Letter to my younger self

Dear younger me,

I’m writing this from my studio by the Mediterranean, looking back at the path that brought me here. There are things I wish I could tell you, though I know you’ll need to learn them yourself.

Trust Your Voice

You’ll spend years trying to make work that looks like everyone else’s. You’ll think that’s what “good” art looks like. But your unique perspective - the way you see light, the subjects that call to you, the marks you naturally make - that’s your greatest asset.

Stop apologizing for it. Lean into it.

The Process Is the Point

You think art is about finished pieces. About gallery shows and Instagram posts and what people think. But the real joy is in the making itself.

The quiet hours in the studio. The problem-solving. The moment when a color combination surprises you. That’s where the life is lived.

Protect Your Creative Energy

Not everything needs to be shared. Not every piece needs to be perfect. Not every opportunity is the right opportunity.

You’ll learn to say no to things that drain you, even when they seem like you “should” do them. Your creative energy is finite and precious. Guard it.

Keep Making Things

There will be months when you don’t touch your materials. When life gets busy or you feel blocked or you convince yourself you’re not really an artist.

Keep making things anyway. Even if it’s just five minutes a day. Even if what you make is terrible. The practice of showing up is what builds a creative life.

It Gets Better

The comparison, the self-doubt, the feeling that you’re not where you “should” be - it doesn’t go away entirely, but it gets quieter. You learn to work alongside it.

And one day you’ll wake up and realize you’re living a creative life. Not a perfect one, but yours.

With love, Your future self