curiosity is contagious

“Amber Rae is the Brené Brown of Wonder.”
— Mind Body Green

 
 
 
 
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I'm Amber Rae—an author, artist, and speaker who encourages emotional wellness and personal growth.

My work explores how to free ourselves from the stories that stifle our potential, and what it takes to live as our truest, most courageous selves.

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I'm the bestselling author of Choose Wonder Over Worry.

Blending raw-and-relatable stories with actionable strategies, it’s a guide to face your fears and create a life that reflects who you truly are.

Deepak Chopra called it a map to "unfold your infinite potential" and Bustle said it's "the one advice book you should read — even if you don't like self-help."

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I empower audiences to unlock their true potential.

Called “relatable, awe-inspiring, and a breath of fresh air,” I give talks and host workshops that engage audiences and inspire change.

Whether presenting on stage to thousands or hosting a group in an intimate setting, together we'll create a space of curiosity, vulnerability, and transformation.

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Daily Inspo

FINE LINE | My girl @majo.heroine and I were talking about the difference between healthy and toxic hustle recently. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Healthy hustle: challenging yourself to grow, moving beyond comfort zones, values-driven commitment and pursuit, rising in the face of adversity, knowing when to rest and play. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Toxic hustle: grinding all day and night, prioritizing work above all else, scarcity-driven grasping and clinging, wearing productivity like a badge of honor, forcing outcomes at all costs. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The latter is often the result of a toxic culture or unaddressed fears about worthiness. (“If I achieve _____, I’ll be enough.”) It harms our physical and emotional health and leads to burn out. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ve danced in realm of toxic hustle and it didn’t propel me forward, bring me closer to my dreams, or help me get more done, it only held me back and made me sick. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a culture of getting ahead and more/better/faster, taking care of yourself is a radical, and necessary, act. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Where do you sit in the realm of toxic and healthy hustle? 💪🏼❤️
Helllllo, Friday. Helllllo beautiful moment to pause and check-in. Here are a few of my fav prompts 😘 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I feel... invigorated, alive, new portals of creativity opening within me. I need... space to hear and honor my inner whispers. I forgive... myself for not listening to my intuition earlier this week. I celebrate... one week of marriage with @farhadini 🥰. I release... old stories about what my work should look like. I trust... where I’m being guided. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.s. as my love @farhadini and I celebrate getting married and our honeymoon, I’m pausing from art making so I can give my full presence to our relationship and adventures. I’ll repost some old favs in the meantime, and be back at it soon! 😘 Xoxox
In my vows over the weekend, I shared that my husband (!!! first time typing that word) taught me to see the imperfections in life as beautiful. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Like the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which takes shattered pottery and pieces it back together with gold lacquer. The process doesn’t hide the cracks or the fact that the pottery was once shattered, it embraces those edges as creating an even more beautiful piece of art. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We too can take the broken and beautiful parts of ourselves, and piece them together to create a unified whole. And it’s that wholeness—and sense of home—that comes from letting our cracks be seen and embracing all of who we are. ✨
Wow wow wow. Our love & wonder wedding weekend left us speechless. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Enveloped by the Atlas Mountains and Ourika Valley, and surrounded by 70 of our nearest and dearest, we sanctified our union in a circle of love to signify the boundless commitment we were making to each other. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Belly dancers, snake charmers, camel rides and delicious tagine kicked off the Moroccan Soirée on Friday, with several dear friends sharing their gift of music, poetry and comedy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We moved into the ceremony on Saturday, where we exchanged personal vows, declared our commitment to our soul fam, and witnessed each guest bless our rings with a one-word wish. We danced under the stars late into the night with vibes courtesy of DJ @victorien.fdvm, and completed the weekend with a Milky Way flute meditation—kissed by two shooting stars. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Designing this love & wonder extravaganza alongside our amazing team was, without question, one of the highlights of my life. May 9-12, 2019 will forever be etched into our hearts as one of the most magical and memorable weekends of our lives. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Thank you to our beautiful community for helping to make our union so special. #MrAndMrsWonder ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here’s a sneak peak of photos, thanks to the magic of @igordemba ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And big gratitude to those who supported in bringing this to life: Planning & Production: @boutiquesouk (the. best. ever.) Venue: @kasbahbabourika Videography: @gione.silva (Coming soon!) Dress: @lizmartinezbridal via @spinabride Makeup: @karimamaruan Flowers: @maybemayflowerstudio Officiants: Andrew Horn & @thelauragriffiths ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ & our whole soul fam!
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Wonder 👸🏻🤴🏽✨🌸💃🏻🙏🏼🎉🐫🥰💕 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So much love for Team Wonder: Photo by @nickonken Dress by @lizmartinezbridal via @spinabride Produced by @boutiquesouk At @kasbahbabourika Hair & makeup by @karimamaruan
