Love Yourself

Love Yourself: Essays on self-love, care and healing inspired by BTS

Edited by Wallea Eaglehawk and Keryn Ibrahim

Inspired by BTS’ message of “love yourself, speak yourself” Love Yourself features 10 essays on self-love, care and healing from contributors around the world. According to BTS, to be human is to love; humans are love in physical form. Both BTS and their fans, ARMY, were created, and remain continuously united in love. The love that BTS speak of is complex and nuanced at times, but also can transcend cultural, language, and physical barriers. Love is BTS’ call to action. They ask of us to learn to love ourselves and to warmly embrace others in whatever way we can. 

Amongst the pages of this book you will find a range of experiences and stories that share universal themes and truths. Some may be familiar to you, some may be new. These essays are not about BTS even as all the contributors are ARMY and have been deeply influenced by the group and fandom alike. These essays are personal accounts of the writers’ lives that are linked to socio-cultural-political analyses and understandings for further context and, perhaps, to provide the reader with tools for understanding their own journey, too. Each essay provides a heartfelt examination of self-love as a journey, a work in progress. 

This is your call to action. It has two words, three syllables, and twelve letters. Love yourself. Say it out loud right now as you read it and you might be confused, because what exactly does it mean to love yourself? But say it while looking at yourself in the mirror with unwavering eye contact, and perhaps you’ll start to understand what adventure is afoot. Perhaps you’re already in the thick of it. Either way, it can’t hurt to say it. Once more, for the sake of art:

Love yourself.

Contents

A dichotomy of passion by Jasmine Proctor

The broken vase theory by Gabrielle S. Punzalan

Doses of self-acceptance by Rashifa Aljunied

(Re)writing my life as an Asian American by Devin Barney

From tear to answer by Brunna Martins

Drawing Spaces by Cindy Nguyen

Facing myself by Jacinta Bos

The empty canvas by Raneem Iftekhar

Wavering journey of self-love by Destiny Harding

Following my footsteps home by Shelley Hoani