Many have asked about the criteria to be included in the self-portrait book I'm working on and publishing. Here goes:

I want self-portraits -- in any medium, abstract as well -- that SAY something about the creator in some way. Something that visually, emotionally really packs a wallop. Something that looks like the creator was DRIVEN to create it. Best reference is my growing self-portrait gallery -- I've been adding things I think meet the criteria. I do think I'm leaning more toward intensity as opposed to light and fun and sunny...think I wanna stick to the dark side of the street for the most part

This started with a question: what drives us -- so MANY of us -- to create a self-portrait in the first place? What are we trying to get across? What are we LOOKING for in the act of doing it? There's some kind of unspoken need there, I think, to dig deeper into the who and what of ourselves. That quest is what I wanna see in the pieces chosen.

Keep sending your submissions, and look for a sneak preview of the book (PDF) sometime in the next month. We're getting there

-- J