Twenty23
Sometimes, when I think about what I do for a living, I have to stop and pinch myself. I cannot believe that I have somehow curated a life of my dreams and live it every day. Don’t get me wrong, living out your dreams has its fair share of trials and tribulations, especially when your dreams were embraced during the pandemic as a freelance artist (wow I still can’t believe that I made it through)! All I have to say is that if you don’t read any further than this paragraph, my message to you is to really take stock of what will make your life the most fulfilling and then find a way to slowly incorporate it into your life every day. Don’t think that you can’t live the life of your dreams because it is scary and would be a crazy thing to stop what you are doing now and start building a new, more fulfilling life. Because, why not? Why not be happier? Healthier? Just try it - and then tell me about it because I would love to be your cheerleader!
For those of you who stuck with me past the first paragraph, thank you! I wanted to write this blog as a celebration of 2023 and a momentum builder for 2024. It really is more of a healing process and reflection for me. Last year was incredible. It was incredibly hard as I suffered the loss of two out of three of the most important women in my life and felt the weight of grief in ways I had never experienced before. Last year was also incredibly inspiring. I painted two out of state murals, received grants to create murals celebrating and uplifting women, launched new products that I fell in love with, did my first artist markets and met wonderful people along the way, I painted beautiful meaningful commissions for wonderful clients from portraits of loved ones to the cutest pets, built websites for non-profits and politicians working to make their communities better, I illustrated the sweetest children’s book stories, I was featured on NPR on my experiences being an Asian-American artist in the Triangle Area (still can’t believe it), and I courageously put myself out there despite my imposter syndrome and ended up meeting the most inspiring people that I hope to keep building with.
I learned so much in 2023 and the least I can do is share some of that with yall in hopes that maybe it can help you in 2024 while also reminding me to keep building on these lessons.
Lessons that I learned from 2023:
Hold on tightly to those that you love and never take time with them for granted.
Take care of your mental health. Not just during times of stress. Take a preventative approach. It feels great and works wonders.
Build authentic connections and invest in them. Connectivity and community are the foundations of a happy life.
Pour into yourself always. You cannot show up for others if you aren’t showing up for yourself. Don’t put it off. In fact, as soon as you’re done reading this, go do something for yourself.
Reach out for help. I have tried to do many things on my own but every time I reached out asking for help from other artists I was so surprised and grateful for the outpour of support. Work smarter vs harder.
Don’t compromise your work. As an artist, people will try to play you, your time and your money on a regular basis because unfortunately society hasn’t embraced valuing artists yet. Don’t let it happen. You don’t have to say yes to everything. Teach people how to respect you. And yes, I understand how important money is but I have found that the more I started standing my ground, the more money and respect seemed to come my way. If you need tips/advice, reach out! I am happy to help!
Just be good people yall. Life is too hard to go around playing with other people’s hearts, minds and lives. Care about others, give back, volunteer, advocate, and lead with love. Let go of everything else.
Now, take all of these lessons and do what you want with them. Oh and if you have any lessons that you learned and want to share, drop them in the comments! We can grow through this together! Just know that your story, your voice, and your light matters and it is so important to surround yourself with those that brighten your light and cherish it. Choose the people, the things, and the experiences you love. Do what you love. Have courage. And laugh so hard you pee a little. And do it often. Thats all I got for you. Happy 2024!