What Does It Mean To Be Yourself?

In a society driven by image and success, learning how to be yourself is one of the most difficult things you'll ever do. Sharing personal challenges and insights from her book "Illusion," Carly Sotas explores how the fear of not being good enough prevents us from making an impact and achieving our dreams.

Carly Sotas is the author of Illusion, a non-fiction book that explores questions of identity, happiness, and success. As a teenager, Carly read magazines for advice on how to be successful and confident but was left feeling discouraged and inadequate, because the lifestyle presented seemed unattainable. Motivated by a desire to start a more relatable and authentic conversation, Carly wrote Illusion, sharing her struggles in hopes of letting other young people know that they are not alone in the challenges they face and in their desire to pursue their dreams. With a passion for youth development and education, Carly serves as the co-program director of Vancouver’s Heart of the City Piano Program, a music education program that provides accessible music lessons to underserved youth. She is also the co-founder of the Pencils of Promise chapter at The University of British Columbia, the global education organization to which she is donating the proceeds from Illusion.