Identity

Fun times at the moment!!! My lovely wife reads the blog or at least her solicitors do!!!! So when I came home I took all my clothes off so she could have the shirt off my back!!! :-)))))

HoW mAnY Selfs Do We Have?

"If our subconcious was attractive, we wouldn't have to bury it down deep inside ourselves. It'd be just another feature on our face, like a nose."

How many Identities do we have? or how many selfs?

Your public self
Your private self
Your secret self
Your dark self

We spend so much time in our live's pretending..(our public self) do we really know who we are?Who we want to be? Who we should be? Who we shouldn't be? Who the fuck are we?Just puppets working for a wage and buying into the capitalist dream of owning as much as we can? The more we have makes us more successful? Or does it? Money = Happiness? No money = Unhappiness? The best things in life are free? Money means that I can have what I want? I like asking questions but I wish I had some answers!!! :-Dx

WriStBaNds

Why Keep festival wristbands on?
It is a good point!! Why?
Well for me it is just a reminder of the good times I have had.
When I am having a crap day at work or I am feeling a little cheesed off I can look at my wristbands and think of the great times I had at Latitude, Leeds and the Why Not festivals.
Like having a photograph on your phone etc.. I have a reminder on my arm!!

1) Latitude - Went with my mates, first time I have camped at a festival for years, Pink Sheep!!
2) Leeds - Went with the x and stopped in the Hilton.Had an ace time and went on the Dodgems.
3) Why Not - Met some really nice people who have become friends.

It also lets other people know that I like going to festivals. I have had loads of conversations with people I don't know because of my wristbands..they might have been to the same festival or just ask what I thought of them.
People spend alot of money on jewellery, watches etc...this has never interested me in the slightest. I like people to know I go to festivals because festivals and music play a big part in my life so the wrisbands are part of my identity.
How many is too many though??? I think 3 or 4 are enough, so I will start to cut them off after Leeds this year.
Less than a week to Leeds!!! excited!!
Looking forward to seeing Super Furry Animals tomorrow too....exciting times!! :-Dx

MaNchEster 2

Had one of those days in Manchester were you just see loads of things to buy..
Going for the retro look at the moment....

1) 70's and 80's ties...love the brown one made out of Terylene
2) record bag with a cool buckle made out of a leather jacket...how coolio
3) authentic 80's watch...it has a green circle thing and a flashing stopwatch..it's ace

All these for £60..I bought some other stuff but these are my favourites.
My new identity as retro man!!! :-Dx

LaBeLs - WhO dO yOu ThiNk i aM?

What we wear has a massive bearing on our identity. What I wear gives people an opinion of me without even knowing anything about me. Everyone likes to feel good about themselves and a major part of that is about feeling comfortable with how we look. It doesn't matter sometimes what other people think, it is more about ourselves. This is because someone might say 'you look good in a suit' but if you feel more comfortable wearing jeans and a t-shirt then ultimately that is what you will choose to wear most of the time. While one person feels comfortable in a shirt and tie another would feel stifled and undo the tie at the first opportunity.Some people like to be clean shaven, some like to grow a beard. These are just two examples how people might judge us without knowing anything about us.

eg. suit and clean shaven = ?

jeans and t-shirt unshaven = ?

suit and unshaven = ?

jeans and t-shirt clean shaven = ?

Each option might make people think of someone in a different way. I mean, why wear and suit and tie and not be clean shaven? Is that person saying I have to wear a suit but really I would rather just be wearing jeans and a t-shirt? Either purposely or not we think about what we wear everyday. To some people this is far more important than others but everyone does it.

Also, clothes or the way we look can be a way we identify with others e.g. Mods, SKA, Punks, Goths, Emo, New Wave. If people are into a certain type of music they will dress in a certain way that lets others know. They can then identify with others who have the same interests without even knowing them. Other examples of this are Rival gangs who use different clours to identify each other and football hooligans 'casuals' who have a certain way of dressing and wearing certain labels synonymous with football such as Stone Island. Just like being a supporter of a football club identifies people as wanting to belong to a certain group, choosing to wear certain clothes is someone telling the rest of the world this is who I want you to think I am!!It was good to get some feedback in the pub tonight!!! We can also alienate ourselves from people if we dress in a certain way!! good point H!!

MaNcHeSteR

Manchester - I fookin love it!! Always have..From the age of 14 I have visited Manchester on a regular basis. From the music scene, gigs, nightlife, fashion, attitude and the people it is the place I identify with the most. The way the city has redeveloped over the last 10 years is amazing. If you have never been to Manchester I would highly recommend it. The Northern Quarter is just the best place to spend a day/night. It is full of independent bars and shops. One of my favourite places to go to when I visit Manchester is the Vintage Cafe on the top floor of Afflecks Palace. Described as

'Afflecks is an emporium of eclecticism, a totem of indie commerce and above all else a fantastic place to SHOP for any thing from Top hats to tattoos.'

I love to just sit in the cafe and pass the time of day while doing a little people watching. the strangest people pass through. Makes me feel soo normal. The place itself is going through a renaissance and is the liveliest I have seen it in a long time. I purchased some great stuff yesterday!! Some of the best ties ever at a fraction of the price and an authentic 80's digital watch!very nice.

As far as identity is concerned the music that has come from Manchester is by far the most important of the last 30 years in my opinion. From Joy Division/New Order, The Stone Roses and Oasis they have had a massive cultural impact on England not just Manchester. I'm not interested in that football club but I guess a few people are!!

