How To Become Your Own Muse
Hey It-Girls! So I recently posted on Instagram all about the concept of becoming your own muse and it's something I really wanted to explore further. I don't know about you but I am always looking for new ways to feel inspired. I'm constantly seeking out signs that remind me its okay to embrace the truest version of myself and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I think its why so many of us tend to gravitate towards trends like 'Hot Girl Summer', 'Becoming That Girl' and 'Main Character Energy', many of which I've wrote about on this blog. In a world of carbon copy faces and bodies where everyone seems to look and dress the same, sometimes we just need a reminder to be ourselves. I truly believe that becoming your own muse and creating your own blueprint is the ultimate flex and it's the inspo behind why I created my blog. So today I thought I'd share some ways that I'm learning to be my own source of inspiration.
Spend more time getting to know yourself
One of the reasons I often found myself seeking inspiration from others was because I hadn't taken the time out to get to know myself. There was so much I admired in other people but I found it hard to recognise the things I admired about myself. One thing that can be super beneficial for getting to know yourself is to start journaling. Reflect on the things that light you up inside and also recognise the things that make you feel less like yourself. When I'm lacking ideas and don't know what to write about, I find that using journal prompts can really help to get the ball rolling. Choose prompts that get you thinking about who you are as a person, what you value and what your dreams and aspirations are.
Take more selfies
We've all found ourselves down the rabbit hole at some point, scrolling through flawless photos of other people we wish we looked like, dressed like etc. As human beings it's natural for us to compare ourselves and feel like we don't always measure up. In times like this, how we speak to ourselves is obviously super important but sometimes an even easier cure is simply to remind yourself that you are in fact 'that b*tch'! Sometimes the reason we feel low about our appearance isn't actually because we think we're unattractive but is simply because we've had no motivation to look good. I've gone through months without so much as putting on a cute gloss on my lips, then wondered why I didn't feel good about myself. I realised it was honestly just because I wasn't taking pride in my appearance, not that I wasn't good enough. Even if you have nowhere to go, sometimes you just need to put some makeup on, wear your fave outfit and take some selfies that make you feel cute and confident.
Learn to enjoy your own company
Remember when you were young and could spend hours and hours by yourself, playing or drawing or letting your imagination run free? I don't know what it is about adulthood but there is a point in time for many of us where we realise, we're afraid of being alone. If you've struggled with your mental health like I have, being left alone with your own thoughts can be triggering. But one thing that has been incredibly healing for myself and what has ultimately lead to greater self-love is learning to enjoy my own company. Lately I've been rekindling some of my childhood interests and getting creative again and it's been so therapeutic. From baking to painting, I spend my weekends doing activities that put me in a state of flow and stop those negative thoughts in their tracks. As adults we tell ourselves too often that we have no time to indulge in activities just for fun but if you truly want to feel inspired again, tapping into your childhood interests is the perfect place to start.
Take pride in your unique interests
As I write this, one thing I'm realising is that I really admire the confidence that comes from being a child. When I was younger I was so proud of my interests and truly owned my passions. But as I got older, the desire to 'fit in' became more prominent, and I found myself morphing into whoever I was around in that moment. I would go home and force myself to listen to music I didn't love, I would lie about what I did on the weekend just to seem more similar to people who weren't even really my friends. I know this is something a lot of us do as teenagers but sometimes this can permeate in our adult lives without us even knowing it. This often shows up as not setting boundaries for ourselves with things we don't enjoy, and being too afraid to follow our dreams for fear of what people who know us will think. If I'm being honest, I still feel a little hesitant when mentioning to people that I have a blog, but it's something I'm working on as I truly believe that owning your unique passions will ultimately lead to greater self-confidence.
Practice intentional self-love
Finally, when learning to be our own source of inspiration, it's essential to practice intentional self-love. The relationship we have with ourselves is so important. I totally love the concept of dating yourself and treating yourself the way you would want a loved one or partner to treat you. Take yourself out to eat or to the cinema, buy yourself flowers and commit to yourself wholeheartedly. This is something we can all do whether single or dating and it's something I really want to focus on this summer. I recently watched a video by Fernanda Ramirez on Youtube called, 100+ Summer Bucket List Ideas and it got me totally inspired to create my own! There are so many things we hold ourselves back from doing because we don't want to do them alone but this summer, let's challenge ourselves and have the confidence to do more of what we love.
