Hung Up: Refocusing on Self-Love

A state of mind in which I catch myself more often than I'd like to admit... Hung up.

Hung up on petty disappointments, ridiculous self-imposed expectations, and comparison to others' lifestyles, however completely unique from my own.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this sentiment.

It's hard to not feel the plight of such earthly matters like biological clocks and lifestyle envy when we exist within mere snapshots of this reality through several filters of pleasantries and aspired perfection.

Being someone who has suffered from body dysmorphia throughout my entire adolescence and well into my young adulthood, I had thought I had grown out of this mental/emotional sickness with my days of eating disorders long behind me.

How untrue this has proven to be.

Even with topics like self-acceptance and body positivity on the forefront of my artistic pursuits, this past week has revealed what a grueling, continuous process deconditioning oneself from these combatants against self love can truly be. It is a constant battle to remain spiritually conscious and self accepting when we are bent to the delusion of societal perspective... Compromising our self worth based off conditioned standards of beauty/norm.

Part of my needed healing is rooted in addressing the fact that I do still have residual tendencies towards unhealthy self-criticism. Only in staying aware of such feelings can I overcome them with vocal positive reinforcement, and adjusting my perspective to see beyond what I've accepted as my self image from societal standards.

I, like many people, tend to feel naturally empathic towards others. It is because our connection through intuition, the foundation of our yin, is what allows us to exchange energy with other beings, contributing to the balance of both light and shadow within us.

However, this conversely can leave us open to taking on too much of another's energy. That relatability which allows us to create connections, also allows us to take on their expectations and judgements of us as our own.

Self love is a HUGE part of intimacy which too many of us often neglect. I cannot wait to discuss this further with everyone Saturday at Snaps Open Mic's "Intimacy" event!

If you are unfamiliar with the event I coordinate/host every 2nd and 4th Saturday, then I highly suggest going to @saturdaysnapslv and learning about this amazing themed open mic event, tailored, not only for all ages, but for all creative outlets!

Our Snaps Fam transcends the usual open mic night, giving us a safe space to really pour our hearts into this whirlpool of communal energy, constantly inspiring ourselves and each other to not just create art, but grow together and bring about new energy to all of our creative pursuits!