Project "Awkward Age"

Salt Lake City, Utah-based graphic designer, illustrator, and photo editor Merilee Allred recently published her fun yet philosophical project, which she called Awkward Years, Awkward Years. It's a series of photographs of smiling, self-confident people holding photos of themselves from their own "awkward years": smiling in braces, bizarre hairdos, and not-so-perfect outfits. Each of us has gone through or is going through something similar, so this project will be of interest to anyone.

The designer's project demonstrates how much people can change with time and age. With her work, Merili wants to say that life does not end with school failures and unpopularity, but, on the contrary, everything just begins after school.

(Total 9 photos)

The inspiration for the creation of such a project was for Allred her friend, whom she met when she was already an adult. The girl claimed that there had never been “awkward years” in her life. And the first picture in the series was a picture of this particular friend, a pretty and not burdened with complexes young lady, who holds in her hands a photograph of a girl from the 80s, with a perm, in huge round glasses - a real fashionable picture of a graduate of the 5th grade. It was more than eloquent evidence of the awkward times she experienced! Looking at this picture, Marilee remembered her similar photos, and these memories made her habitually cringe at the thought that someone else was looking at her like that. And then the artist decided to make a project that would show everyone that they were not alone in experiencing such experiences, that in fact every adult went through these times, which she aptly called "awkward".

“I want to show everyone who is now going through these difficult years that they are not alone, and that most of the girls and boys in strange glasses, with braces on their teeth, in ugly jackets and with monstrous makeup, eventually turn into incomparable ladies and imposing gentlemen” Marilee Allred says

1. Marily (Author of the project).

Then: 11 years old, 5th grade, Beelings.

Now: 35 years old, designer, Salt Lake City.

2. Laura.

Then: 12 years old, 6th grade, Salt Lake City.

Now: 41, paralegal, Salt Lake City.

3. Daisy.

Then: 8 years old, Baz, England.

Now: 39, writer, Salt Lake City.

4. Autumn.

Then: 13 years old, 7th grade, Herndon.

Now: 32 years old, communications manager, Salt Lake City.

5. Marty.

Then: 12 years old, 6th grade, Taylorsville.

Now: 28 years old, model, South Jordan.

6. Gina.

Then: 10 years old, 4th grade, Saudi Arabia.

Now: 32, business owner, photographer, Salt Lake City.

7. Mark.

Then: 19 years old, St. George

Now: 38 years old, Senior Assessor, Institute for Research and Development, Salt Lake City.

8. Stacey.

Then: 11 years old, 6th grade, Taylorsville.

Now: 28 years old, hairdresser, Murray.

9. Lindsey.

Then: 12 years old, 6th grade, Arkansas.

Now: 32 years old, nanny Holladay.