The first time I turned my camera around onto myself was ten years ago. I had no idea of what I was doing or why I was doing it. Hindsight tells me I was going through a challenging time in my life and was looking for ways to express and process my feelings. I remember the need to express myself through self-portraiture feeling urgent and persistent. The usual things most photographers thought about before shooting, like time of day, lighting, weather, and pre-planning, did not cross my mind—the need to create something overpowered and trumped all. 

In the beginning, I made self-portraits to express emotions based on my feelings. I made self-portraits to feel seen and witnessed because I felt invisible. I made self-portraits to give myself a voice because I felt unheard. As time went on, my work began to evolve. I moved through and past emotion and explored storytelling. I started telling my story through self-portraiture but in an anonymous way. From there, it has evolved into what you see today. It is ever-changing, just as we are. It is boundless. Most importantly, it is a part of me. 

Self-portrait taken with my Lensbaby Velvet 56

Self-portraiture has become a tool I use to deepen my practice of self-love and self-discovery, and it has had a ripple effect on me. What do I mean by this? When I first began, I was driven by instinct—creating made me feel empowered. I didn't realize the importance of spending time with myself and was more focused on the resulting self-expression. Now, the process of creating is of vital importance to me and extends past creating self-portraits. It begins with nourishing my mind and body, and I meditate and move my body daily. I journal each morning and pull a daily tarot card asking myself- What do I need to know for my creativity today? Self-portraiture taught me how to love myself. It taught me to nurture and forgive myself. It lit a desire in me to care for myself and set a better example for my children. It made me realize the importance of putting my oxygen mask on first before helping others. It has encouraged me to look deeper inside myself and question and explore who I am and who I want to be.

My self-portraiture acts as a visual diary, but one written in code. It's pieces of me, clues, and insights into what was occurring during that time in my life when I made each self-portrait. While they may not read like a diary to the viewer, I can piece them together and remember intimate details about each one. I know what I was doing that day and how I was feeling. As a teenager, I made up a secret written language of symbols and filled a diary with it. I could read the symbols fluently. Now, I use both personal and universal symbolism throughout my work. The meaning something has for me might be completely different from what it means to you, the viewer. We see something and connect to it in personal ways. That's the beauty of art!

Velvet 56

 My favorite tools for my work are Lensbaby lenses and optics. They help me to slow down, be more present in the moment, and visualize things more creatively. Self-portraiture combined with Lensbaby products has challenged me and activated and super-charged my creativity in a way that nothing else has. These lenses emphasize the beauty of imperfections. They break the rules and molds and allow you to dream big and wild. I cannot think of a better tool for self-expression and freedom in your art. Using Lensbaby lenses for my self-portraiture has been a coming home to self. It is life-changing. 

You can save 10% on Lensbaby purchases with the discount code wsharon at checkout!

Velvet 56

The Evil Queen- Lensbaby

A year ago, I challenged myself to use Lensbaby lenses for my self-portrait work. I thought I would do it for 30-days. Here I am, a year later, and madly in love with these creative lenses and optics.

I made this self-portrait using my Lensbaby Composer Pro II with the Sweet 50 optic. Let me know if you have any questions, and if you’d like to save on your next Lensbaby purchase just use this link and the discount code wsharon .
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Sony a7riii | Sweet 50 | f/2.5 | 1/125| 1600

Justice

Sometimes all we need is permission. Permission to change our minds. To create what we want. To change our careers. To call ourselves artists. To write the book. To tell the truth. To share our truth. Permission to heal. To let go of our guilt. To forgive ourselves. To do the thing that scares us most.
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This is me giving you permission.
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I’m going to be opening up registration for my class, Expressive Self Portraiture, soon. I’ve made some updates to it and it will have a new price as well. If you’re looking for a place where you can fully be YOU and find new ways and tools to express yourself, look no further. I will be there to guide and support you every step of the way for 4 weeks. After that, we will continue our journey together and support each other in a private forum. I’m so excited!
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Justice {Self-Portrait}

Answering the Call: Acting on Your Call for Creativity and Self-Expression

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a quote and wrote about the importance of making time for yourself and your creativity. (You can find that post here.)

" I've seen women insist on cleaning everything in the house before they could sit down to write...and you know it's a funny thing about housecleaning...it never comes to an end. Perfect way to stop a woman. A woman must be careful to not allow over-responsibility (or over-respectability) to steal her necessary creative rests, riffs, and raptures. She simply must put her foot down and say no to half of what she believes she "should" be doing. Art is not meant to be created in stolen moments only." - Clarissa Pinkola Estes

While I wholeheartedly believe in this practice, I also believe in the stolen moments. If I'm honest, many of my self-portraits have been created in those very brief moments over the years. When inspiration hits me, I have an undeniable urge to act. I've never been known for my patience. Along with many of my ideas or visions for self-portraits comes a great sense of urgency.

I understand that acting on this urgency and rushing through creating something with limited time can lead to sloppiness. It could limit me and hold me back from producing my best work. Or maybe I thrive in that type of setting?

Working in these stolen moments has given me an abundant amount of experience over the years. It has allowed me to work in all types of lighting and weather situations during various times of the day. It has helped me find ways to make the best use of small and limited spaces. It has required me to both think and act fast. Have I set myself up for failure this way? I've definitely had my fair share of failed attempts at bringing a vision to life. But more times than not, I have learned something new and created something unexpected out of each brief experience.

My needs for the process of creation and self-expression strongly outweigh the desired outcome. It is with this open mind-frame that I find my best work. For example, by closing myself off to the ideas of creating in harsh light or in the late evening when the sunlight has faded, I would be limiting myself and my creative process. Creating gives me a sense of freedom and to put limitations on that seems detrimental to me.

