Have you ever thought about the mark you’ll leave on the world? A little less severe than that–have you thought about the impression you left with someone today? I recently met up with a friend from college (eek at how college is officially a term to refer to my past) and we reminisced, goofed off, and thought about the future. One of the things that has stayed on my mind is the way my friend talked about myself and others.

Don’t get me wrong, my friend wasn’t negative at all–in fact, it was the lack of negativity that struck me. Sometimes we get so obsessed with what we think of ourselves and what we think others think of us–that we have no concept of how we’re truly perceived. The talk with my friend not only boosted my confidence but it also inspired me.

I’ve had a few conversations with friends about the art I create. It mostly centers on what negative reactions I may receive; for example, I’ve wondered if creating work that promotes a pride and love for my culture–my ‘blackness’, if you will, is somehow negated by my personal relationships. I’ve wondered if my portfolio site full of so many different types of work is more hinderance than help. I could literally go on and on, but I won’t since I’m moving past all of that.

The point that I’m trying to make is that we are often wrong about what we assume people think and remember about us. I personally want to spend less time obsessing over what other people think. I can only hope that creating art out of a genuine place and maintaining a good heart will be remembered; that my story, whatever it turns out to be, inspires someone.

It’s been a decent amount of time since I last wrote; it sounds cliche, but a lot has happened in my life. On the professional side, I started working as an Assistant Web Developer for a local web design, video production and online marketing solutions provider. On the personal side, I’ve been dating someone for nearly a year and it’s going fantastic. (yay, us) But back to my point, I’m no longer in college. Gone are the days of limited responsibility, going to the cafe (though I never went), and refund checks (yeah, I said it). Though I can’t possibly expect to turn into some sort of super career woman over night, or even at all, I do have to take time to reconsider what my goals and expectations are.

In a round about way, I’ve started thinking about doing better at maintaining the different aspects of my life; My career, personal relationships, business, fine art and the little things on the side that bring me joy (like Hulu, embroidery, and video games). I believe attitude plays a big role in whether or not you can or cannot do something and I know I can live the life I’ve always dreamed of. One thing I’ll try to remember as I grow older, is that I don’t have to sacrifice anything to live the life I want.

One way that I can do this is by setting aside time each day for ME; Time where I can focus on creating art, blogging, working on my business or even exercising (because physical & mental health is important too). This time will come before any of my obligations. If this requires that I wake up at 6 am everyday as opposed to 8 am –so be it. Being able to have ME time will give me the peace of mind to know that even though I’ve worked all day I’ve still accomplished something just for me; Slowly, but surely making my way to achieving my dreams.