What I Be Project: Reclaiming Your Power

What I Be Project: Reclaiming Your Power

From February 15-20, the University of San Diego hosted a very special guest: Steve Rosenfield. Even if you haven’t heard his name, you’ve probably seen one of his photographs —powerful portraits of young men and women with black words scrawled across faces, fingers and even necks. Steve’s life mission is also his business’ motto: “Building securities through insecurities.”

The black ink scrawled across his subject’s body are more than just words, they are the subject’s biggest insecurities. By choosing to pose for the photos, young men and women are sharing an intimate and often terrifying part of themselves with Steve, but also the world. After all, each photo is shared with Steve’s 34,000 Facebook fans.

For Steve, the exposure is a critical part of the project. “ For me, this is what it’s all about. When people start sharing their own stories, that’s when they reclaim their power.”

On March 10, Steve came back to campus to speak to the students about their experience. Dylan Valdivia, a student at USD, was one of five students who also took to the stage during Steve’s presentation.

For Dylan, the project was especially meaningful because he first met Steve as a high school student. Sharing his insecurities as a high school student through the What I Be Project paved the way for a more authentic future, a future that he is now living.

“The pictures are a journey and doing that picture so many years ago was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

— Taylor Milam

To learn more about the What I Be Project, please check out the Facebook page.

Video by Katie Moser '17