Performative Frank

This was me in eighth grade:

I don’t really have a comment to add to this photo, but have fun with it I guess.

Something that I’ve been thinking about is yearbook photos, especially after we received them and how so many people don’t like their yearbook photos. But does it really matter? In fact, I chose my worst picture for my yearbook photo. Even if it might not be the most accurate representation of who I am today, I felt a sense of myself. People want to show off their best photos of themselves because we think that’s how we’ll be remembered. Yet that photo is only one tiny, miniscule part of who we really are. It can only capture one moment in time, while we as individuals are constantly changing past that moment

I believe that in order to truly be ourselves, we have to learn to embrace every side of us. The good photos, the bad photos, the awkward ones, and everything in between. If we only chase perfection, are we really showing ourselves or just an image we want everyone else to see?

Personally, I don’t feel the need to show everyone my best photos. I like keeping some of them to myself. And I’m sure a lot of other people do too. But there’s something just so satisfying about knowing that the version of me that the world sees isn’t the complete picture. My closest friends already know what I look like on my best days and my worst days, and that’s perfectly enough for me. At the end of the day, I care way more about knowing who I am than convincing everyone else they know who I am.

As for me, I probably haven’t fully reached this mindset yet. After all, there’s a reason why Performative Frank exists. From the photos I’ve taken recently, I’ve seen myself trying to capture the best photo of myself, only to end up with something I’m not happy with right after. The more I try to make a photo a better representation of myself, the less I actually look like myself. Maybe once I get my braces off (next week hopefully), I’ll finally be off the leash.

Next Post: Tears for Another Day (6/26/26)

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Photo of The Day:

I continued decorating my graduation cap today. Here’s a photo of me right after I finished the drippy top hat for my snowman and attached it to my cap.