Selena Gomez: My bark is instinctual

Selena Gomez believes her creativity is an instinctual process meant to capture the "bark inside" of herself.

The 23-year-old singer-and-actress is currently promoting her new album Revival.

And the process of penning tunes for the LP meant her inner fierceness was tapped into in a huge way.

"It's instinctual. You need to have that bark inside of you," she explained to Latina magazine. "I poured everything into this album mentally. I wanted to create something that was authentically me."

While working on Revival, Selena matured exponentially.

The star had to drop one habit in particular she thought would never go away.

"The habit of being so mean to myself," she explained. "I was my own worst critic. There's so much pressure to be a certain way. I had to stop and stand back and say, 'Is this good for me?' It's about awareness; now I allow myself to take care of myself. For me, being strong is being completely confident in who you are. I spent the last year getting to know myself, and I realised the most important relationship you have is the one with yourself.

"'Everything happens for a reason.' That's true of auditions, friendships, and relationships. I've had yeses, and I've had nos. Good things and bad things. I always try to reflect afterward and not be anxious about why something didn't work."

Although she is one of the most famous people in the world, Selena has stopped trying to be perfect in front of the camera.
The multitalented entertainer is doing her best to ensure other people know she is also flawed.

"I'm a real person," Selena said. "I have bad days too. I can take good selfies, but they might be after I spent two hours in a hair-and-makeup chair. You don't have to be perfect; there's beauty in flaws."