Rianah - The Humble Brag VERSION 3

The speaker talks about the incredible things they achieved in the past year after overcoming self-doubt. They took the risk of going freelance, designed a magazine, and spoke as a panelist. They admit that they used to downplay their accomplishments because others didn't see creative work as real work. However, they realized the importance of affirmation and support from loved ones. The speaker shares a childhood experience where their mother taught them that not everyone will like them, and that's okay. They emphasize the importance of pursuing passions for personal joy, rather than seeking validation from others. They express gratitude for taking the plunge and encourage others to celebrate their achievements without being modest. It's a humble brag. It's incredible what can happen in the space of a year, the things you're able to achieve when you say fuck it to even the most microscopic iota of self-doubt. I took the daunting plunge of betting on myself and going freelance last year. I designed my first magazine, of which I'm also a co-editor. I was paid as a panelist to speak about being a creative. This was a big one. For a while, I gaslit myself into thinking none of it was that big of a deal, mainly because there were people in my life who found it difficult to see creative work as quote real work or a quote real job. Their outlook slowly trickled into my own perception of my career and subsequently stunted my growth without me realising it. I have always thought of myself as someone who couldn't give a flying fuck about what anyone else thinks when it comes to my passions. I'd guarded them so tightly that they felt impenetrable, but I underestimated how impactful affirmation from your loved ones truly is, how cutting it can be when you don't receive it. When I was a child, I came home one day in a throat of tears because someone in my class had said quite bluntly that they didn't like me. My mother held my tear-soaked cheeks in her hands and told me the most valuable sentence that I've since carried with me for my entire life, quote, not everyone will and that's perfectly okay. Resting the weighty responsibility of measuring your value in the hands of strangers is a fool's game because the scales are broken to begin with. The goal isn't to be liked or admired, but to live an unburdened life where you pursue your passions simply because it brings you joy. If anyone likes it, then that's a bonus. There's an alternate version of me somewhere filled with regret, wondering whether she could have done something like this if she took the plunge, and I'm eternally grateful to my past self for doing it. My takeaway from everything I dared to accomplish last year is that whether everyone or no one is watching, the art I put out into the world is important because I deem it so. I know it can sometimes seem quite gash to be boastful or proud of your achievements, but please take this as a sign that anything you've done that's still significant is significant. Don't waste time being modest in celebrating it. Be vocal, enthusiastic and unabashedly loud about all of it.