Lw may 2017 wolfie submissions (1)

– BEA OYSTER / HONOLULU, HI

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– STARR SMITH / LOS ANGELES, CA

confidence + WOLFIE SUBMISSIONS +

Confidence doesn't necessarily come from one's physical attributes, or even our successes and accomplishments.

Confidence comes from owning who you are, and loving yourself despite your flaws. This months our Wolfies share what confidence means to them and how they portray boldness.

CURATED BY ERIN MCDOWELL I used to think of confidence as an armour, a thick and hardened skin that protected you from pain, from disappointment, that allowed you to stride on high head. It used to mean never worrying about your appearances, your fears or others opinions. I've learnt, though, that confidence is much more than that. Confidence can come from being soft. So it's not about never feeling, worrying or doubting, it's embracing all of that and carrying on anyway. Confidence isn't being sure you'll never fail but rather knowing that you're strong enough to try again. – HANNAH FRANKLIN / GLOUCESTESHIRE, UK I thought I lost my confidence when I lost him. I thought everything I had been building finally broke. This may have been true; maybe he did break a part of me. But I’m slowly realizing I can put myself back together. I wasted months doubting myself and everything I did. It was only when I started to fix myself that I started to get over him. And I know someday I’ll be me again. I realized that if you put your own confidence in someone else’s hands you’re bound to lose it, or at least some part of it. – MEGAN DE GUZMAN / DENVER, CO I have always been a girl who has struggled with confidence: the quiet girl, the shy girl, the girl who was lacking a sense of self. I was never comfortable with being different. I was labeled a freak, a weirdo, all because I was interested things my peers weren’t. I have always been into photography and more recently, femininity. As a girl who is Chinese American, I believe that feeling empowered in a community that is not as accepting as the world is so, so, so important, especially in the time period we live in. Having grown up in a heavily white community, being the odd one out is something I’m familiar with. My newly found confidence stems from surrounding myself with people who are unapologetically themselves. Surrounding yourself with the right people (and for me, that’s the right creatives) allows you to thrive. It allows you to be yourself. It allows you to be confident.

– VICTORIA MAUNG / HO-HO-KUS, NJ

Being confident – wouldn’t it be wonderful feeling all powerful and brave, like no one is standing in my way? It would, but for me, being confident also means being at peace with myself.

So, even on the worst days, I try to applaud and silently whisper to myself – you did well, you are great. Sometimes I’m even rocking the beat and singing a now cliché Beyoncé line “we flawless, ladies tell ‘em,” while still searching for that little spark to start a fire in the heart. But in truth, at the end of the day, I’m full of flaws and that’s just fine. That’s the real magic – trusting and believing in myself whether I’m standing under the bright lights, making my way down the stage or trying to make it out of bed in the morning. Because being vulnerable, but still trying, still growing and changing, still grabbing that confidence behind it’s tail and making it stay, is one hell of a superpower. – SIMONA GRĀVĪTE / RIGA, LATVIA I moved to Brooklyn in May of 2016 after leaving a threeyear relationship and losing some important friends. Most of my life I've been pretty existential, and I've had a hard time finding value in my personal projects and believing in my ideas, and in the past I definitely put more energy and time into my relationships than I did into my own pursuits. Finding the confidence to ~become a person~ without a significant other was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I've always looked for validation in the form of love and attention from other people, but rarely have I looked for it in my own dreams and beliefs. – MEILI CHRISTIANSEN / BROOKLYN, NY Confidence. The unadulterated ability to honestly accept who you are; a concept so foreign that the word itself has become almost extinct. True confidence starts (but doesn’t end) at selfempowerment and the ability to acknowledge that if I’m going to achieve anything, I need to believe that I can. When I was a child, I beamed with unapologetic confidence. In my early teen years, I wanted nothing more than to blend in. Now, I portray my passion for believing in myself through creativity and little by little, I can feel myself filling up with that same confidence I felt before. – ISABELLA HAMBRICK / ATLANTA, GA

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I became a photographer because I didn’t do well with words and I knew that I could use photos to articulate my thoughts and feelings. Being able to share what I’ve created through my weaknesses make me feel confident and empowered. So, although my less than perfect communication skills can get in the way, my photos enable me to accept my flaws and turn them into something positive. The sensation of transforming self-doubt into self-assurance is exhilarating. When I take a photo, I’m no longer thinking about what I can’t do, because now, I’m focusing on what I have done. – ALYCEE BYRD / GREENSBORO, NC (PHOTO BELOW)

As a kid, and even until recently, I struggled a lot with my sexuality. When I was just a little girl, I would look at girls the same way other girls looked at boys, and I never really saw an "issue" with it until I got older. I discovered what it meant to be attracted to the same sex. The word "gay" meant a lot of negative things to the people I associated myself with. Being gay meant that you weren't normal. I’ve always wanted to just be normal. I just wanted to fit in, so I did everything I possibly could to try and fit in. I would do all of the things my friends were doing, like all the boys they liked, all of that. It got really hard for me to do after a while. I thought that maybe I could just hide who I was, but that only made things worse. I realized later on that being gay is a beautiful thing. I started to accept myself, and eventually came out. I've never felt better about myself. No matter who you are, you have the right to love who you love, with no limits or restrictions. – ALEXIS TRIESH / HAGERSTOWN, MD (PHOTO ABOVE)

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– JOSEPHINE ELLEN / NEW YORK, NY

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– MARIERY YOUNG / PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

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– ELEONORA AROSIO / AMSTERDAM

When photographing someone for the first time, I often find that the subject starts off as very unsure of themselves. But as the shoot goes on and the subject looks through the photos, they see themselves in a different light. By the end, any uncertainty that they had is long gone, and in its place is a newfound confidence that exudes from their very being.

The beauty of portrait photography is having the privilege of witnessing this transformation right before your very eyes. – SHELBY SHIKASHIO / SAN JOSE, CA (PHOTO BELOW)

Confidence to me is just being exactly who you are and truly embracing the beautiful person that you are... I love people, and I think my work shows that. I think the way I communicate with the people I shoot with makes them feel comfortable in their own skin and confident... and each shoot turns out better than we both ever expected. – TAYLOR JARVIS / CHARLESTON, SC (PHOTO ABOVE)

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