I like me, I'd buy me a beer

The power of self confidence

Hello,

First off, I want to apologise for not showing up last week. I was away for work and have been swamped with shoots, as well as some big life news—we’ve finally found a rental and will be moving in this week! I’ll admit, I felt pretty bad about missing last Tuesday’s post, but we were in Denmark, WA, and after a dip in the stunning Green’s Pool, I let it go, knowing I’d be back this week.

While driving home we listened to a conversation between Chris Williamson and Matthew McConaughey and a line Chris said stuck with me: “I like me; I’d buy me a beer.” It came up after Matthew recounted being told he was “full of himself,” to which he replied, “Well, who else am I supposed to be full of?” If you’ve read Greenlights, you know McConaughey’s self-awareness runs deep, especially when it comes to understanding the balance between confidence, arrogance, and ego. The line resonated with me—it’s a reminder of how far we might go if we believed and understood ourselves just a little more.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised how essential it is to know yourself—what you like, what you don’t, your strengths, your weaknesses. The better we understand ourselves, the less likely we are to feel lost or fall into the same tired narratives we tell ourselves. This has been on my mind a lot lately, especially in the context of art. The themes I’ve been exploring in my recent work feel deeply connected to where I am in life right now, reaffirming the value of self-awareness as a creative tool.

Artists often draw from their personal stories to create powerful work. Foy Vance joked about his albums reflecting the "future ex-wives" in his life, showing how life’s events shape art. Bruce Springsteen famously said, “I’ve never seen the inside of a factory, yet it’s all I ever wrote about. When I went looking for a voice, I chose my father’s voice.” He used his songwriting to process his difficult relationship with his father.

We all have a voice shaped by our vulnerabilities, but often, we spend so much time hiding our uniqueness that we end up feeling lost in sameness. That’s why the line “I like me; I’d buy me a beer” struck a chord. It’s not just about self-acceptance—it’s about being someone who knows themselves well enough and likes who they are. Its only then can you be the right person to tell others the truth and what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear.

So here’s my attempt:
My name is Adam. I love traveling, and photography is my passion, born from my love of exploration. I’ve tried many styles of photography, but storytelling through imagery is what I love most. Photography, to me, is meant to be printed and displayed, celebrated as a tangible art form. Sadly, the accessibility of smartphones has made people undervalue photography. We’re overwhelmed with images, unable to distinguish the great from the mediocre.

I’m a fast walker and an even faster talker. I love hiking, being in nature, and early morning swims with my partner, followed by a coffee—good coffee, specifically. I value kindness and always say hi and smile to strangers. I believe the world could use more openness and warmth. I come from hard-working roots and will work myself to the bone to achieve what I want.

I’m bad at using my phone and often dream of deleting social media and would love to be able to share prints in galleries and exhibitions. I dislike slow walkers, wasted days, rudeness, and people who don’t follow through on their word. Loyalty matters to me, and I don’t like it when friends or family don’t step up for one another.

As an Irishman, I can confirm Catholic guilt is real—it’s why I bake bread or make veggie curry for people, hoping they’ll like me. But honestly, I love doing it; sharing those little creations brings me joy.

I’m working on being able to confidently say, “I like me; I’d buy me a beer.” The more I learn about myself, the better I can be for those around me.

Finally, I want to share some exciting news—I’ve borrowed a medium-format film camera and just shot my first roll. I’m in love. I’ll attach a few frames below, and I can’t wait to dive deeper into this world and use it for future projects.

Here’s to being more self-aware today than I was yesterday. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you all next week.

Love,
Adam