I don’t know if you consciously chose to emulate your 7-year-old self’s pose in the self-portrait in front of your purple wall (!), but I LOVE it! Whether intentional or not, it feels like something coming full circle. A little nod to the person you've always been 😊
P.S. I’m a new reader and so pleased to have discovered your writing and photographs. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. It’s beautiful!
Um wow that was NOT intentional but now that I’m looking at them side by side I’m struck by how similar they are! Full circle indeed. I love your photographs as well — nice to meet a medium format kindred spirit!
I need to tell you about my 8th grade perm while I was at a new school, with my black and white hair and albino skin. Oh lordy was I awkward too!
I wish young people could see these perspectives or have elders they respect share because we do tell ourselves all these stories and for what? To not realize how our true selves are cool. But maybe that’s just part of the process to learning to love yourself. I just wish it didn’t take so long.
Ugh, I’ve been through the name-change trauma three times (marriage, divorce, remarriage) and the logistics of it are staggering, let alone the identity crisis. I’ve often wished I could pull a Cheryl Strayed and make up my own last name, but my state doesn’t allow it without going to court. I always wanted to be Liz Wilder (because of my affinity for the outdoors, and because there are Wilders on both my mom and dad’s family tree).
I knoooooow. I’m mentally gearing up to deal with the social security office in person, blech. Cheryl Strayed was one of the people who sent me down the third name path too. I love Liz Wilder—and that you have Wilders on your family tree!
I thought about using Liz Wilder as a pen name for my Substack blog, to distinguish it from the coaching business I run as Liz Medford. But I decided that if I was going to write about hard things, I needed to be authentically me and not hide behind a pseudonym.
I had this SAME debate when I just went freelance! But like you I decided that I didn’t want my identity to feel split anymore between work and art, and to just claim it all as my own.
Girl, you were always uber-cool in my eyes — I thought I could never hope to be as smart or beautiful as the chic, talented girl I met that summer in DC before we jaunted off to LSE! Isn’t it funny how we see ourselves vs. how others view us?
Ha no way, I always thought YOU were the uber-chic one, with your cute little bob and your cool rock-climbing crew. It’s wild how differently we can see ourselves!
This is so beautiful - and I identify hugely. I've nearly changed my first name many times in the last year. I'm still not sure. For now, she is my alter ego and protagonist of the book of my life. Hope you're doing ok :)
I don’t know if you consciously chose to emulate your 7-year-old self’s pose in the self-portrait in front of your purple wall (!), but I LOVE it! Whether intentional or not, it feels like something coming full circle. A little nod to the person you've always been 😊
P.S. I’m a new reader and so pleased to have discovered your writing and photographs. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. It’s beautiful!
Um wow that was NOT intentional but now that I’m looking at them side by side I’m struck by how similar they are! Full circle indeed. I love your photographs as well — nice to meet a medium format kindred spirit!
Even the dark skirt, too - sooo similar!
Re: photographs - oh, thank you! I agree - it's nice to meet a fellow medium format enthusiast 😊
I need to tell you about my 8th grade perm while I was at a new school, with my black and white hair and albino skin. Oh lordy was I awkward too!
I wish young people could see these perspectives or have elders they respect share because we do tell ourselves all these stories and for what? To not realize how our true selves are cool. But maybe that’s just part of the process to learning to love yourself. I just wish it didn’t take so long.
Hahaha no good story starts with “and then I got a perm…” I‘ll trade you some photos of hair-sprayed bangs…
Totally agree on wishing we could learn younger that the only way to be is yourself. National “bring your middle school photos to work day.” 😂
Ugh, I’ve been through the name-change trauma three times (marriage, divorce, remarriage) and the logistics of it are staggering, let alone the identity crisis. I’ve often wished I could pull a Cheryl Strayed and make up my own last name, but my state doesn’t allow it without going to court. I always wanted to be Liz Wilder (because of my affinity for the outdoors, and because there are Wilders on both my mom and dad’s family tree).
I knoooooow. I’m mentally gearing up to deal with the social security office in person, blech. Cheryl Strayed was one of the people who sent me down the third name path too. I love Liz Wilder—and that you have Wilders on your family tree!
I thought about using Liz Wilder as a pen name for my Substack blog, to distinguish it from the coaching business I run as Liz Medford. But I decided that if I was going to write about hard things, I needed to be authentically me and not hide behind a pseudonym.
I had this SAME debate when I just went freelance! But like you I decided that I didn’t want my identity to feel split anymore between work and art, and to just claim it all as my own.
Girl, you were always uber-cool in my eyes — I thought I could never hope to be as smart or beautiful as the chic, talented girl I met that summer in DC before we jaunted off to LSE! Isn’t it funny how we see ourselves vs. how others view us?
Ha no way, I always thought YOU were the uber-chic one, with your cute little bob and your cool rock-climbing crew. It’s wild how differently we can see ourselves!
ooooh Liz. I love this one. I never knew you felt lonely, because you made everyone around you feel so special and seen.
ooof, this means a lot, thank you. 😭❤️
This is so beautiful - and I identify hugely. I've nearly changed my first name many times in the last year. I'm still not sure. For now, she is my alter ego and protagonist of the book of my life. Hope you're doing ok :)
But Liz is such a good name :) I love the idea of having an alter ego. That’s how I feel about Liz Vixen!