#OldieButGoodie | An aspiring writer emailed me the other day, saying, “I have so many doubts and fears about putting my work out there. So much so that I’m NOT creating anything. Any tips?” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here’s the gist of what I shared: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1️⃣ Make Friends With Your Doubt. Rather than seeing it as an enemy, acknowledge that your fear and doubt are trying to protect and keep you safe from humiliation. We all experience doubt. It’s part of being human. It’s what you do with it that matters. Which leads me to...⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2️⃣ Question Your Doubts. Our doubts are often over-dramatic and fearful stories about who we think we are and what we think we are capable of. Our doubts are not the truth. So question your doubts by asking: Where did this belief come from? What if the opposite were true? What evidence do I have to prove the opposite is true? Knowing the opposite can be true, what is my next right move? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3️⃣ Name It To Tame It. To separate who I am from the many doubting voices inside my head, I’ve named my inner critics. There’s Anxious Annie, Debbie Doubter, Grace the perfectionist, and many more. This helps me distance myself from the parts of me that want to stay small, play safe, or run away. By giving it a name, it loses its power. My favorite tip? Writing them a letter to inform them of the important adventure we are embarking on, and the role they can and CANNOT play. (Boundaries!)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4️⃣ Call on Inner Wisdom. The wise women within me also have names. There’s The Goddess, Zoë the creative bestie, Momma Jenny the wise elder, and more. I frequently pull out my journal and engage in conversation with them—asking for guidance on my next steps and what to do when feeling shaky. They’re my favorite navigation system. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 5️⃣ ACT. As Van Gogh once said, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” 🔥 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #choosewonder #decodingthefeels #allthefeels
WEDDING REAL TALK // In ONE week, our love & wonder wedding adventure in Morocco begins. Here’s a lil’ wedding art I made to channel all the feels, inspired by the art magic of @meeraleepatel. (If you don’t know her art already, go check it out. So much beauty and depth.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Real talk: planning our wedding (even with amazing planners) has been a combo of I-love-you-to-the-moon *and* I-want-to-strangle-you. 😂 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Farhad and I have *very* different and opposite work styles, and collaboration has been an edge for us. I love details; he’s big picture. I’m proactive; he’s reactive. I’m controlling; he’s casual. I’m structured; he’s unstructured. I worry someone will get too drunk; he doesn’t care. I always meet deadlines; he forgets deadlines exist. You get the picture. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ There have been a few times where I thought, “Oh my - can we do this? Can we build a life together if we can’t plan a wedding together?” He reassured me, “planning a wedding is not planning a life. I get to marry you. All the other details are a bonus.” (Good answer, though I found it annoying at first. 😂) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our journey here has felt like an INITIATION, and I’m grateful for it. He’s a mirror for my areas of growth, and I’m a mirror for his. One thing is for sure: Each tiny conflict is having us uplevel our communication and increase our capacity for discomfort. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ One communication frame we’ve been practicing to balance out our edges is, “I’m willing to shift X if you’re willing to do Y.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Example: “I’m willing to relinquish control if you’re willing to communicate more proactively.” And then, we get specific on what that looks like in practice for each of us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s. Been. A. Ride. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ As for this next week, I AM relinquishing control and calling in presence, pleasure, ease, magic, and unconditional love. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I love you to the moon @farhadini *and* I’m grateful we get to work out these kinks along the way. 💏 #MrAndMrsWonder
By popular request, a monthly fill-in reflection + intention setting template ✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hundreds of you are asking me if I’m making my art into prints, and the short answer is SOON—I have a few things up my sleeve. May is my MONTH OF LOVE so I’m off to get married first. 💏 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.s. I’m messaged a lot if it’s okay to reshare my work. As always, I’m grateful when you re-share, and I ask that you tag me in the photo and post, and don’t adjust the colors. ❤️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.p.s. If you post with answers, please tag me so I can see. I always get so excited. 🤩
I just wrapped up two keynotes in the last few days, and I’m feeling a lot of gratitude that I get to do this work. I’m inspired by how ready people are to get real and raw, and talk about their inner emotional worlds. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I always love when we get to the Q&A part of talks because it tells me what’s in people’s hearts. One woman asked about how they can get their family member or partner to open up and share their feelings, and another asked how to support her young daughter in unleashing her potential and gifts. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Different questions with the same answer: We start with ourselves and we teach by example. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If we want our partner to open up about their feelings, we start by opening up and being vulnerable with them first. If we want to encourage our daughter to unleash her potential and gifts, we first unleash our own potential and gifts. Then, we create an encouraging container for her to do the same. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m reminded of redwood trees. The way these majestic creatures grow is they first root into the ground and create their own sturdiness. Once anchored, they connect their roots with the other redwood trees around them. That’s how they rise high together. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The same goes for us. When we first root into our own power, it’s from that place that we can most powerfully connect with and amplify the gifts of those around us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Root, Connect, Rise. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Happy Tuesday, lovelies. ✨✨✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷 @danielnjohnson
Perfectionism sucks the joy out of living and creating. It’s self-sabotage at its finest. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ At its core, perfectionism is fueled by the underlying belief that “I am not good enough (or thin enough, smart enough, rich enough, successful enough, or ________ enough),” and I need to try harder and harder to get *there.* ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Healthy striving, though? It’s expansive and attainable, rooted in the belief that “No matter what, I am always worthy and enough.” ✨ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ From p. 209 of my book, “Choose Wonder Over Worry.” Want a copy for you or a friend? Head to the link in my bio 👉🏼 @heyamberrae ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #choosewonder
Walking into Wednesday like 🙅🏻‍♀️🕵🏻‍♀️🧘🏻‍♀️🧚🏽‍♀️💃🏻 #decodingthefeels
WHOLENESS is embracing all of it: the mess, the magic, the joy, the pain, the imperfection, the beauty. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wholeness is what I see as the driving WHY for my work: to guide us beyond our shame and abandonment of the self into full love and acceptance. Acceptance of our cracks, edges, and imperfections. All of it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s the space and place where there’s no more hiding; only embracing. 🙏🏼❤️ #decodingthefeels