Don't Be a Selfie Hater. We Won't be Friends.

People who are down on the selfie suck. Screw them.

We've been taking selfies since we've been able to draw. Some of the most famous paintings of the most famous painters are the ones the painted of themselves. Portraits are selfies. If you commissioned a portrait, hired a photographer, or set the timer on your dSLR -- you've taken a selfie.

The part that really gets to me is that the majority of people taking selfies are girls and young women, and the last thing society should be telling them is 'don't be confident -- you aren't as cool/pretty/hip to be putting your photograph out there -- no one wants to see that'. Anyone who thinks they have the personal authority to tell someone else not to take a picture of themselves isn't even worth listening to.

Selfies speak to the social and self-constructed nature of the identity project itself.

If selfies are filtered and edited to present a slightly idealized version of the self, that isn’t about being fake. Playing up your best features while minimizing or disguising your worst — as you present yourself to the world in the way that you want to be seen – has a word, and that word is style.

I take selfies like I take red wine: in moderation. I take selfies because I don’t consider myself photogenic and selfies – unlike well-meaning but misguided friends who happen to be wielding cameras – allow me total control over my own representation of self. I’m not just posting a picture of me; I’m showing myself as the way that I actually see myself (or want to see myself). There’s a difference. The latter may be more manipulated, but is no less revealing. This really resonated with me -- I'm a sucker for anything identity politics, and I especially loved the part about not being photogenic, and wanting to have control over my own personal image.

So let's get together and support selfies. Support women taking pictures of ourselves, Documenting who we are right now. However we want to do it. These are our stories, These are our bodies and we have every right to express ourselves and our stories in the manner we see fit.

Join me for Thursday3. I started the Thursday3 selfie challenge to support a safe space for women to share photos of themselves, and encourage them to take the space to tell their story. Instagram is the perfect platform for Thursday3 -- it's easy to find other people participating, and it's a great way to make new friends and learn more about yourself in the process.

Selfies can be a super important part of documenting who you are right now. Join us Thursdays on instagram (or twitter) and start building up your own selfie collection.