Self-Portrait, Self-Archive

Tonight I took some self-portraits. I wanted to have updated photos of myself on hand—for all the incredible opportunities that are making their way toward me and will require headshots. #ManifestationInMotion

I've always liked the idea of taking a self-portrait around my birthday—a way of documenting each passing year with intention. And while these portraits weren’t specifically meant to fulfill that, the timing aligned, as my birthday is near. Perhaps this is the start of that emerging tradition.

Earlier today, I was reading about artists who have explored self-portraiture as a long-form project. One photographed himself once a year for over two decades (with plans to continue until the end of his life), and another—a performance artist—took a photo of himself every single hour for an entire year. Every hour. For a year. He missed a few because he overslept, I believe, but still—the commitment!

The results of these and other projects like them, compiled into time-lapse videos, are both unsettling and moving. You don’t just see a person—you see time passing. The subtle changes become big changes as enough time passes. It's such a wonderful form of documentation for the artist, I’m sure—one even said it’s like a diary for him, as he remembers where he was and who he was with for every photo.

While I won’t be setting an hourly timer any time soon, a birthday portrait each year? That’s something I can do. A little visual diary in slow motion. And who knows—maybe in 2035 I’ll have enough to put together a time-lapse of my own. A quiet archive of becoming.

Stay tuned.