Behind the pretty face

I have to admit that I rarely post my face online. Not so much for privacy's sake (I don't have the illusion of privacy, with the NSA around) but more because I've never liked taking pictures pictures. Back in the time, I was probably one of the few young girls that wasn't fond on making selfies, and therefore often had ID's showing either my back, my drawing equipment, or just a drawn image of me. The reason I posted a picture, was because it was for a good cause. An issue that I wanted to raise awareness for myself. The many people that had already posted their real pictures, encouraged me as well. That internet isn't all about faking who you are, but about the 'real' you as well. No matter who you are. Boy or girl, pretty or ugly.

I was laying in my bed already as a friend send me a note on Facebook. Or rather; a screenshot. The picture I submitted initially for fun, had apparently reached the front page. 

And when I got to DeviantArt the next day, I had about 1500 new messages waiting for me. 

Yes, that's indeed pretty much insane...

I've been around on the internet for quite long. And the times that things surprise me gets rarer over the years. But I was honestly surprised about the many people that commented on that picture.

400 faves. Hell, even my regular art doesn't get that many. Flattering. But why? Because people liked me for who I was? Or because I apparently looked 'awesome', considering today's standards? Would people have reacted the same way if I turned out the be one hell of an ugly motherf*cker? I'm still confused about that. 

Not too long ago, when I was still a teenager, I was being called ugly every single day.

As popular and unapproachable as I might seem to some of you now... back then I was probably one of the most ugly and despised girls at school. 

Given, I wasn't exactly a beauty. I was a late-bloomer. A nerd that was obsessed with art and computer programming, far more than with looks. Honestly, I liked what I did. But I was a teenager and was kinda shy. And since bullies tend to have a sense for that kind of thing, they bullied the living hell out of me. My time at high school was as close to hell as one could get. I wasn't only hurt physically, but basically excluded from all group activity and called names on a daily basis. There wasn't much certainty at high school, except for one: no boy at school would ever wanted to be seen around me.

It's strange how events like that can turn one's life around. 

For me, it opened up an entirely different perspective on people. One in which you shouldn't always judge people on their package, but on the content inside. Over the years I've learned to value people for their knowledge and experience, rather than their looks. Because looks come by their selves. You either are lucky enough to inherit a good looking pair of genes, or you are not. Experience, on the other hand, is something people work their asses off for. Something that takes effort, and deserves respect.

During this whole DA event, many people told me they were afraid to post their picture, because they didn't think of their selves as pretty. Some of them even tried to guilt-talk me into that it was so easy for me to post mine, because I apparently had a pretty face considering their standards, and therefore everybody would instantly love me.

I have mixed feelings about this. People feeling bad about their selves, just because I posted a picture. That was never my intention. The whole thing is even weirder, because apparently now some of the people assume me to be one of 'those people' that looks down on them, simply because of looks. The same type of person that I used to hate on high school -- and quite the opposite from what I actually am. I am confused.

Well... these are just my 5 cents on the topic.

Just know things aren't always what they seem to be.