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Who said that identity documents have to be sterile and lifeless? There are enough of those within the bureaucracy already. So why not spice things up a bit? With, say, a humorous photo?

The students over at North Farmington High School, Michigan, have been successfully doing it since 2014. And they're not the only ones.

To remind you that you don't need to look like a violent offender in your official "mugshot", Bored Panda put together a list of IDs with the funniest pictures. From ridiculous facial expressions to extravagant haircuts, a little party never hurt nobody!

#1

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The perfect ID photo doesn’t exi…

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#2

So Costco Apparently Doesn't Re-Take Membership Card Photos If You Sneeze

So Costco apparently doesn't re-take membership card photos if you sneeze

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To learn how we all can look at our everyday life from a different perspective — whether it's our ID photo or something else — we contacted the author of Lazy Creativity and creator of an online community for anyone looking for resources to become a more creative person, Kyle Bernier.

He told Bored Panda that our inner and outer critics can really limit our creative thinking. "Because one critic isn't enough, we've got two," Bernier said.

"The inner critic plays on your doubt, insecurity, and negative self-talk. The outer critic plays on your external fears, such as physical or resource limitations. Sometimes you're lucky enough to only have one critic speaking to you at once. Other times, you have two critics coming at you at the same time. That's especially 'fun.' These critics can instill fear and anxiety into your creative process and can derail current projects or ideas or can prevent you from acting on new ideas."

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#4

The School Id Camera Had Built In Face Cropping. Apparently It's Still Working On Detecting Faces On T-Shirts.

The school id camera had built in face cropping. Apparently it's still working on detecting faces on t-shirts.

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#5

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My grandpa went to get his passport photos done but pressed the wrong button.

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Another obstacle to tapping into our imagination, according to Bernier, is gatekeeping. "Beware of gatekeepers as you try to explore new creativity, as they will do whatever they can to make you feel weird about exploring your new interest," he said.

"They started somewhere too and weren't always the high and mighty holders of knowledge and expertise they are now. They were noobs at it once too, and now that they've put in the time to learn more about it, they feel the need to defend their interest from others. That can be extremely discouraging when you've finally worked up enough courage to try something new, only to find resistance within the community you’re trying to enter."

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#6

Blessed Passport

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glowworm2
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m laughing at the fact that dad had to cover his face to blend in with the background.

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#7

The State Department Nailed My Girlfriend's Passport

The State Department Nailed My Girlfriend's Passport

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#8

Me Looking Like 4 Different People On 4 Valid Id Cards Of Mine

Me looking like 4 different people on 4 valid ID cards of mine

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#9

Man From New Zealand Allowed To Wear Pasta Strainer On Head For Driver Licence Photo, Stated It Was For Religious Purposes.

Man from New Zealand allowed to wear pasta strainer on head for driver licence photo, stated it was for religious purposes.

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Nathaniel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Pastafarian religion. It is the one religion that makes absolute sense!

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And the third issue Bernier thought was worth pointing out is benchmarking. The creative likes to think of us humans as creatures of comparison; it's hard not to be one these days. But this mindset isn't always helpful.

"We're always comparing ourselves to others in the room. That's called benchmarking. For some people, this can bring out the competitive spirit and motivate them to rise above their peers. For other people, it's deflating and can take the wind out of their sails before even getting started. Your work is unique because you made it, so it doesn’t need to stack up to anyone else’s work."

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#10

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Apparently, Wells Fargo doesn't bother to check the ID photos you send them.

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#11

On The Topic Of Ridiculous Id Photos, My Brother Likes To Make A Sport Out Of It As Well

On the topic of ridiculous id photos, my brother likes to make a sport out of it as well

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#12

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My photo in my college card

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#13

Slpt- Id Pic

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C E
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure how I feel about planning to drive high. actually, pretty sure you shouldn't. For all of our sakes, stay home & enjoy! Hope we live in a different city.

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Somewhat counterintuitively, Bernier thinks the first step to fueling our creativity is allowing ourselves to be bored. "Our thoughts are consumed by things we need to get done, anxious thoughts, or plans we've made. It's go go go all week. Our minds rarely have a break to just be. But when we're bored, our mind has the opportunity to wander," he explained.

