On this day of hearts, flowers, candy, romance and general touchy-feely merriment, I have one message, which applies to all:
Do something to remind yourself of your own worth today.
It’s so wonderful to focus on others, and to give them love and support. It helps to remind us of the areas where we can be grateful, and of how many amazing people drift in and out of our lives every day. These are all good things.
But while the stereotype for artists is one of arrogance and self-involvement, we actually tend to be incredibly hard on ourselves, and it’s far too easy to get mired in the slough of perfectionism, anxiety and negative self-talk that so often comes with what we do.
You can change the way you think about yourself, and the voices in your head. You must change this, in order to reach your own potential, and so that you have something left to give to others.
So on Valentine’s Day, be sure to do at least one little thing that gives back to yourself: it could be a little piece of chocolate, a massage, 15 minutes of alone time, a single stem of your favorite flower (roses aren’t for everyone!)… or in my case, something really geeky like buying a new pen for that next project. (I haven’t picked it out yet, but stay tuned! Very exciting!)
Then you can get back to focusing on the people you care about, which may include someone you haven’t even met yet.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. Love y’all!
L
