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“To let go of that feeling was something which took me time, and obviously I had to do my own catharsis. I had self-identity doubts,” Chand said.

For parents who choose to bring their newborn on outings — even a walk or a doughnut run — the experience can feel like a microdose of self-identity, said Reff.

"I am cognizant of the negative effects that food abnormalities have on the environment due to food waste issues. On that account, I will surely change some of my habits to match my perceived identity. Seeing myself as, and wanting to be more of, a pro-environmental person, I want my actions regarding food waste to match this desired self-identity."

The self-taught artist, who also goes by the alias “Little Ricky,” never imagined McQueen’s statement would help him manifest an internal struggle of self-identity into an all-consuming project exploring queerness.

Jackson’s spectral self-identity was a guiding light as he and the composer Anna K. Jacobs collaborated on “Teeth,” a new musical based on Mitchell Lichtenstein’s 2007 indie scary movie of the same name.