At a time when everyone has an opinion and social networks have become a showcase of our lives, showing yourself authentic can seem like an act of rebellion.

For Andrea Acosta, learning to live under the gaze of others has meant facing criticism, questioning the perception that others have of her and discovering that it is not always necessary to be understood.

In this edition of The Stories, we explore a conversation about identity, exposure and the freedom to do things your way.

CS: Social networks allow us to show who we are, but they also make people build a version of us. How have you lived that experience?

Andrea: I think one of the most difficult things about social networks is accepting that people will always have a perception of you, even without knowing you. Sometimes they think they know what you look like from a photograph, a video or something you said.

I used to worry a lot about how they could interpret what I did. Over time I understood that I can't control the story that each person builds about me. The only thing I can control is how I decide to show myself.

CS: Did you ever stop doing something for fear of criticism?

Andrea: Yes, definitely. I think we've all felt that fear at some point. Sometimes you have an idea, you want to publish something or just show a different part of yourself, but you start thinking about what they are going to say.

And the funny thing is that many times no one has said anything yet. You yourself begin to imagine the criticism.

There came a time when I wondered how many things I was stopping doing just for fear of opinions that might never come.

CS: Do you remember when you started to lose that fear?

Andrea: I don't think it was overnight. It was rather a process of understanding that there will always be someone who disagrees with you.

You can do things perfectly and still receive criticism.

When I understood that, I stopped looking so much for the approval of others. It doesn't mean that certain comments no longer affect me, but now I try to give them less power over my decisions.

CS: We live in a culture where it seems that we all have to please. What do you think about that?

Andrea: I think that trying to please everyone can make you lose your own personality.

Sometimes we soften our opinions, change the way we dress or stop sharing certain things so as not to make us uncomfortable.

But I also think there is something very liberating about accepting that you don't have to be everyone's favorite person.

Not everything you do has to be liked. And that's fine.

CS: Do you think criticism can become something positive?

Andrea: It depends on how you decide to receive them. There are criticisms that can help you grow and others that simply reflect someone else's opinion.

I've learned that not all of them deserve an answer.

Sometimes the best way to respond is to continue doing what you like, improve and let your work speak for you.

CS: Fashion is also a form of expression. Do you feel that the way you dress reflects that personal evolution?

Andrea: Totally. Clothes can say a lot about how you feel and the stage you are in.

Before maybe I thought more about whether something was too striking or how they were going to see me.

Now I like to experiment. There are days when I want something simple and others when I want to wear something completely different.

I think style becomes much more interesting when you stop dressing to meet other people's expectations.

CS: If you could give advice to someone who is afraid to show themselves on social networks, what would you say?

Andrea: Let them do it.

That they publish that photograph, that they share that idea, that they put on those clothes, that they start that project.

There will always be someone who has something to say.

But it would be very sad to stop living experiences only for fear of what other people might think.

You don't need to feel completely safe to start. Sometimes security comes after you dare.

DO IT. MAKE NOISE. Not everyone has to understand you. Not everyone has to approve. The point is to stop asking for permission to be yourself.

It is not about provoking for the sake of provoking, but about understanding that living with authenticity implies accepting that we will not always be understood.

In a world where everyone has an opinion, perhaps true freedom begins when we stop needing everyone to agree.

Do it. Make noise.

An editorial concept by Clothing Stories.
Photography & Creative Direction: Víctor del Castillo
Featuring: Andrea Acosta
Instagram: @Andreann_ann / @Victordelcastillog
The Stories — Clothing Stories