Oh, it’s still January. And there was me thinking it should surely be February already. I’m not wishing time away or anything but I have to agree with the many observations I’ve seen expressed on Twitter, that this does feel like an awfully slow month. No wait, I shouldn’t say ‘awful’, there’s nothing particularly awful about it for me personally (as long as you exclude the weather and well, Brexit – let’s not even go there)…but aside from all the gloomy stuff that we’d rather bury our heads in the sand about, over here and on a personal level, things are going pretty okay. I’m taking things slow, as I mentioned in my previous post and with it, time seems to be moving a lot slower too. I have to say this is something that I’m actually pretty pleased about. I didn’t think it was possible to really take control of your time in such a way but it seems that by taking certain pressures off your plate, it allows you more time to breathe and simply think. Usually I feel a constant rush of catching up, but over these past few weeks I’ve been moving at a sloth like pace, making my way from one task to the other and taking my time as I do so.
It’s unlikely things will remain like this, we are only at the start of the year after all, but for the moment I’m thankful for the seemingly abundant time. There are lots of things I need to sort out, plan and do…but like I’ve said previously, I’m in no rush to do them all at once. The ‘one thing at a time’ approach definitely works best for me.
So far this year I’ve been making a concious effort to tick some things off the list that I’ve been wanting to set in motion for ages. I’m first focusing on those little things that are often pushed aside in favour for the bigger or more urgent things, but that you know are always there, niggling. It feels good to be be paying attention to the smaller things that are seemingly less important, but will inevitably be one less distraction or thing to worry about in the long run.
Anyway, I’m back to capturing self portraits, as you’ll see from this post and the one before. Aside from a few campaigns that I’ve shot with the help from Damien, I’ve not been in front of the camera much so far this year. I think this time last year I was on a roll with shooting but as I’m going at a much slower pace this year, I’m taking things easy. I did have a burst of inspiration the other afternoon though when I decided to shoot these shots. Currently the spare bedroom/soon to be office room is waiting to undergo a transformation, but in the meantime it’s providing a great space for shooting in whislt making the most of the natural light.
If there’s one thing I struggle with more than a lack of inspiration, it’s ironically, too much inspiration. It sounds silly but since returning from my trips to Spain and then America, my mind has been a buzz with ideas. So much so that it’s been hard to know where to start. I’ve been back home for exactly two weeks now, yet I only just feel like I’m getting back to normality (whatever that is).
I guess for me, my normality is having a daily routine of creating content, working to my schedules/deadlines, and replying to emails from brands etc. I’m usually quite good at keeping self motivated. Since working on my self portrait project since late last year, that has been something that has kept me thinking up new ideas and pushed myself to try and capture something creative almost everyday.
Recently however, I appear to have hit a stumbling block. It’s that old chestnut of feeling like everything you’re taking in is starting to look the same and in turn you feel like your own work is following suit.
One of the reasons I started my self portrait project was in order to improve my photography and editing skills and push myself to be more creative when I don’t have Damien at my disposal to help me get the shots…I’ve never really stuck to one set photography style, or way of editing, as for me it’s all been about learning and developing new skills. More recently however I’ve felt myself falling into a trap of feeling like I need to do things a certain way as a blogger and I know it’s an idea I need to quickly get out of my head.
I sometimes wish I could have a social media detox (as they call it) and start again. It’s so hard to escape the echo chambers that we’ve created for ourselves. We are often being fed the same type of images/information that we have once expressed we have interest in and so now the algorithms love to show us even more of the same type of stuff. This happens so much so, that you can have a skewed idea of what’s popular, or how things are ‘meant’ to be. If you’re being inspired by lots of the same type of inspiration, then how are you ever going to really create something that’s uniquely you.
These are some thoughts that I have been toying with and aside from doing a Kanye on the gram (and unfollowing everyone), I’m not sure what we can really do about it. But then I guess even Kanye ended up in his own echo chamber of just himself. So there we go…it’s a little food for thought I guess.