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"What's fascinating is that when we're bored, our mind has the space to think more creatively. We begin thinking about projects we can do or creative ways of looking at our worlds."

#15

I Have A Long-Standing Battle With My Buddy For The Most Ridiculous Photo Id. My Wife Suggested I Wear My Mother's Hot Pink Bathrobe And "Gary Busey" My Hair For My New Driver's License Photo, So I Did.

I have a long-standing battle with my buddy for the most ridiculous photo id. My wife suggested I wear my mother's hot pink bathrobe and "Gary Busey" my hair for my new driver's license photo, so I did.

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#16

One Of The Best Fake Ids I’ve Ever Seen

One of the best fake ids I’ve ever seen

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#17

Guy Provided 2 Forms Of Id At My Work. I Guess This Is The Difference Between Having Your Photo Taken On A Friday And On A Monday.

Guy provided 2 forms of ID at my work. I guess this is the difference between having your photo taken on a friday and on a monday.

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"If you're the type of person who has a difficult time justifying being bored, gently remind yourself that by doing so, you're setting yourself up for a creative mindset by letting your mind wander and develop ideas that it may not otherwise be able to with the stressors of your daily life interfering," Bernier added.

He's not alone on this. In a radio interview with the station LRT Opus, Lithuanian musician Kabloonak said that boredom is what really drives his ideas—once you get rid of all distractions and set aside some time to actively do nothing, the mind engages itself. Just let it do its thing, he advised, and it will surprise you with interesting discoveries.

#18

So I Had My Student Id Taken This Morning And This How It Turned Out.

So I had my student id taken this morning and this how it turned out.

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#20

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Attempted to take baby passport photos...

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Bernier believes it's also important to focus on the journey, not its destination. "If you put all your stock into how something turns out, you are missing out on the most valuable part of the process, which is the making," he said.

"The end result can be wonderful, but it isn’t as important as the process itself. In this instance, the journey is more important than the destination. It’s not about what you make, more that you make. If you're not happy with how your work turned out, that's okay because you've at least gained something (e.g. knowledge, skills, etc.) from the process."

#22

Since It Was Requested, I Only Have My Buddy's College Id From The 80s. Yep, Our Id Photo Battle Has Been Going On For Decades!

Since it was requested, I only have my buddy's college ID from the 80s. Yep, our id photo battle has been going on for decades!

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#23

While Training On A New Inmate Id System In 1998, I Decided To Make My Educational Attempt A Keepsake For My Grandkids. Hopefully They Remember That I Had A Sense Of Humor.

While training on a new inmate id system in 1998, I decided to make my educational attempt a keepsake for my grandkids. Hopefully they remember that I had a sense of humor.

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#24

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My nephew got his passport photo taken

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Remember, you don't need to achieve whatever it is you're trying to do in one big leap. When your motivation is at a low point, try to make small progress; it can put you in a productive rhythm.

"It's taking micro-steps toward creativity," Bernier said. "If you're working on a project, small progress is breaking things down into very small and manageable actions. The act of making progress and creating, no matter how small, can have a huge impact on your morale and sense of productivity. Small progress can involve thinking about an idea and jotting down a couple notes, making a to-do list, or deciding what your next step is when your motivation comes back. Those are just a few examples. The important part is that you’re doing something related to your idea that could count as a step forward."

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#29

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#30

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Katy McMouse
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went to a college called Seton HILL. People always confused it with another school called Seton Hall, a much larger university that had a nationally recognized name. There was one student at my college that somehow got hold of a Seton Hall id with his picture on it (or someone who looked like him). He would try to use this id around campus and when people realized he had an id from Seton Hall, they would usually point this out. This student would then proceed to act distraught, asking whoever noticed his card if he was currently enrolled at Seton Hall. Inevitably, the answer was always no, he was currently on Seton Hill's campus, which would lead him to start acting seriously distraught and panicky because "his parents left him at the wrong school". We had a small campus, so this joke only worked for so long, but it was fun while it lasted.

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#35

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Note: this post originally had 55 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.