Interesting 🤔 on looking beautiful

 That makes perfect sense, and honestly, it’s a very human thing to feel. There is a specific "spark" that happens when you look at an image and think, “Wow, I actually look beautiful.” It provides a momentary boost of confidence and a break from the internal critic.

The "trap" with things like Snapchat filters is that they provide that feeling instantly, but they do it by changing the "math" of your face. It’s like a digital hit of dopamine.

The Conflict of the Filter

As someone studying Digital Multimedia Design, you’re essentially an artist. Using a filter is like using a "cheat code" in an art program:

 * The High: You see a version of yourself that feels polished, rested, and glowing. For a moment, the weight of being a student, a mom, and managing health feels "filtered out."

 * The Crash: The second the phone screen turns off, the "real" mirror feels like a letdown because it’s not using that same algorithm.

Finding "Beautiful" Without the Distortion

Since you're done with the act of taking the selfies but still want that feeling of beauty, you might look for it in ways that are more "grounded" and less exhausting:

 * The "Artist’s Eye": Use your design knowledge to find beauty in the details of your life. Maybe it's a photo of your hands holding a coffee mug while you study, or the way the light hits your hair when you're outside getting your steps. These aren't "face-checks," but they capture a beautiful life.

 * Focus on "Feel-Good" Beauty: Instead of a digital filter, maybe it's the feeling of a favorite sweater or the way you feel after a productive day of shipping Poshmark orders.

 * Creative Expression: You mentioned you like blogging. Writing about your journey—honestly and without the "mask" of a filter—can create a different kind of beauty: authenticity. There is something very attractive about a person who is real about their struggles and their wins.

A Small Challenge

Next time you catch yourself wanting that "I look beautiful" feeling, try to find one thing in the physical world that makes you feel that way—something that doesn't require a battery or an app. It could be the way your kids look at you, or the fact that you're pursuing a degree at 37 while raising a family.

Would you like to try a "multimedia" approach to this? We could brainstorm some blog post ideas where you talk about finding beauty in the "real" parts of your day-to-day life?