Everyone hates being humiliated, yet karaoke still exists. All joking aside, don’t be afraid to be yourself and do what you love. I know that you all have heard that or something similar at least once in your life, but it’s the truth and right now it feels like so many of you need to hear just that.

Regardless of what you are interested in – whether it be art, dance, music, or anime – if you enjoy it, do it. I get that you may feel like you’re “just being weird,” but being yourself is not weird, and if others can’t see how much of an amazing person you are then they don’t deserve you. I’m a cosplayer, which means I dress up as fictional characters other than on Halloween. There, I said it, so if anyone would know about being judged for your hobbies, I would.  

If you have a dream or a passion, just go for it. You should not care what others think; just do what makes you happy. The strongest factor for success is self-esteem; believing you can do it, believing you deserve it and believing you’ll get it. Every musician, actor, writer, and artist out there has been in your place; they were a student before as well and they’ve had struggles with their image and friends. They didn’t just wake up one day a star; they had to work hard to get there, and if you work hard, you will achieve your dreams some day. 

To quote Merida from Brave, “There are those who say fate is something beyond our command, that destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us… you only have to be brave enough to see it.”