WIG WHAM
I am suffering from multiple personality disorder.
This is not due to the drugs but due to my wigs. This self diagnosis occurred the other day when I was deciding which wig to wear to the Monday morning market.
They are hanging on our bedroom wall and as I looked at them swaying softly in the breeze I realised that I had attributed them all with totally different personalities.
I could be pretty in pink, freakish in flame red, smoulder in smoky brown, be predatory in platinum, whimsical in waves, or... I could go on .... the wigs are numerous and the choice is vast.
Losing you hair is hideous and I never want it to happen ever again but that said it does give you a bizarre sense of freedom. You become a blank canvas, a clean fabric ready for some new oil paints.
I have never regretted my decision to have several wacky wigs rather than one sensible hairpiece. Not everyone gets the chance to start all over - I have been sporting roughly the same boring hairstyle since my teens - so instead of bemoaning the fact that I was going to go bald I determined to have some fun with it.
I did go to to a wig shop in Bordeaux and spent a pleasant morning trying out several looks but frankly the idea of a genuine human hair wig gives me the jitters - something about stepping into dead men's shoes and all that - I know of course that is not the case but it still feels a touch creepy added to which they are hugely expensive.
Wearing various wigs and scarves gives you permission to project a new personality and I've loved exploring certain facets of my character that to be honest I never really knew existed. Perhaps they were best left undisturbed - but too late now.
It's all to easy to fall into the trap of behaving as you think others want you to behave. There are various traits which for various reasons have become hidden over the years and discovering them once again is fun.
Maybe that is what lured me to the stage all those years ago. I love dressing up and I love becoming someone else, but with acting you have a script to work from, now with my wigs I can write my own script - it's not exactly Shakespeare but hey!
I am not suggesting that we lay ourselves bare - heaven forbid - what a terrifying thought. Clearly there are some traits which have remained under wraps for a reason and should stay that way. The world does not need to see them.
But what I AM saying is that sometimes it is healthy to be a little less predictable, to take a risk and behave out of character. It gives us a chance to learn something new, something unexpected about ourselves.
I always thought I knew myself pretty well but actually what I've learnt is that I don't know myself quite as well as I imagined and it has been rather intriguing - I hope it continues.
My hair is slowly growing back. It is very dark with hints of white but any anxieties I may have of resembling a young badger are alleviated by the joy and relief of once more seeing a natural covering on my head.
But.... I am not yet prepared to let go of my multiple personalities - I intend to keep them for a while and bring them out when least expected.
You have been warned!
I am suffering from multiple personality disorder.
This is not due to the drugs but due to my wigs. This self diagnosis occurred the other day when I was deciding which wig to wear to the Monday morning market.
They are hanging on our bedroom wall and as I looked at them swaying softly in the breeze I realised that I had attributed them all with totally different personalities.
I could be pretty in pink, freakish in flame red, smoulder in smoky brown, be predatory in platinum, whimsical in waves, or... I could go on .... the wigs are numerous and the choice is vast.
Losing you hair is hideous and I never want it to happen ever again but that said it does give you a bizarre sense of freedom. You become a blank canvas, a clean fabric ready for some new oil paints.
I have never regretted my decision to have several wacky wigs rather than one sensible hairpiece. Not everyone gets the chance to start all over - I have been sporting roughly the same boring hairstyle since my teens - so instead of bemoaning the fact that I was going to go bald I determined to have some fun with it.
Wearing various wigs and scarves gives you permission to project a new personality and I've loved exploring certain facets of my character that to be honest I never really knew existed. Perhaps they were best left undisturbed - but too late now.
It's all to easy to fall into the trap of behaving as you think others want you to behave. There are various traits which for various reasons have become hidden over the years and discovering them once again is fun.
Maybe that is what lured me to the stage all those years ago. I love dressing up and I love becoming someone else, but with acting you have a script to work from, now with my wigs I can write my own script - it's not exactly Shakespeare but hey!
I am not suggesting that we lay ourselves bare - heaven forbid - what a terrifying thought. Clearly there are some traits which have remained under wraps for a reason and should stay that way. The world does not need to see them.
But what I AM saying is that sometimes it is healthy to be a little less predictable, to take a risk and behave out of character. It gives us a chance to learn something new, something unexpected about ourselves.
I always thought I knew myself pretty well but actually what I've learnt is that I don't know myself quite as well as I imagined and it has been rather intriguing - I hope it continues.
My hair is slowly growing back. It is very dark with hints of white but any anxieties I may have of resembling a young badger are alleviated by the joy and relief of once more seeing a natural covering on my head.
But.... I am not yet prepared to let go of my multiple personalities - I intend to keep them for a while and bring them out when least expected.
You have been warned!
