“I protect myself by one of two ways: avoiding or preparing.
Either, I suppress negative thoughts about exams, awkward situations or conversations so I can avoid stressful sentiments.
Or, when a situation is inescapable, I prepare for it by soothing myself. I have learned that negative thoughts are exhausting, so I try valuing my thoughts instead of judging them. It’s more relaxed and makes me happier.”
– Anna (Berlin, Germany)
“I protect myself by not taking other people’s stupid comments too seriously. I protect myself with humor.
That saves me from getting hurt.
Many people don’t know a lot about transsexuals, that’s why they often react weirdly or even disgusted. I used to feel very offended when someone said I was an ugly girl. By now, I have accepted myself the way I am. I don’t care about those people’s words.”
– Flora (Berlin, Germany)
Protected by Art
Art is not about perfection.
Art is stepping out of the perfect conception,
Separating oneself from what seems reasonable
And just doing what springs to mind.
Explosion, that’s Art, Implosion,
Expression or Impression.
Art is emotional, Art reveals a perspective.
Art is not objective,
Art shows a part of the inside, even when it’s the outside that’s displayed.
That’s why Art exposes Vulnerability.
When one paints, draws, molds, designs, writes,
It always reflects a part of one’s Self.
Art is personal, Art shows character.
As a Creator of Art one always reveals something about oneself,
Something one wants to express through Art.
Something one doesn’t want to express otherwise.
And when one talks about one’s own Art, one shows oneself,
One shows oneself more than one might want.
So Art is not only Expression,
But also Protection.
Protection to not have to show oneself other than through Art.
Art is so much more than Creativity.
Art is Self-protection.
“I protect myself by realizing my own worth. I protect myself by distancing myself from people who will hurt and leave a negative impact on me.
I protect myself with positive affirmations and thoughts along with meditation every day. I also write in my journal every single day to understand my thoughts, emotions and feelings. That allows me to let go of everything negative.”
– Leanna (CA, USA)
“How Do I Protect Myself?“
This is a question I have been asking myself lately.
Now I am asking You. “How Do You Protect Yourself?“
Every person has different memories, different experiences, a different style of living. So every person has different fears too, different priorities and therefore different ways of protecting themselves.
Self-protection can be of various form – it could be material, it could be a certain behavior, it could even be another person. And this is what I find so fascinating. There are as many ways of self-protection as there are people in this world. Even more, actually, as one individual usually protects itself in several ways.
I have started a photography project in which I ask people how they protect themselves.
Here, I want to share my experiences with you.
I wish for you to be inspired by the openness of people sharing their protection with us. To be inspired by their not being afraid of showing vulnerability.
Feel free to share your way of self-protection in the comments or via email: photography@lunabuerger.com
If you’re interested in taking part in this project and being portrayed in a photograph, please let me know.
Profilbild Blog etc.