IN FOCUS In this weeks issue Interesting article exploring the idea of identity and personality + much more
Discussing how the way you dress..
And the hobbies and activities you choose to participate in...
Shape who you are...
The contents of your room and your personal environment show a lot about your idenity and personality
Ever wondered how your appearance and the clothes you wear, make up you put on in the morning (if you’re female obviously, or maybe even if you’re male who knows) and places you choose to go project to other people, and how you can be judged in an instant? The answer 9 times out of 10 will probably yes, it’s easy to see everyone’s identity is a reflection of their personality and how they portray it through these means without even thinking, some in more extreme ways than others. This article explores the simple opinions of people and how they choose to live their lives so we are able to have an insight into what really makes someone’s identity their own. After all, we are all individual and not one of us the same, so why not take a peek at what makes other peoples lives seem more interesting than our own? When we spy people in the street, we rarely digest the idea that we are really products of our environment. Think about it, the place where you live and the people you spend your time with, how do they influence your outlook on life, the music you listen to, what you choose to fill your spare time with, where you
choose to go on nights out, sunny days? This thought is something at the back of our minds, or never even there. This can be seen in different towns, walk the streets and look around next time your out and about, how do the faces differ from other towns, places you’ve been. I interviewed people on the streets of Leeds and asked them what they thought the collective identity of the main population was, one young girl answered: ‘It’s definitely a student based population, everywhere you look there’s teenagers and guys and girls between 20-25!’ Her friend also chipped in, ‘The shops here definitely influence the style of the students in Leeds, like Urban Outfitters and the little vintage shops, I see a lot of mostly indie and alternative kids, the odd chav (am I allowed to call them that? Laughs)’ Living in Leeds I personally only have one town explore the identity of, however my friend is from Nottingham and I asked her what sort of identities she sees on the streets on a regular basis and how it differs from Leeds and why she believes this is so. She said:
‘The majority I see is towney, chavvy people, it’s not student based really because the university isn’t in the city centre but rather round the outskirts’ ‘I’m not sure why, because it’s the second worst place to live in the country maybe? There’s more for them to do I suppose, clubs etc its smaller than Leeds’ ‘It gets boring fast, although I know people that have moved their and love it, because it’s new to them and I’ve lived there all my life, you always get bored of the place your from’. So what contributes to making someone’s identity and outlook on others different from someone else? I asked my friend what makes her lifestyle and what she does that she thinks makes her who she is. ‘Well I go to a lot of gigs, a lot of festivals; I listen to a lot metttaaaaalllllllllll music. I like tattoos and piercings because I think they’re pretty and it shows individuality, I don’t like been joined to a group, but I’m labelled and I don’t mind it’ Also asking two male friends what they think, Matt Carver, a member of a local band ‘We Play Dead’ says about his influences and what makes
Local band ‘Demoraliser’, ‘music is a big part of a person’s idenity’
his identity his own. ‘The music I listen to is a big thing, it influences the way I dress, like I can’t dress as an indie kid while I’m in a metal band it wouldn’t be right really. I have tattoos because they express me and what I like, I feel they show everyone else me so I guess that’s another I express myself to others. I also do graphic design at university, I got into that because of myspace (the website) it was a big part of the scene back then and I realised I li ked to make graphics and personalise my page and I got into photoshop through that. Snowboarding is also a part of my identity as it’s a big hobby of mine and I’ve made a lot of friends through that’ Finally my other close friend Aaron Culver from Hull talked about identity in general, he said: ‘Your personality, your humour, your interests, how you act around certain people and in certain situations. Whether you’re confident or not, the way you dress, look, have your hair, your eyes, smile and laugh. They’re the things people remember about you and what makes you who you are’ So next time you walk around the
Capturing a ‘alternative’ teenager in their personal space.
streets of your hometown or play about with your friends, maybe think a little deeper about how you’ve come to be who you are, out of curiosity more than anything. No one should judge you in a derogatory manner no matter what group or scene you belong to. Individuality is what makes us who we are, your identity is yours and what you makes you, well you, and that is indeed a beautiful thing all around. Article By Emily Cressey
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