Today is my birthday and as I've sat reflecting back on my 32 years I thought it might be rewarding to share some of the lessons I’ve learned thus far.

Health

Your health is a priority and worth protecting. A healthy you is a happy you and allows you to be the person you want to be for yourself and others.

Learn to be fierce and fabulous no matter your age.

Don’t let your mind bully your body.

Treat yourself to little luxuries just because.

Storms pass. You won’t always feel this way.

Sometimes you need to stay in bed and watch Netflix all day.

You’ll be okay.

Relationships

No one person can be your everything.

A failed relationship isn’t a waste of time if you learn more about yourself and what you need in a partner.

Being in a destructive relationship is lonelier than being single and happy.

Surround yourself with friends who believe in you and think you’re the awesomest person that ever lived but will still give you a kick in the ass when you need it.

Tell people who repeatedly disrespect your boundaries where to go.

Give back by sharing what you’ve learned.

Seek out mentors.

Say thank you.

Work

Work hard but don’t work your life away. Constantly pushing yourself to the edge leads to exhaustion and inferior work.

You can do a lot of things, but you can’t do everything. Prioritize!

It’s okay to occasionally half ass it. Not everything deserves a 100%.

Feel free to give up if you discover something is just not your thing.

It’s totally normal to feel like a fake and be terrified that someone will find out and tell everyone. Fear will always be part of the creative life. Learn how to work past it.

It’s possible for artists to make a living. Selling your artwork doesn’t make you a “sell out”. Wanting to make a living from selling your artwork doesn’t mean you’re shallow and that your work is inferior.

Reward yourself for big and small accomplishments.

Welcome constructive criticism. 

A bad painting doesn’t make you a bad artist.

Study the lives and work of those who came before you. It can prevent you from simply rehashing what has already been done and said.

Don’t wait to feel inspired. Get to work! A little work each day will take you far.

Take breaks.

Know your worth. Don’t sell yourself short.

Don’t be a one trick pony. Try new things!

Life

Your 20’s are for figuring out who you are, what you’re passionate about and what you hate. It’s totally normal to feel lost and like a complete mess. Your 20’s are like the teenage years of adulthood.

In order to embrace the life you have and pursue its promise you have to let go of the life you feel you should have had. Life may not turn out how you planned but it will surprise you with opportunities you never dreamed possible.

You will get old and die someday. Try and wrap your mind around that every once in awhile. It puts things into perspective. 

Should is an evil word. Tell the voice in your head to fuck off whenever it nags about all the things you should be doing.

Create an emergency fund and avoid debt. Don’t lie with your money.

One mistake won’t ruin the rest of your life. Your attitude will.

Be open, stay curious, learn always.

Ask good questions. 

Dream big without restraint. Set goals. Break goals down into achievable steps. 

Avoiding failure is not the same as success.

You won’t get to the end of your life and wish you’d cleaned your bathroom more.

Being yourself is a gift to yourself and others. It gives others courage to do likewise and creates a much more interesting and inclusive world.

Change is a fact of life and you will probably spend your entire life trying to accept that. Do your best to go with the flow.

Hindsight will be an asshole if you let it. Shit happens don’t beat yourself up about it.

You will likely lose when you compare yourself to someone else.

Learn to say no.

Follow the joy.