i have been thinking about body modification lately--partly because of my studies and partly because, well, i just fucking love it. it's one of those topics that never cease to make me curious.
i can only speculate about myself and my motivations, but i'm deeply curious about everyone else's...how do you do it and why do you do it--or why dont you?
here's what i've been thinking about myself:
i mark/inscribe/modify my body to solidify identity.
i do it to stand out--> to be noticed in a culture that thrives on the 'look at me!' culture.
modifying my body is an intentional act and as such creates meaning/importance for it.
it allows me to conquer the fear of/that results from the human predicament--the desire/need to be pristine/eternal/unchanging/persisting (immortal?).
modifying my body expresses ownership of it. it states my subjectivity and while its appearance to others is outward, its sensations that i feel are completely mine.
-a reclaiming of my body being an 'object' to other people through the outward manifestation/signs that express my subjectivity--> my decoration of my body, my creation of self and the distinctly subjective aspects of pain/sensation felt as a response to or during such acts.
the situation/state of being looked at creates statements to others about my agency, my power, my gender role understandings, identities and roles, my strengths, etc.
-power and strength is created by the willingness to confront pain be it physical or emotion unease about 'mutliative' processes or the changes/modification of the body that announce the absence of permanence and by extension, immortality.
when the body is modified or 'wounded' it goes through a healing process and this process is an affirmation of live/health/vitality.
marking the body=a questioning of value systems/traditional beliefs/traditions of beauty and appropriate behaviour/appearance.
to emphasize the body creates accents that draw attention to the innate beauty of the human form and life-forms in general.
these are some free-writings that i did today. what do you think. why do you? what do you do? do you do anything at all? what do you think about why other people do it?
i can only speculate about myself and my motivations, but i'm deeply curious about everyone else's...how do you do it and why do you do it--or why dont you?
here's what i've been thinking about myself:
i mark/inscribe/modify my body to solidify identity.
i do it to stand out--> to be noticed in a culture that thrives on the 'look at me!' culture.
modifying my body is an intentional act and as such creates meaning/importance for it.
it allows me to conquer the fear of/that results from the human predicament--the desire/need to be pristine/eternal/unchanging/persisting (immortal?).
modifying my body expresses ownership of it. it states my subjectivity and while its appearance to others is outward, its sensations that i feel are completely mine.
-a reclaiming of my body being an 'object' to other people through the outward manifestation/signs that express my subjectivity--> my decoration of my body, my creation of self and the distinctly subjective aspects of pain/sensation felt as a response to or during such acts.
the situation/state of being looked at creates statements to others about my agency, my power, my gender role understandings, identities and roles, my strengths, etc.
-power and strength is created by the willingness to confront pain be it physical or emotion unease about 'mutliative' processes or the changes/modification of the body that announce the absence of permanence and by extension, immortality.
when the body is modified or 'wounded' it goes through a healing process and this process is an affirmation of live/health/vitality.
marking the body=a questioning of value systems/traditional beliefs/traditions of beauty and appropriate behaviour/appearance.
to emphasize the body creates accents that draw attention to the innate beauty of the human form and life-forms in general.
these are some free-writings that i did today. what do you think. why do you? what do you do? do you do anything at all? what do you think about why other people do it?
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Nooooooo! This is supposed to be an intelligently-funny cartoon strip
*sigh* I don't know why I bother.....