Outside of the Comfort Zone!

I’m mighty excited to share a few new features here on the blog, one of them being this one…a series of posts about going outside of my comfort zone in my self-portrait adventures and inviting you to join me.  We talk about going outside our comfort zones lots in Be Your Own Beloved because, well, the whole experience is outside of the comfort zone for many folks who sign up for the class…in fact, that is who I created the class for!  For you who the idea of taking a self-portrait or selfie feels mighty vulnerable.

Because its in these places where we are outside of our comfort zones that the biggest awakenings happen.  When we shift from “Oh my….I can’t do this” but we push through and try, realizing in the process that there is indeed something pretty wonderful outside of our comfort zones.

I also know that from the outside, it must look like this all comes pretty easy, that I’m totally comfortable taking selfies.  But thats not totally true.  While it has definitely become a lot easier to push past my inner critic (or have it not even invited along on the photo walk) I most definitely do have a comfort zone and like to stay within it!

So I’m wanting to dare myself to step out of it more and thought I’d share the process with you & invite you to join me!

I know these photos might not look from the outside like they’d be outside of my comfort zone as they are a similar style of photo as I usually take but the location…that was the ‘outside the comfort zone’ part!  I had just gone out on a short photo walk at magic hour with my camera.  I hadn’t taken many photos, because…well, sometimes it ends up just being more about the walk than the photos!  I was almost home when I saw that on my street there were the most dreamy light rays falling on the ground.

But it was right outside my house.

As in visible from my upstairs and next door neighbours.

I’ve been known to take a lot of photos nearby home.  For example the one I tell the story about in this post is taken in a small lane way right behind my house, but there is a fence blocking me from my neighbours views.  Or I may take foot photos right in front of the house, with the camera aiming downward, but to put the camera down right there in full view of my neighbours.  That feels vulnerable.

Usually I head a few blocks away where I can be that quirky girl who is twirling in the alleyway again, rather than “Thats Vivienne who lives right over there who is twirling in the street”!  That difference makes that jump from the inside to the outside of my comfort zone, big time!  Its being seen by folks who know where I live that feels vulnerable.

But those light rays.

Oh my.  I couldn’t walk by them.

So it went something like this:

“Just take one, okay.  You can do it.  I dare you”

Click.

“Okay, none of my neighbours seem to be looking out their windows…lets keep going”

Click

Click

I check the back of the camera and I’m loving that perspective of the light rays.

“Viv…just go for it…try a twirl”

Click

Click

Click

“Eeek…that was so outside of my comfort zone but dude…that was awesome”

And then I run back across the street to my house to upload them and get back in my comfort zone.  But I’m mighty glad I went for it!

Want to go outside your comfort zone and take a self-portrait today?  What would that be for you today? Maybe taking your first self-portrait?  Or taking it from a perspective that is new or outside of your comfort zone?  Or maybe it is sharing it that is outside of your comfort zone!

If you do, please do tag it with #beyourownbeloved on Instagram, Twitter  or Facebook as I’d love to see it and leave you a comment to celebrate YOU going outside of your comfort zone!

Or maybe taking Be Your Own Beloved has felt oh so outside of your comfort zone and you’re ready to go for it (and the June class is about to begin)!

And I’m mighty excited to dare myself to get outside my comfort zone more and share these stories with you & I hope you’ll join me!