I miss spending time in Manchester and after this weekend I will be rectifying that as much as possible. :-Dx

AccRinGton StAnLeY

Been home this weekend...back to Accrington. Maybe because I'm in a strange situation at the moment I am evaluating/reflecting on everything? Going back to Accrington feels quite odd these days because it doesn't actually feel like home anymore. It actually feels like another life I used to lead. What I mean by that is, I haven't lived there for 14 years now and when I go back even though my family and old friends are there it just feels so different to the life I lead now in Nottingham. The place just seems so small. Not much has changed, if anything it has got more run down. Which is sad because I have had some great times there. Even though I know that I will never live there again it is always nice to catch up with old friends over a beer or two on a Sunday afternoon. :-D

How does this link to identity? Well, when I left Accrington to go to University I deliberately went far enough away so that it would stop me going home. The first university I went to was Worcester which mean't I had a three hour drive if I wanted to go home. I remember to this day my mother crying as I left to go to Worcester as she said that she knew I would never come back to Accrington to live again..As a leaving gift she bought me an Accrington Stanley hat just so I never forgot where I came from. I wore this at football practise every week during the winter!! In fact I now have it in my office at work as it reminds me of my Grandad who used to take me to the Stanley matches as a child. I occasionally go to see them when I am back home and always follow their results. The Stanley motto is 'the club that wouldn't die', it is a truly amazing story,not just about football. It shows how important football is to people and to there identity. I will never forget where I came from!! I am proud to say that I was born in Accrington. Even though to be honest, it is a bit of a shithole !! :-Dx

MeTaMoRphFaCe 7

hALF Beard Half Clean..I am A RoBot...A mAn mAchIne
Split Personality
To beard or not to beard?
Just been to the Co-op and the checkout person couldn't look at me properly!!!
That is the funniest thing I have done in ages!!the look on her face!! It took all my will power not to laugh as I paid for the bottle of wine. :-Dx

MeTaMoRphFaCe 5

I love this picture! It reminds me of when I went to Brussels :-D The flowers are part of a promotion done by Kenzo which looked amazing. The purpose of using this picture is to show how people view others by their disposition i.e happy, sad, angry. Clearly on this i am very happy, I am smiling and that is reflected in my face. If someone was to see this they would probably think I look like a happy person without actually knowng anything about me. I could have actually just murdered someone and hid them underneath the flowers for all they know!!! If I used a picture were I looked serious, naturally people would think I was a serious person without actually knowing me. I think the old adage first impressions count is so so true. You make judgements without really knowing someone, by how they appear and usually the first time you meet them is the most important as regards how you view them.

MeTaMoRphFaCe 4

This picture was taken when I had fallen off my bike at about 30 miles an hour. I was doing an interval session when a rabbit shot out from the side of the road. I was fully extended on tri-bars and lost my balance falling onto the road head first. Fortunately I had a helmet on which split in two when I hit the road. I was very lucky! I can't remember how long I was unconcious for but when I came to I was led on the road. I got up and cycled to the nearest village where I got picked up. While I was waiting to be picked up at least 5 or 6 cars stopped to ask if I was ok. I said I was fine I was waiting for someone to pick me up and thanked them for their concern. I had no idea how I bad looked until my x picked me up and the look on her face said it all!! When I got home I wanted to take some pictures so I could see how I looked to others. I now have a scar near my left eye which is part of me forever. It will always be part of my identity.

MeTaMoRphFaCe 3

Beardy beardy beardy...the easiest way for a man and maybe some crazy old ladies to change there appearance is to grow hair. Be it on your head or face. So the first thing I have done is try to grow a beard! Try being the operative word! These are the results! I like it! The bit I like best is the white bits in my beard(I am using beard as a loose term to describe my facial hair growth) It has been really interesting to hear peoples reactions to it as I am always usually clean shaven, for the last few years anyway..I had a goaty for a couple of years when I was a student. I went through the foppish hair and goaty stage in the late nineties!! :-D Some people have hated it and others have loved it! I find it amusing to guess who would like it and who wouldn't!! Thoughts on how it makes me look...

1) older?
2) more intelligent?
3) more interesting?
4) more trustworthy?
5) scruffy?
6) cute?
7) friendlier (to women)?
8) tramp like?
9) more opinionated/left wing?
10) a little exentric?
11) a twat?

These are some of the various responses I have had from people. On the whole it has been a positive response and I am growing to like my white and black beard!!What are friends for but to call you a twat!! Mmmm :-D

MeTaMoRphFaCe 2

Me, Stewy and Lizzy 118 118 2008

Mullet,shades and tash!!! How to look like someone out of the Village People!! :-D
From the identity point of view, when going to a fancy dress who you choose to be can say alot about what you want other people to think about you!! People go to shops and buy everything - easy option. The other side is that people take time and make there own costumes! Does that mean they are trying to projct an image of being artistic, that they have put more thought into what they want to look like and be perceived as? i.e. anyone can buy an outfit but I have chosen to be an individual? I think it is definitely a way of showing/wanting to be seen as an individual in a good way and I would be inclined to want to talk to the person who took the effort to make their own costume much more than the person who bought a totally ready made one. That again says more about my identity because I would want spend time with who I perceived to be interesting people.

MeTaMoRphFaCe

Started working on an art project...the first theme is identity. Each person involved choses a way of showing what they see as identity. I have chosen to call my work Metamorphface. Following in the footsteps of Kafka's Metamorphasis. What would happen if your face changed? I see this as a social experiment in altering perceptions! I thought this would be an interesting aspect of identity. The majority of people I know are on facebook, twitter or myspace where there is a picture on your profile. Usually a picture of your face. This is one I have on at the moment on my facebook page. It is a picture of me at Leeds Festival 2007. The thinking behind this process is first impressions count so why would I put a picture up of me with face paint on?? I obviously don't look like this every day :-D What do I want people to think? Why do I want them to think that? Who am I? Over the next few weeks I will metamorphface....