I was able to shoot this self-portrait in under 15 minutes over the weekend. That even included the time for me to go back and forth in my mind, questioning if I could pull it off. By sneaking in this creative moment, I was able to appease the sense of urgency and fill my creativity cup. The most challenging thing about this was waiting until Monday to share it!

So while I 100% believe in making time for yourself, I also hold a high value on the stolen moments. It's those 15 minutes before the school bus is due to arrive, the 10 minutes while you're waiting for that pot of water to boil, the moments right before the rain approaches. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish in such a restricted and limited time.

How do you prefer to create? Do you time out and plan for that perfect moment? Or do you do it more on a whim?

The next time inspiration hits you, act on it. Don't wait!

** Sharon Covert is a teacher and mentor at The Define School. Sharon's courses, Expressive Self Portraiture and The Art of Authenticity are both available through The Define School. For more information email Sharon at sharoncovertphotography@gmail.com or visit The Define School by clicking this link. You can sign up for Sharon’s newsletter HERE to stay up to date and receive a bonus black and white editing video.

I See You

I see you.
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To the woman who just turned her camera around onto herself for the first time today.
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I see you.
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To the woman who uses self-portraiture as a way to feel good about herself.
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I see you.
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To the one who is too scared to begin but can feel a small fire brewing inside of her ready to spread like wildfire when given the chance.
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I see you.
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To the one who feels lost. To the one who feels newly found. To the one who needs to heal. To the one who needs to come to terms with her body and accept herself for who she is. To the one who needs to forgive herself. To the one who needs to let go of the past in order to move forward. To the one who longs to feel empowered. To the one who abused herself. To the one who was abused by someone else. To the one who feels like a lost child inside. To the one who feels proud. To the one who thinks it’s her fault. To the one who worked so hard.
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I see you. I see you all and I witness your courage and honor your perseverance.

The Many Masks We Wear

“Before domestication, we don’t care what we are or what we look like. We never pretend to be what we are not. After domestication, we try to be good enough for everybody else, but we are no longer good enough for ourselves because we can never live up to our image of perfection.” - don Miguel Ruiz
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From a very young age we create these masks that we wear. It’s not just one mask, but many. We spend most of our time trying to be someone we are not-trying to live up to the expectations that we feel others put on us.
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We long to fit in and be accepted. We seek approval. What if everything you’ve been told is a lie? What if all of the negative things you believe about yourself don’t actually exist?
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Deep inside of you lies your authentic self, dormant, waiting to be free once again. Truth be told, you have within you the power right now to rewrite your story. It’s yours and you have full control of how it reads.
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The Many Masks We Wear

Surrender | Self-Portrait

Making this type of art feels so natural to me. It’s become a part of who I am. I tend to forget that for many, it’s not what they would consider normal.
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It’s easy to fall into the trap of being small to avoid the judgement from others. We (I) have to remember to be unapologetic about who we are (who I am).
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Making this self-portrait today felt so damn good. While there are certainly times I wish I had someone else to create with, share ideas with, someone to have this experience with- I also find myself feeling energized and excited to have this time with myself. Today was no exception.
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Introvert much? 
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Here’s what I did with some of my alone time today. I put on a nude colored body suit, went into my backyard, lit a smoke bomb, covered myself with a vintage bridal veil, and put myself in all sorts of odd poses.... and it felt great to express myself in this way once again.
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Do you prefer to create alone or would you rather have a partner in crime?

What Lights You Up?

Teaching has been a part of my life since I was 17 years old.

I started teaching piano lessons to children when I was straight out of high school. It was such a fun and rewarding time.

When I had my son at 22 I remember some of the parents would ask me to bring him to the lessons so they could hold him and play with him.

Shortly after my daughter arrived I set piano lessons aside and picked up a camera. I quickly developed a passion to learn more and be a photographer.

It took me YEARS to say aloud that I was a photographer. Piano teacher was all I knew. Who was I to call myself a photographer yet alone an artist?!
Now, my teaching continues. I made my dream come true and I teach at The Define School.

But here’s the thing....those children that I taught piano lessons to? They taught me just as much.

The women who have taken my Expressive Self Portraiture class? They have taught me just as much.

Not only that, but they have touched my heart and left an impact on me that’s almost indescribable.

Teaching lights me up. What lights you up?

Click Magazine

I was never one to set goals for myself, but over the last few years I have made a point to make a list of goals that I wish to accomplish with my photography. While I have crossed off many each year, there was one that I always transferred over to the new year, never giving up hope and determination. I'm beyond thrilled to share with you that I have a feature in the May/June 2018 issue of Click Magazine! If you don't already subscribe, you can find the newest issue in your local Barnes and Noble store. I want to thank all of you who have reached out to me over the last 2 weeks to tell me you saw the feature. That kindness never goes unappreciated. Thank you all so much for support!

See Me Without Judgment

Myths, Legends, and Dreams - PhotoPlace Gallery, VT

I'm pleased to announce that my self-portrait, Artio, will be in the upcoming Myths, Legends, and Dreams exhibition at the PhotoPlace Gallery in Middleburg, Vermont. The exhibition will open on March 7, 2018 and run through March 31, 2018. If anyone is in the area, I'd love for you to stop by and check it out! 

International Monochrome Awards

It's always a surreal feeling when something like this happens, but my self-portrait, Love is Blind, has placed 3rd in the Conceptual category in the International Monochrome Awards for 2017.

Vibrations of Nature

I've always felt more connected in nature; connected to my true self, my surroundings, everything living and breathing. My senses are especially heightened, and I am more attuned to what is happening all around me; from the birds singing, the wind rustling through the trees, the crunch of the leaves under the deer hooves, to the distinct, damp smell of fall. There is music to be heard if you just take the time to listen. Every living and breathing thing has a voice in its own unique way, and this is mine.