For this “Self Portrait” assignment, my goal was to take a photo that tells a story about me without showing my face. I decided to focus on the story of a personal mental health journey I recently neared the end of. In the photo I took, a reflection of my face can be seen in the transparent object I was holding. However, the reflection is distorted and broken because of the multi-faceted surface. I have noticed that I have a very human tendency to compare myself to other people and their standards. In the lens of society, elements of me could be considered “broken.” However, I would argue that no one can ever find happiness by basing their opinions of themselves of of other’s beliefs, no matter how close to perfect they come. That is why I am working to embrace my distorted reflection, and find the beauty in it.