Meet Anna Marie Witthohn

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Marie Witthohn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anna Marie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

When you asked this question, my mother’s voice rang in my head. Growing up she’d always say to me “And how do we build self-esteem, Anna? It’s through doing esteemable things”. When I was young and insecure I’d get frustrated by this because what the heck are esteemable things? She’d say it like it was easy too but, when you feel down about yourself nothing is easy.
As I got older I learned these mysterious esteemable things were not as elusive as I’d once thought. The world is full of esteemable things, from brushing your hair in the morning and putting a cute clip in it, to joining a recreational sports team, to taking a solo trip to a city you’ve never been to. Things that make you feel good about yourself, things you have to go to regularly with other people, things that put you out of your comfort zone and prove you’re capable- these are esteemable things, and to quote my mother “that’s how you’re gonna build self-esteem”.
So now, when I don’t feel too nice about myself I’ll fix my hair real cute, take a run, make something creative, pick up the house, call a close friend who I know thinks I’m cool, plan a trip, or work towards a long-term goal.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m 26 years old and I currently live in Pittsburgh, PA with my husky, Butch, and my wife, Myla. I’m a street artist and EMT. I love to travel and have moved around a lot so I’m always somewhere new! I’ve been making art in many forms my whole life, I try to be creative with everything I do. I’m very active I love running, weightlifting, rock climbing, and skate boarding. I also like to cook (breakfast is my favorite) and bake (specifially breads). Check out my instagram for cooking videos, travel vlogs, art projects, fitness content, and more!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In my journey to building self esteem I felt like it was important to be disciplined and brave, while also holding space to be gentle with myself. Some days I’ll feel really lazy and sad and I wont wanna do anything but I’ll tell myself to do it anyways. If you keep doing something every day it becomes a habit, and habits make up your life style. I’ve also been nervous often when trying new things or taking big steps, but if you never take big steps you’re just gonna stay small. Everything scary I’ve ever done has proven so much to me about my abilities and brought me confidence- even if I didn’t succeed. When you set a goal and don’t reach it, it can be easy to be disappointed in yourself or feel sad. It’s important to be gentle with yourself when attempting a goal because even if you don’t reach it exactly, if you did everything you could within your knowledge and understanding, you still improved yourself by trying something new and creating new habits.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed the first thing I do is give myself a moment to sit with my feelings and identify what it is exactly I’m feeling. If I’m anxious I go on a run, if I’m sad I reach out to a friend, if I’m angry i take some deep breaths and walk away. I try to listen to what my body and mind are telling me and do what’s going to be in my best interest. I actually used to ignore myself constantly, and I was so stressed all the time. Since I started to really pay attention to myself- I feel at peace.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annamariewitthohn/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@annamariewitthohn