A lazy Sunday in Central Park for me involves podcasts, naps, and extensive life planning (I'm a Capricorn, ok?). Transition weather means wool shorts and oversized blazers.....aka, tomboi looks, my favorite kind.Since I'm a sucker for oversharing I'll clue you in on my Fall/Winter 2k14 plans and give some tips on how to be an overachieve like myself. Hahaha! Let's go. But first: outfit details, because this is supposed to be a personal style blog.
I'm wearing: Tayler's Vintage Blazer, Choies Tshirt, Grey Wool Shorts, Margiela Tabis, Thrifted Backpack. Similar or exact options are listed below.
NOW! TIME TO MOTHER YOU! LET'S GET STARTED.
I get a lot of questions about the following: getting a lot of things done at once without being overwhelmed, the anxiety of writing, and going after what you want. Here are some bullet point reality checks on these subjects:
- On doing a lot without getting overwhelmed. Listen, who says I don't get overwhelmed?! And anyway, I don't feel like I do all that much. Compared to other freelancers I know, I feel like I'm the laziest butt alive. I'm still not quite treating full time writing as a full time job. Maybe because I'm writing about fun things that I would do anyway, but probably also because I'm not working on a 9-5 schedule. More like, 12-10, with a lot of breaks in between. When I am trying to get a lot of things done at once, I stick to lists and block time schedules and turn off distractions, using social media blocking sites. However, I also tend to use Tumblr like a research notebook sometimes, so the lines get blurry..... I am essentially constantly working and researching if I'm on the internet, I simply use Evernote to organize my thoughts so when I have to sit down and write, everything is categorized. That Evernote link is an affiliate one btw. If you have any questions about how to use it I'm happy to go into detail about how I use mine!
- The anxiety of writing. I answered this on Tumblr already but basically I usually don't find writing fun and can't relate to people who find it fun all the time. Or most of the time, even. Some easier pieces are fun but they take awhile to write and the process of actually getting it done isn't fun even if the ideas behind them are. It's not fun. Research is fun. Producing original content after researching is rarely fun.
- Going after what you want. I basically see it like I have no other option. Fashion and beauty writing -- it's what I know and I'm good at. I knew this from the beginning -- or rather, I knew I wanted this since I was like 15? And so I have been on this path for a long time. It's not an overnight journey. I took a lot of detours for college because I thought my grades would mean something in the real world for a long time. They really don't. No one cares about your grades. I go after what I want because there isn't another option for me -- I'd suck at retail and I have no interest in anything else and this is what I'm good at so why even try to be safe about it? I'm hungry and I'm not asking for permission. People will make space for what I have to say because I'm going to make what I have to say so invaluable it would be stupid for them to do otherwise. And if they don't make it for me, I'll do it myself. That's basically it. No apologies. #Takewhatisyours, essentially. I see life like a ticking clock. It's just how I do.
Take, for example, these shoes and shorts. I've had these shorts for genuinely as long as I can remember -- my mother bought them for me and I never liked them until this summer. You have to be patient sometimes and you will surprise yourself. And these shoes, I always wanted them and so I started saving for them as soon as I decided I loved them. I never thought I would save enough money for them until I did. It's not impossible. I'd do it again. I actually will -- I want a red patent pair, too. Clothing analogies are the best analogies.
Okay -- does that sufficiently stoke you or terrify you? Either way, hope it helped. Have a rad one.
Photos by Tayler Smith.
