Here I am with an old portrait dated September 2012. I had super long hair and, back in those days, I was in the silly phase of “Fake it till you make it”. I was never deeply in love with my physical appearance and at that time, as I still had acne, I used Photoshop extensively to soften my skin. I also was a huge fan of hair clips (a passion for which I have not completely forgotten!). More than a decade has passed and I I’d like to share a few thoughts that I would have liked to be aware of, 12 years ago, and that I should have repeated to myself every day in front of the mirror:

• Don’t be afraid, girl, you can make it happen!
• Accept yourself and embrace your imperfection, that is more appealing than your idea of perfection!
• Trust your guts in order to realise your projects without further ado, you are a good decision-maker!
• Don’t waste your time (which is the ultimate and irreplaceable value), get straight to the point
• Open your mouth to tell what you think, at the right moment
• Act more, do not fall in the overthinking’s tunnel (that’s always a sensitive issue!)
• Comparing to others is a loss of time, as you really don’t know what is going on in their lives
• Don’t neglect your body: also your appearance contributes to your psychological well-being
• Be honest about yourself, do not fear to be judged by others
• Stay warm and open to others, be compassionate

And finally: Keep going, girl, you are enough! Your achievements with photography over the past decade have been impressive 🙂