Hero Of The Year
by Anne-Marie Krytiuk
Wow.
I’m being recognized as a hero for creating a filter that transforms people’s faces into virtual potatoes. I’m amazed that Potato Face has made such an impact on society.
Honestly, I find the “hero” title uncomfortable. Maybe the Awards Committee could look into changing it? Hero of the Year is a bold statement!
When I think of heroes, I think of firefighters risking their lives and saving kittens and babies from burning buildings. I think of doctors and nurses helping women give birth in obscure places, like on an airplane or in the middle of a forest. I think of the technician angels who are able to fix the elevator and open the doors to freedom, after you’ve been stuck for twelve hours with a full bladder.
THOSE ARE HEROES. I created a filter.
I‘ll shift to overwhelming gratitude or you’ll change the recipient of this year’s Design Your Dream Hero of the Year Award.
Thank you to the fifteen journalists who wrote such lovely pieces on the impact Potato Face has made on the world. It’s no secret that we’ve been forced to do most of our socializing virtually. Filters play a huge role in that. I’d like to shout out Clarice at FlawlezzFilterzz who fired me six months ago. Cheers to watching a former employee win Hero of the Year, for the very filter she pitched, which resulted in her termination. It’s so refreshing to be freelance and have control of not adding to the toxic wasteland of beautifying filters.
It was disheartening to discover that my friends and family, who used face adjusting filters, truly believed they were more attractive and desirable through that lens. It’s well documented that before Potato Face, self-confidence was crumbling, depression was rising, and self-sabotage and comparison were skyrocketing at alarming rates, in all age demographics, worldwide. With the launch of Potato Face and my new baby, Lemon Face, people are thankfully embracing their uniqueness and recognizing how silly putting a filter on your face is.
I spent many nights staring at my phone with my eyes and lips floating on a brown speckled rectangle on my screen. Potato Face was determined to be a sheet of sandpaper. I refused to give up. I knew in my core that this was the filter people needed. Forget lip plumping, cheekbone enhancing, and nose adjusting filters. If people wanted a new face, I was going to come through and deliver. I think we can all agree that creating Potato Face was worth the sleepless nights.
These speeches always end with something inspirational, so here it goes.
Trust your gut. Getting fired is always the beginning of a new chapter. I’m living proof of that. Also, don’t underestimate your impact. My filters are literally changing society for the better. I, Sarah Shycryflykowski, humbly accept the Design Your Dream Hero of the Year Award, while challenging every person in this room to live life 50% more less filtered.