Okay, that made me weep inside because that was the first time she ever told me that she liked my singing. Most of the time, both my kids tell me to STOP SINGING NO NO NO!!
The best part, though? My daughter told me she thought that she was a good singer, too.
Now, she is a good singer, but she owns it and is unapologetic about it. She hasn’t yet learned to compromise herself to fit into society’s ideals. I hope she never does. I hope that both my daughters are so confident in themselves that they never doubt their worth or their abilities.
My job as a parent is to make sure their inner voices speak positively. Their armor has to be so strong it can withstand all the negativity the world can throw at them. Strong like Beskar.
Maintaining your self-esteem and mental health on a regular basis is extremely important, especially now. Especially as artists. When the entire entertainment industry shut down for almost a year, entire established careers stalled, never mind the ones at the very beginning. Additionally, the performing arts community is tightly knit and thrives on close interaction. This sudden and prolonged isolation period has had an especially massive impact on their mental health. Self-care has never been so critical. It is important that you take the time to acknowledge how amazing you really are, and continue to do so long after this pandemic is over.
If you start to doubt yourself, there are ways to turn that frown upside down! Be your own cheerleader! This advice is corny as all get out, but who cares as long as it’s good advice, right?
What are affirmations and why are they important?
Affirmations are short sentences, positive in nature, that you say to yourself to change the way you think about yourself. They are motivating and help us to focus on our goals, facilitate healing, and overcome self-sabotaging thoughts. Affirmations can also help alleviate your stress.
Here are a few affirmations that I repeat to myself and to my children often. I am galvanizing their armor with my voice, my words, my belief in them and myself. As a busy mom, adding an extra thing to do every day the last thing I want to do, so I made sure these are short, meaningful, and easy for the kids to repeat, remember and understand.
“I am an artist.”
“I am important.”
Your thoughts and feelings matter. Your art matters. Your voice matters. You don’t need to compromise yourself for people who don’t appreciate you. You will not sell your worth or abilities short.
“I love myself.”
“i am creative.”
“today is a new day.”
Now is the time to build and maintain your self-confidence. I hope these simple and easy affirmations help you in your journey to a happier and more creative you.
