Hello friends,
How’s the start of your June? Anything surprising?
I am writing to you from my dining table in my PJs. Anna Tivel is singing her song, Heros. I am tracing in my mind what happened today. Something tells me that I need to note them down.
I woke up from a nightmare. In the dream, I was stuck in Ohio and it was snowing in July and my mother was asking me to sign up for a gym membership. Man, oh man. I woke up shaken. I almost missed my creative group meeting.
The creative group meeting is a safe and healing space for me. My friends are amazing humans and they love and accept me. With their love and encouragement, I am becoming more and more honest with myself. No more fooling around, self!
Pairing down my stuff has illuminated how I want to live going forward: choosing experience over things. In a deeper sense, choosing love and people over things. It means in passing moments, when I can show love, I will take the chance. I have a habit of not speaking. Action speaks louder. True. But the wonderful humans in my life deserve to hear my quiet voice expressing the love I have for them.
I have been doodling a bit more than I normally would and even dared to call myself a cartoonist. Trying a different form to create has opened up space inside. I need more space for my healing. And I’ve been having more fun – fun that I’ve not had in writing.
For me, being an artist is becoming who I am. I am an artist. There is no point denying it. I hope I remember who I am when things get tough. I want to create what I want to create and I hope my freedom and courage will inspire more people to step into their creative power.
Free people, free people.
I have more to tell you. Not to bore you with the details now. I will write another letter soon.
This is my coming out letter to you all – coming out as an artist. I made my Instagram account public. If you are curious what I am up to, go follow me. No worries if you don’t want to. I will still write here.
K. Happy pride.
Bye for now,
Xiaoyu
