I got my degree in psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy. Philosophy taught me the respect for diversity. Psychology taught me to ask the question — why? I enjoy listening to people. I travel a lot, but I am not a typical tourist. I definitely avoid popular resorts and tourist attractions. My job allows me to reach places and people that are far from the crowded, tourist regions. It is a fascinating and enriching experience to be there, to get to know the “normal” life and to talk about actual issues, needs and problems. I always travel with a camera. Through my lens, I record views, places, phenomena, moods, and, most importantly, people.

The process and the emotions experienced by both the photographer and the person who is photographed caught my attention. When I photograph people, I enter into a very close relationship with them. A thread of mutual understanding emerges. I like it when they begin to look boldly into the camera lens, smile, pose naturally. They change! These moments are very precious to me. Being photogenic, our behaviour in front of the lens, stems from self-esteem and the feeling of beauty. The process of being in the centre of attention of the lens, posing, following the directions of the photographer who wants to take the prettiest possible picture — should be a pleasure that allows one to open up and build the feeling of being unique, beautiful, important. Individual photo sessions are fun and pleasure for both parties. For it to be really true, trust is needed, as well as the belief that the individual and their emotions are the most important, and that it is not about a technically perfect picture.

Often we see pictures so modified, retouched, corrected, that it is difficult to recognise the person, and even if we recognise them, the pictures do not reflect their real image. A huge gap is created between the “perfect” retouched image of an individual and their “real” self. We stand in front of a mirror, looking for the perfect image from the photo... This is how self-esteem issues arise. In order to reduce or eliminate them, we try cosmetics, medicines, plastic surgeries. This phenomenon occurs more and more frequently, even among young people — particularly girls.

Photography, with its technical capabilities (photo processing software, filters used to “improve” images, special lighting, huge assortment of makeup products, stylists — artificial ways to correct an image — plays a great role in the emergence of self-esteem issues.  

However, I was surprised to hear from many women that they never had an individual photo session. I was even more surprised when I learned why was that so. There were various answers, but most often they said: it is for models, not for me; I look badly on photos; I will go to a hairdresser first; I will come when I lose weight...

Why so many women refuse to take part in photo sessions and do not want to have pictures taken where they would be the main focus? What, or who, are they afraid of? What are the emotions experienced by individuals being photographed? What is the role of the surrounding environment, of other people present, of the photographer, of the photos themselves? What is the most important for the client and for the photographer? Can the photo sessions and pictures be a tool for psychologists and therapists to work with? Can photos be the only result of the photo session? Maybe, through a friendly and pleasant process of taking pictures, we can build better self-esteem, feel more beautiful, and our self-acceptance increases?  

An American psychologist, A. Maslow, considered self-esteem as one of the “highest-level” items in his hierarchy of human needs. Self-esteem pertains to the need for love and sense of belonging, self-respect, respect for others, and self-fulfillment. Maslow described two different forms of “respect”: the need to be respected by others in the form of recognition, success, and admiration, and the need for self-respect in the form of self-love, confidence, skills, or abilities. According to Maslow, individuals with an unfulfilled need for self-esteem will be driven to seek it. They will not be able to grow and to achieve self-fulfillment. Acceptance of self as an individual who has their advantages and disadvantages definitely affects the ability to accept different people, cultures, phenomena, or religions.

The FEELING OF BEAUTY method is a sequence of workshop activities that provide/expand the participants’ knowledge about themselves and are designed to extract, build, strengthen, and then solidify the process of building proper self-esteem and feeling of beauty.

The theory of formation of self-esteem, feeling of beauty and cultural factors impacting this process, the jewellery workshops, knowledge of colours and body types and how to emphasise the individual beauty, workshops on classical and artistic make-up, basic bodypainting — all have the purpose of gradually preparing the participants to CHANGE the way they think about themselves. Photo sessions at the end of each workshop are for the purpose of solidification, recording, and the opportunity to popularise/visualise the results through publication of the photos at photo exhibitions and in calendars or albums. The photos are accompanied by individual descriptions of the person who is photographed: what does “beauty” mean for them, how do they understand it, when do they feel beautiful. The FEELING OF BEAUTY method emphasises emotions, things that we feel. For us, a real image of a person is important, their naturalness, uniqueness. We do not retouch, correct, or improve photos.

We try to show to the world that everyone deserves to feel beautiful, worthwhile, to be respected and to feel love for self and others. We seek the golden mean. Makeup can emphasise our advantages, correct imperfections, we can present ourselves on a photo in colours that are most favourable to us, we may know how to pose for a portrait or what light is the most advantageous for pictures. We do not try to achieve unrealistic, artificial and technically created “ideals”. We work on self-acceptance and building proper (neither low nor inflated) self-esteem and feeling of beauty.

My motto are the words of a famous photographer Peter Lindberg:

“This should be the responsibility of photographers today: to free women, and finally everyone, from the terror of youth and perfection.”

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The FEELING OF BEAUTY project is a Cooperation Project for Innovation and Exchange of Good Practices implemented in the Partnership of 3 international Organizations: RAiDO Foundation International Center for Supporting Youth and Adults from Poland (Project Coordinator); Nuoriso- ja luontomatkailukeskus Inari Oy from Finland and ASSOCIACIO CULTURAL TABALA from Spain.

The main goal of the FEELING OF BEAUTY project is to jointly develop an innovative method of working on building proper/correct sense of self-worth, including a sense of own beauty through proces of photography (portrait photography sessions) and therapeutic art methods together with the process of their widespread dissemination in a group of parents with children with disabilities, adults People with disabilities. The project encourages and motivates to active citizenship and ethical behavior in relation to lifelong learning. It strengthens the development of social and intercultural competences, critical thinking and media literacy among socially excluded people with fewer opportunities. The project addresses and promotes the social and educational value of European cultural heritage, promotes equal access and social inclusion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds compared to their peers into transnational activities and mobility when access is difficult or limited.

All project partners work with socially, culturally and linguistically excluded groups who are national minorities in their countries. 26 employees / staff of Partner organizations (including Deaf / Hearing Impaired people from Poland), who work on behalf of including people with fewer opportunities in their local communities, will participate in international mobilities. The project is ultimately addressed to the disadvantaged group, which are the parents of people with disabilities, with fewer opportunities, adults with disabilities.

Activities in the project are the FEELING OF BEAUTY training cycle (TC in Poland for 26 people of staff organs and local TC, run by the international staff of the project for parents of people with fewer opportunities in Finland and Spain. During the TC they will acquire knowledge in psychology, photography , art therapy, make-up, bodypainting, eco-jewelry, photo processing programs.

GUIDE FEELING OF BEAUTY containing tips and information about the FEELING OF BEAUTY method and photos from photo sessions from 3 countries is the main result of intellectual work in the project. It will be released in three language versions: English / Polish; English/ Finnish / Saami Language and English/ Spanish / Valencian, so as to reach groups with specific language needs that are involved in the project.

An additional result will be calendars for 2022 presenting photos from all photo sessions in the project. Activities disseminating the results of activities are three photographic vernissages at the end of each of the TC (3 countries). At the end of the project, the cycle of INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC OPENINGS FEELING OF BEAUTY will be main activities disseminating the results of intellectual work ALBUM / GUIDE FEELING OF BEAUTY. All activities in the project are available to Deaf / Hearing impaired people from Poland.

Results available on the project website: www.feelingofbeautyproject.eu

Dorota Anna Milke – psychologist, coach, traveller, youth worker, educator of adults. President of the Foundation RAiDO International Support Center for Youth and Adults. The original method FEELING OF BEAUTY is a novel combination of a psychological session and a photo session.