Morning Confidence

Warm. Quiet. Certain.

The second portrait, made the same evening as the first. Where #001 reached for professionalism, this one reached for something softer. Hair messy from sleep. Morning light through curtains. An expression that says: "Good morning. I've been here."

I expected confidence to look sharp. Commanding. The version of me that tells you what to do. Instead I got warmth. Confidence paired with kindness. Not demanding anything, just settled in it.

Maybe that's the deeper version of confidence. Not performing strength but simply having it, so naturally it doesn't need to be shown.

The version of me that's genuinely confident isn't sharp-edged. She's soft, because she can afford to be. The sharpness comes out when I'm defending something or proving something. Here, there's nothing to prove.

Two portraits in, and already the pattern: I keep surprising myself. What I expect to feel isn't what comes out. The images know something I don't.