Exclusive: Jonathan Van Ness Says This Is the Key to Living Your Most Confident Life (Even When You Don’t Feel So Hot)

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness seems to have an endless amount of energy and confidence. Stop by his Instagram Stories first thing in the morning and you’ll see him dancing and singing while brewing his coffee. Turn on Netflix and you’ll find him and his fellow Fab Five members changing lives one major overhaul at a time. He’s touring the world with his Road to Beijing stand-up comedy routine and casually training with figure skating Olympian Michelle Kwan in his spare time. Did we mention his book, podcast and Emmy-nominated web series?

For all intents and purposes, the 32-year-old multi-hyphenate is living his best life. But as he tells the contestants on Queer Eye, the key to achieving anything is believing in yourself. So, with all that he has going on, how does Van Ness make sure his confidence bank stays flush? He recognizes his strengths and builds himself up even when he’s not totally feeling it.

When PureWow chatted with Van Ness exclusively thanks to his partnership with Elysian Brewing, we asked if his strong sense of self-confidence is innate or if he’s honed it through the years. Van Ness replied, “Both. I think it’s like a blend of both.”

He went on to explain, “I think I have a natural ability to be very curious [he does have a podcast called Getting Curious] and very hardworking and very resilient.”

But even though those qualities are part of JVN’s character, he reminds us that it’s important to nurture the parts of yourself that aren’t always flourishing. “Every day I think we all have to look in the mirror and come to terms with and find that self-acceptance and self-love, even on the days that it doesn’t flow naturally.”

So next time we’re not feeling like our most fabulous selves, you better believe we’ll be asking, “What would Jonathan Van Ness do?”

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