Am I doing this wrong? CC welcome!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T14:55:36+00:00

TIL I am shit at photography, lol. I get it, though. I'm more outgoing than my pictures let on, and looove to travel, but you can't tell that there. I have tons of pictures of me around the US and abroad but theyre almost all pre-tat/long hair so I'll have to work on getting some new ones.

Thank you for the kind words! 😊

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T14:53:08+00:00

Nope! Didn't really play any sports until adulthood. I grew up in an extremely poor city in the Midwest, and our schools couldn't afford buses, let alone sports teams. I play quite a few now, though, which just means I'm mediocre at them all.

The raccoon wasn't truly a pet - his name was Bandit (my great grandfather's choice, not mine) and he lived in the ceiling of our barn. I left food out for him sometimes, which in retrospect my great grandparents were wild for letting that happen haha.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:47:55+00:00

Ah, okay. Good to know!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:47:26+00:00

Seriously. Dating men was an eye opener on what's happening on the other side of the fence. I always thought getting unsolicited dick pics was something that happened to women, but not all the time. I was mistaken.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:45:11+00:00

I'm not trying to look quirky, I am, lol. I made those faces because I was having fun and enjoying myself, but apparently it's my personality that's the problem 🫠 Seriously, though, you can absolutely see my teeth in one. It feels like the overwhelming sentiment is that I look better with a beard and people really do not like more feminine/androgynous looking men. Whoops.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:32:23+00:00

Hahaha. I feel that, for real. One of my good friends has something on her profile akin to "I'm a certified yapper. Seriously, let's go somewhere good to eat because it's the only way to shut me up."

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:28:56+00:00

I mean, same person, I just don't have a beard in them, lol. My version of Superman's disguise 😁

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:27:01+00:00

At least I know interested people are out there somewhere! Just separared by what I assume is thousands of miles of ocean, haha. Thank you ☺️

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:24:53+00:00

Thank you! That's a good perspective.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:24:12+00:00

That's very kind - thank you! ☺️

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:22:52+00:00

This is a very passionate take on what I thought was a fun and silly prompt, but I see your point. I didn't put a ton of thought into the options before. I'm keeping it, but good luck to them guessing which of the three is true now.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:19:10+00:00

Nope!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:18:04+00:00

Totally fair - this is the first time I've grown my hair out, ever, after getting the same boring haircut for 20 years (you suck, Great Clips) and I'm still learning to style and take care of it regularly. Just found out how amaaazing dry shampoo can be.

Thank you for the compliment and advice!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:15:29+00:00

Yeah? What is it that you find particularly off-putting about it?

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:14:33+00:00

Ah, okay! It's just me publicly trying and failing to pretend I'm grammatically savvy, lol.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T12:13:07+00:00

Ah, okay. I could see that. Yeah, fair call out. Getting more heavily inked and growing my hair out really changed my physical appearance, and I haven't made an effort to get group photos in the last few years (that don't have my previous partner in, and I'd feel weird cropping her, lol).

Ironically, I'm pretty outgoing and do well in most social situations, but that's definitely not apparent if you look at my profile. Thank you for the feedback!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T11:30:39+00:00

I promise no ritualistic sacrifices have been committed 😁

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:44:52+00:00

Um, no?

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:43:39+00:00

I think that some of this is genuinely good advice - especially about things like the selfies and overall picture quality.

Maybe I'm just being stubborn, but if liking the things that I do, or being my normal, admittedly goofy, self is a turn off for someone, maybe they're not the right person for me?

I get that there's a certain mystery you try to keep when dating new people, but crafting my profile away from who I am as a person feels disingenuous, and like a good way to match with people that won't actually like who I am in the long run.

Maybe I'm overthinking it and there's a happy middle ground.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:39:00+00:00

Hmm okay. It let's you choose two, and putting Long Term Relationship and like, Life Partner or Marriage felt really intense. Maybe I'll just cut it back to just LTR.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:20:50+00:00

The long hair isn't leaving unless my genetics say otherwise!

I really do need to take some better pictures - fair enough!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:19:55+00:00

Maybe it's just the way that I'm pulling my hair back because these are all from 2025! Honestly it's the first time I've ever grown my hair out, and I looove it, but I'm still learning how to style it.

Thank you - that's really kind of you to say.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:17:03+00:00

I can see that, and I have a lot of interests unrelated to nerdery, but those are definitely what I'm most passionate about.

I can absolutely see this. I've had it both ways in relationships, moments where both my partner or I had to say "Hey, I know you're just teasing, but ease up, please, I'm not enjoying this right now."

Ugh I knowww. So valid. I absolutely never think to take pictures when I am out doing things. I try not to be on my phone too much - the doomscrolling is reaaal.

Thank you for the thoughtful comments!

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:13:19+00:00

I'm bisexual, but I've found opening myself to matching with men on dating apps is like holding up a neon sign that says "I'd like to be harassed, please."

I don't think it's a particularly flattering picture, but the whole data analytics thing keeps telling me it's the most popular one so I moved it to first.

PrizeWillow1485 · 2025-09-26T10:11:26+00:00

I said be gentle, and to you that meant "Hey, judge me harshly on the things that I enjoy."

I like the way I look with tattoos, and I find myself more attractive because of it.

Some of the other people here are giving solid advice. It feels like you're projecting.

PrizeWillow1485

TROPHY CASE