My journey to self-love began not with a gentle nudge, but with a jarring wake-up call. For years, a relentless, self-critical voice dominated my headspace, with every minor inconvenience becoming a trigger, and my young children the target of my emotional tantrums. I was constantly on edge, and from a nervous system perspective, I was trapped in a perpetual state of sympathetic dominance, the amygdala constantly firing, keeping me locked in fight, flight, or freeze mode. It was as if my body was screaming for a reset, signaling that it had reached its absolute limit. I was bloody exhausted in mind, body, heart, and spirit.
A recent conversation with a friend led me to reflect on my self-development journey, which began in 2014 with those daily emotional outbursts.
It's 2025 now, and I can see with such clarity that the root issue was a lack of self-love.
When I embarked on a journey to change this narrative in 2014, it wasn’t because of high self-awareness. The pain of remaining status quo was simply far too painful than the pain of change.
By unpacking my emotional baggage and prioritising self-care, I eventually discovered Japanese-style pastel art – a fusion of my love for art and Japan – which eventually led to my becoming an accidental art-preneur.
Now, it's evident that my personal journey prepared me for my current mission: painting self-love through my abstract affirmation art to reconnect with our inner BFF (aka the most important person in our life!). My artwork aims to help others develop the kind, supportive inner voice we all need, rather than succumbing to our brains' natural negativity bias. I like to think that my workshops are ways for you to experience self-love. They are peppered with the connection of art and life and how we can show kindness to ourselves, and you will be amazed at how each step of the drawing process really is a parallel to life.
Through this self-development journey, I’ve not only discovered my love for creating art, the joy of painting self-love through the rainbow of colours, but also my strength in connecting with people on a deeper level. Guess what, I’ve also recently discovered the joy of public speaking (despite the nerves), especially on topics about the importance of self-love on our mental wellness.
You see, there’s only so much of our potential we can tap into when we have so much self-loathing, like the Caihui 10 years ago who constantly woke up to a screaming inner voice right from the moment my eyes opened. When we can operate from a place of self-love, we are able to trust ourselves, be kinder to ourselves, and things are able to flow smoother from there. It makes sense then that we are able to tap into our inherent (and even hidden) potential because the nervous system finally feels safe to be seen.
Does that make sense to you?
In a recent interview with Channel 8, I discussed my unexpected entrepreneurial journey and the importance of rewiring our neural pathways with affirmations and self-love - by filling our own cups first. By fostering compassion and nurturing ourselves, we can effectively create lasting positive change and personal growth.
Check out the interview here.
As I continue to share my story and art with the world, I am grateful for the transformation that self-love has brought into my life. It is my hope that by advocating for this essential practice, others may also experience the power of becoming their own best friend and embracing a more positive, fulfilling life.
I truly believe that self-love is a fundamental answer to world peace.
Therefore, it's my heart-led mission to contribute to world peace by advocating for self-love through my art, helping people connect with their inner best friend, one artwork at a time.
Self-love for world peace.
Music to my ears. Will you join me?
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