Confidence

confidence.

Dhwani Garg

Confidence isn’t about being superior to others. It’s a quiet inner feeling of knowing that you’re capable.

con·fi·dence

Dear Reader,

I’m grateful for sparing your valuable time to glimpse on my designs. I have showcased my journey using products that boost my confidence. My journey begins with what is the liminal state of feeling confident. The liminal state of confidence refers to the transitional phase I experienced while fighting a psychological war with vitiligo before, during, and after 2021.

I was not born with vitiligo, but it appeared when I was eight years old. But it never hurt me till my near and dear one started giving unsolicited pieces of advice. After that, most of my childhood time was spent on visiting doctors and then coming home and sleeping. I used to try hiding scares because exterior looks mattered the most to everyone. Suddenly vitiligo started disappearing, and by 2020 it was rarely a matter of concern to me.

I was a confident, stress-free, and self-motivated college girl. However, in 2021, things went topsy-turvy

as my vitiligo reappeared, maybe due to decreased immunity level due to Covid-19. All of this shattered my regained confidence. I used to cry and ask myself, why me? Why did I have to go through this? My parents used to tell me every night before sleeping, ‘Don’t care about outer beauty because the day you become successful in life, no one’s going to care about how you look.

The vitiligo caused me depression and a soul without confidence. Then, one day when I was cursing god, I suddenly felt blessed with everything I should have except vitiligo. So I started founding ways to regain my confidence and happiness in small things. And it was a turning point in my life journey. I felt liberated for the first time in a very long time and decided to stop worrying about what people thought altogether. It was time I focussed on my health and skin. Yes, I am candid that I used to put up make-up and heavy concealers even for the smallest of chores, such as visiting a grocery store.

The project Liminality + Transition gave me the confidence to talk about my liminal states during this period. This project is about acknowledging the minor things that provide me with confidence. Concealer, nail polish, color highlight makers, oreo shake, and lipstick might seem small, but they brought new dimensions of self-acceptance and enthralling confidence into my life. These designs are the best version of myself. It is a visual transformation of my transition.

It’s okay to have bad days and sometimes to struggle with confidence. But always remember that we all are capable of great things, no matter what.

Keep pursuing things that make you feel passionate, surround yourself with people who support you, and never forget the little thing that make us feel good.

I am confident you will continue to thrive and grow.

Dhwani Garg