As a popular, cultural idiom, being “full of yourself” is generally not a good thing.
It’s a bad thing.
It’s usually the equivalent of being conceited, arrogant, egotistical, loud, and obnoxious.
Who the hell wants to endear themselves to or be around this type of personality? No-one.
But, in the way I understand language, there’s another, positive part to this idiomatic expression, that I like a lot.
And this more nuanced definition seems to get overshadowed by its negative cousin.
This would be when someone is “full of themselves”, in a good, even grande, way.
Full. Brimful. Bursting.
In others words, these sorts of people like themselves. They accept themselves. They celebrate themselves. They honor themselves-good, bad, and ugly. They are full of themselves.
Everyone wants to be around these people.
Maybe it’s because these types of personalities live in the overflow of life.
Because they have plenty of juice and mojo, for themselves, they have an equally more extensive resource of flow and runover for others as well.
People who are genuinely and authentically “full of themselves”, in a positive way, exhibit a high degree and portion, of both humanity and humility.
Photographers, in this more noble sense, need to be “full of themselves”, and in this teeming overabundance, through personality, process, and product….let your cup runneth over.
In both life and photography, it is this sense of abundance and plenty that is what most are attracted to.
Be the ocean of exuberance and goodwill you were born to be.
Click your heart out.
Live in your surplus and vision, not in your emptiness and vanity.
Jack
