love letter to my insecurities (Copy)

A film by Valeria Perez

My film, “Love Letter To My Insecurities” is a piece about loving the parts of yourself that are hardest to love. It is about understanding that self love isn’t always a quick and easy process. It takes many forms and shapes, and it is growth that isn’t always linear. In today’s world, it’s easier said than done to love yourself and give gratitude to the body you have. Within this piece, I hope to remind viewers that it’s ok to struggle with self love and that we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves for taking it one day at a time. The battles against ourselves are normal, and it’s important to recognize that every process of self love differs from person to person. Ultimately, they’re processes we need to value, even when they don’t feel easy. My desire to create this film came from a place of healing, since self love is something I’ve always struggled with. I’ve struggled with my gender expression, depression, guilt from the hair on my body, embarrassment from the acne on my chest, my cultural identity, and more. Learning to love these things felt challenging alone since the forms of self care I was practicing didn’t work for me. Self care/love became something I shied away from, afraid that practicing different things would make me feel more guilty if they didn’t work for me. Now I understand that the practice of self love isn’t something that is one an done. We’re all growing at our own pace and in different ways. What works for myself may be different for others and that is entirely normal. All we have in this world is ourselves, and it’s important to treat ourselves with everlasting kindness and empathy. Just as we are passionate for our interests and artistries, we should prioritize taking care and giving that love back to ourselves in whatever ways we can.

Director, Editor, Producer: Valeria Perez. Photography: Brandon Velasquez. “Love Letters To My Insecurities” poem by Raquel Perry. Production manager: Alex Marquith. Featuring: Zoraya Angeline, Jordan Collazo, Valentina Rodriguez, Amelie Rivera, Genesis Flores, Grace Thomas, Charlie Gomez, Dontae Gonzalez, Madeline Mauck, Frances Oyoyla, Alex Marquith, Valeria Perez.