Effervescence is about the intricate art of liking ourselves. It’s written by me, Kylie Springman. I’m the one with a quarter inch of hair and stripey socks. Hi.

So, about Effervescence:

This website is a study in what it means and what it takes to like yourself. And be nice to yourself. And be nice to other people. (They’re all related; I’m sure of it.)

We talk about a lot of little things here in the service of that larger vision. We sometimes get irrepressibly cheesy and start waxing poetic about loving ourselves, even with our flaws. Sometimes we get real serious and tackle the subjects of mental health and illness (we then give ourselves plenty of gold stars for our efforts). Every once in a while, we get to peek into the world of somebody gorgeous whom I’ve photographed, which is always a treat.

This is a space that’s extra-specially welcome to introverts and shy folks and highly sensitive people, because I know how sometimes it can feel like you just don’t fit in. This is a place where you can, and you do. Really.

And now, about me:

I’m an empowerment coach and photographer. I teach smart, sensitive people how to like themselves and be nice to themselves. In the process, lots of magical things happen: someone starts the businesses she’s dreamed of for years. Someone starts asking for what she needs instead of feeling resentful and unfulfilled at home. Someone stops trying to be superhuman, and finds out that being herself is so much better.

My experience of life thus far has been varied, but also ridiculously useful in this line of work. It includes:

the green, green trees of Seattle;

traveling to five of the seven continents before I was twelve;

parental abandonment (don’t feel sorry; it’s actually one of the luckiest things that ever happened to me);

scholastic overachieving;

being very quiet and very “good”;

moving to New York at 18 by myself;

being very depressed and eating disordered;

falling in love at first sight;

being trained to be a personal trainer and spinning instructor (and then ditching that upon realizing that was the eating disorder leading the way);

feeling stuck in various jobs that were unsafe and/or abusive;

starting my own business (the one you’re lookin’ at!);

learning to like myself;

finding mental health care that works for me;

learning to care for myself;

learning to thrive in a city of eight million people;

building a structure of support that, now, holds me pretty safely most of the time;

using all this learning to support other people (like maybe you).

That’s a (very vague) little rundown of the basics. But let’s talk more on Twitter, okay?

Other places you can find me:

Shaving My Head. Finding My Self. on Silence, Cupcake

Releasing the Urge to Push and Being Kind to Yourself Instead on Tiny Buddha

23 Things You Might Not Know About You, a virtual gift from Zen at Play

Drawing from the Garden Well (A chat on shyness and introversion with Kathryn T. Hunter, the Social Caterpillar)

Coolness Is Overrated on Crafty Fanny

A Big, Gay, Happy Family? It Starts with Safety. on Authentic Realities

Trimming the Fat Talk: Language Matters on the Road to Liking Yourself on Jacks and Jills

If you’d like to get in touch:

Want to get Effervescence updates and treats? Sign up for self-love letters right here.

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Want to talk? Email is the best way to get in touch: kylie.springman@gmail.com

Be part of the community on the Facebook fan page.

Just wanna say hi? I’m on Twitter at @kyliewriteshere.