While on a family weekend trip, I knew that NYC’s Pride parade was set to take place today. I told myself it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I missed it. And of course, my mind played tricks.

Predictably, 2 minutes into the official start of the event, I started seeing photographers post past pride pictures, as they made their way to this year’s event. Like the universe was trying to give me FOMO. 

In those moments, I pause and try to remind myself:

1. Your break is valid. Family is important to refuel, feel grounded and connected. 

2. Comparison is a trap. It’s a natural human reaction and helps us improve over time, but going unchecked, it can be a real killjoy. Someone else is probably even comparing themselves to you right now. Pauline Mauroux wrote it in her newsletter: Comparing yourself yields two outcomes—1/ You suck. 2/ They suck. Productive, hey?

3. Missing one event doesn’t erase your entire body of work. Our value as creatives doesn’t mean we need to be everywhere all at once. Being selective can actually be powerful.

4. Being intentional with how you spend your time. You’re simply choosing which opportunities make sense for you in this moment, rather than running after every event and opportunity like a headless chicken. 

5. What are the quieter stories? Perhaps some of those highly visible events are not where you ought to be. Perhaps there’s a small, more intimate story to tell right where you are. 

In the spirit of this, here’s a pride picture from 2022 (!) The year I met Jordana, a dear friend who changed my life by encouraging me to go to ICP. 

Happy rest to me! Happy Pride to all!