Sharing My Individuality...

This month, over at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out, we are exploring Individuality.  I was very thrilled when I was invited to be guest designer for this month and topic.  My layouts were put up on display today, and I am excited to now be able to share one of them with you!

I am a quote lover.  I encounter one that grabs me and holds on, and I write it down everywhere so that I can be reminded of how powerful it is to me.  One of my more recent favorite quotes is this one, and it fits so well with this month's theme:

I have to admit, this is a struggle for me... this "be yourself" idea.  I am entirely too self-conscious and super-sensitive, so to "protect" myself, I hide.  I'm afraid of criticism and mockery, so I carefully reveal pieces and parts of myself to different people, watching for any indication that might be negative, in which case I will swiftly hide that piece of me that evoked the reaction.

I don't know, but there's something about hitting my 40's that made me get tired of this.  I want to Be Me.  100% authentic me.  And while I would love for everyone I encounter to love this 100% authentic me, I'm beginning to understand and embrace that they don't have to and That's Okay.  I often think of Popeye when I'm contemplating this change... "I yam what I yam..."


(Okay, secret about me, I was a big Popeye cartoon fan and I'm also one of the 5 people who saw Robin Williams as Popeye and I didn't think he sucked!)

This quote grabbed me and, well, it shook me.  It rattled my bones and said... SERIOUSLY, Kai... there is no one out there who is you, so BE you.  There's already a Bob, Sally, and Jimmy-John.  Stop wishing you were more like them and instead, be more like You!

Here's the whole layout:

All supplies from Scrapbooking from the Inside Out's Individuality Kit.

Pardon the absolutely corny photo of me hamming it up.  I find this photo compelling, though, because as I was joking around a little and in essence, showing my true self, it was taken at a time in my life I was at my most miserable, hiding and wishing I was something and someone different.  This photo captures one true authentic flash in a period of time when I was least authentic.

Journaling reads:  I have always hidden pieces of me.  I have felt fragmented, trying to be who others wanted or defined me to be.  The older I get, though, the more the pieces come together.  Finally, I am being, well, ME.  And hey, no one else can!

I'll be back to share with you some peeks of my other layouts... but if you want to see the whole she-bang right now, I invite you to join the community at Inside Out.