What is Dear Self?

Dear You,

Thanks for being curious about this Dear Self project of mine.

It is a pretty simple project really. Each day I write myself a letter. My goal is to be completely honest with myself — to reflect upon whatever is going on with the hope…

I think I just came down with a case of white male privilege.

Absent Without Leave.

Dear Self,

Up until 4 days ago I had written something every day for 236 days.

Then I just broke that streak. I went AWOL on you.

How did this happen? Where did I go? Is everything ok?

Why can I see the beauty in others but not in myself?

Dear Self,

Why is it so easy for me to see the beauty in others but not in myself?

Perhaps it is normal. To be too enrapt with my own beauty might be ever so slightly narcissistic? But…

I broke the law and ran into a police officer.

Dear Self,

I darted across the street looking furtively left and right.

There was a good stretch of footpath before the lights so I picked up my pace and looked straight ahead.

Three strangers walked into my studio.

Dear Self,

Yesterday morning I was sitting playing piano when the door to my studio opened and three strangers walked in.

I was very taken aback.

I’m scared it could be me.

Dear Self,

Whoa.

I feel frightened.

I thought that I knew what kind of world I was living in and now I have realised that I didn’t know at all.

It feels dark to admit all this.

Dear Self,

I am standing in the fluorescent shop with my hands on an aluminium plastic coated red hot looking air filled packet of MSG soaked deep fried corn and I know that this isn’t a place I want to be but I can’t stop myself.

A collection of men.

Dear Self,

A while ago I realised that I was a man.

I always knew that I was male, but the fact that being male means in societies eyes that I am ‘a man’ only just occurred to me.