The "What I Be Project", by Steve Rosenfield.

Twelve years ago Steve Rosenfield was working a 9-to-5 job. While successful, he wasn’t happy.

Closed off and uncomfortable being honest, he had a hard time connecting to those around him. So he quit his job, and spent four years traveling the world.

youtube.com

When he finished he asked his friend Amanda to display her greatest insecurity proudly on her body. And she did.

Image by Steve Rosenfield

1. As did more than a thousand more…

“I am not my vices”

2. “I am not my depression”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

3. “I am not my hips”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

4. “I am not my dyslexia”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

5. “I am not my success”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

6. “I am not my sentence”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

“25 to life. That’s what they told me I was facing for the 2 counts of involuntary manslaughter, 18 counts of trafficking narcotics and 1 count of conspiracy. At 15 years old, I managed to gain all of that in one. single. night. The worst night of my life. The night that I decided that it would be cool to steal some methadone pills, sell them at the Homecoming football game and I gave into peer pressure…Two of my friends, young boys whom I loved and cared for, who were 15 and 17 years old, died that night from overdosing. Dead. Lives GONE, families TORN. I was arrested a few days later and then sentenced to 12 years. By the grace of God, I served only 4 in a youth prison down in Southern California, and at 19, I was released.”

7. “I am not my turban”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

8. “I am not my dysmorphia”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

9. “I am not my therapy”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

10. “I am not my guard”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

11. “I am not my traumatic brain injury”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

12. “I am not my diabetes”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

13. “I am not my drama”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

14. “I am not my selfishness”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

15. “I am not my abortion”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

16. “I am not my gender”

Image by Steven Rosenfield

17. “I am not my viruses”

18. “I am not my gender”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

19. “I am not my weirdness”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

20. “I am not my envy”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

21. “I am not my ways”

22. “I am not my sexuality”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

23. “I am not my indecision”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

24. “I am not my emotions”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

25. “I am not my quietness”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

26. “I am not my detachment”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

27. “I am not my molestation”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

28. “I am not my attempts”

Image by Steve Rosenfield

"I am not my amputation."

"I am not my molestation."

"I am not my number."

"I am not my abortion."

"I am not my adoption."

"I am not my character."

"I am not my thoughts."

"I am not my guilt."
"The 'What I Be Project' is all about honesty," Rosenfield writes on his site. "In today’s society, we are told to look or act a certain way. If we differ from these 'standards,' we are often judged, ridiculed, and sometimes even killed over them. I started this project in hopes to open up the lines of communication, and to help everyone accept diversity with an open mind and heart."
The project -- started in September of 2010 -- covers a broad population of people dealing with career obstacles, eating disorders, chronic illness, self-harm and disabilities, among many, many other things. With over 1,100 images under his belt, Rosenfield began asking his volunteers to write essays to accompany their images to provide more context for an upcoming book. "I encourage every viewer to look at each image and put yourself in the individuals shoes," the photographer adds. "By allowing yourself to feel what they feel, you might realize something you’ve never noticed before." -- Follow his project on Facebook.