I. Love. Myself.: A Perspective
Maliyah Harris
Creative Citizen: Young, Lit & Free Coach
At first I thought that self care and self love were the same thing.
Self care is only a small portion of it.
My journey to self love has been nothing that I thought that it would be. I went looking for myself and found a better version of that person than I planned for. I dove deep into myself and decided what aspirations I had for myself and who I wanted to be, only to find that the company I was keeping and the habits that I had weren’t matching the goals that I had. Even though I knew what steps I needed to take in order to better myself, there still wasn’t enough motivation to change my routine in order to get to my goals. We all know that taking care of your mental health can be a challenge, but it’s needed.
It wasn’t until I saw self love shine through others that I truly understood what was missing from myself: unapologetic, deep self-adoration.
I wanted to become this radiant, confident, joyful spirit that I’d seen many times and longed for. And that’s where the real work began- I wanted better for myself, but I wasn’t willing to commit to the work until I truly valued myself.
Art has been such a transformative resource in my journey to self love is what allowed me to search within my previous self to find who I am now. Self-love is a part engaging, changing, and saving your own life. I love myself.
Check out some of these resources for practicing self-care, from Idealist:
Loveland Foundation focuses on therapy for Black women and girls in their effort to bring opportunity and healing to communities of color.
Self Care for LGBTQ+ Youth and Allies: These tips are about being an ally for young people in the LGBTQ+ community, and self-care as an ally or as a youth who identifies as LGBTQ+ yourself.
Melanin & Mental Health was born out of a desire to connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black & Latinx/Hispanic communities.
We R Native is a comprehensive health resource for Native youth, by Native youth, providing content and stories about the topics that matter most to them, striving to promote holistic health and positive growth.
Therapy for Black Men notes that in the Black community, Black men are told to be strong, walk it off, don’t cry, and to man up. With TherapyForBlackMen.org, you do not have to go on this journey alone!
Therapy for Latinx uses the latest technology to make it as easy as possible for people to find therapists, life coaches, emergency mental health centers, and free/low-cost community clinics.
Well for Culture is a grassroots initiative which aims to reclaim and revitalize Indigenous health and wellness.
The theme for our open mic is inspired by Dj Khaled’s song, “Sorry Not Sorry” , featuring Nas, JAY-Z & James Fauntleroy and Harmonies by The Hive. When the harvest comes, we can smile, shine and not apologize for dwelling in the fruits of our seasonal labor. However, while we wait, why shouldn’t we create?
Meet us DOWNTOWN at The White Hart Cafe.