Beit Oved, Israel
Biography:
I've been a loner my whole life always kept to myself never had any friends.
When I was 9 we moved to South Africa that’s where my Social Anxiety really kicked in hard. Being in a new environment was frightening to me and I was in a state of fear the whole 5 years that we lived there. At age 12 when my body started to cheat on me and grow breasts and bleed it made everything even worse I wasn't just trapped in a country and state of fear I was also trapped in a body I wanted to break free of.
It took years for me to get over and what really helped me shift out of it was photography.
My grandmother enrolled me into a course cause she just knew that’s what I have to do and so I did. When I started to shoot myself something inside me just started to release itself I would look at the images and not recognize myself,this woman was emerging from inside that I had no idea even existed. I started listening to her more , to what she wants to say do and be.
I'm still reaching for that star when I can be her 100 percent of the time and not just in my photos and I hope I get there.
I've found strength and confidence I never had before the self portraits and after finishing my 365 of self portraits just last week it feels amazing to have accomplished that,and to have gotten to spend a whole year with this woman inside,time to make peace with her.
Although there is still work to do in order to reach womanhood and a social anxiety free life.
Website: www.flickr.com/photos/roniriver/