Oh hey there and hello really old pictures that were taken all the way back in January! These images were actually shot in the Airbnb I stayed in whilst in Lisbon with my girl L’Oréal. It’s crazy to think that as we fast approach the end of 2017, that this was actually almost a year ago! I’m not about to get into a deep reflective post here or anything…but then again, who knows, it could go that way because for today’s post I’m back with another Five Things (insert imaginary novelty theme tune music here). If you’re new, this is basically just a post where I chat about five random things that pop into my head, so let’s get into it…
1.
On Monday I went to a gig at Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter. I hadn’t been to a gig in flipping ages and the last live music performance I’d seen prior to that was Green Day at the Manchester Arena back in January (yup, a looong time ago). The act in question for Monday’s performance was Mahalia – and if you haven’t heard her music before then go and listen to her song Sober, right now…actually wait, don’t go yet, but do go and check it out at the end of this post (cheeky wink face). Anyway, I hadn’t actually heard of her until two weeks prior when my friend Chloe said that she’d be performing and wanted to go. Obviously me being the yes person I am, I was like ‘sure, I’ll come along with you’ and I’m so glad I did because she was really good. It’s also re-sparked my love for live music/performances in general and I think I should make it a habit to see lots more in the new year.
2.
I’m usually quite boring when it comes to my music choices. Not that the music I listen to is boring, (I have a rather eclectic taste which I think I’ve mentioned before) but it’s more that I get into the habit of listening to the same old music on repeat. It’s actually fine by me but I think it’s good to broaden your horizons every now and then. Like on Monday for example, just completely submerging myself into something new because otherwise I will just continue to listen to the same songs by The Last Shadow Puppets, on repeat, forever.
3.
As we’re talking about music we may as well talk about books too and I am well and truly back on the book train, if there ever was one. I think I mentioned in a previous Five Things post about wanting to get back into the habit of reading because I love how it’s the one thing that allows me to fully switch off. Well I’m currently on the third instalment of Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy and I’m actually trying to take this one slow because I don’t want it to end. It’s a sci-fi/thriller which is actually my favourite genre when it comes to films, so naturally I’m obsessed with this book. Like with music however I need to remember to switch things up, so I want to get another (completely different) book lined up ready for when I’ve finished this one. Suggestions welcome, so feel free to comment down below with your favourite works of fiction from any genre.
4.
Speaking of reading I’ve been thinking more about my writing lately (casual transition there). Posts like this I don’t particularly see as writing, yes I’m writing but I’m actually more rambling than writing – sometimes it is nice to have a good old brain spill though. Anyway, I want to get back into the habit of writing more posts that have more of a purpose, like my recent post on How to Stop Comparing Your Work To Other People’s. Those are some of the types of posts that I most enjoy writing and I must set aside more time to do it. It’s no secret that I’ve never had any sort of set schedule here on my blog and some weeks I post more than others but it’s probably about time that I set aside more time to just write to create more of those posts that I really love.
5.
Okay, okay, so we seem to be going with some sort of flow here and so it feels only natural to end on the topic of video. I’ve been really enjoying the YouTube side of my content lately and seem to have found a real flow with it. If you haven’t checked out my YouTube the main thing I do on there is fashion related content, ‘ways to style’ videos seem to have become my thing and I also love creating artsy look books too. All in all it’s a bit of everything (a bit like here on my blog really) but in video format with a whole lot more of me rambling. So if you enjoyed this post then you might enjoy some of what’s been going on over there and you can check it out here.
That’s it I’m all chatted out. Hope you enjoyed this fourth instalment of five things. Have a fabulous weekend! Ciao for now!
At the start of last week Damien and I returned home from a long weekend away with two of our friends. It was pretty much a chilled affair. We drank, we ate, we lounged in the sun and aside from the 60 mile bike ride that the guys did on the Saturday (the purpose of the trip in the first place), we didn’t really do much of anything else…and you know what? I really enjoyed it.
Many of my friends would be surprised to know that I didn’t even take my camera on this particular trip and in total I took about ten, rather candid (and certainly not Instagram worthy) iPhone photos. I put my out of office on and actually managed to block out all work related stuff for an entire four days!
Being the weekend before last and so much having happened since then, our little trip away now actually feels like it was ages ago and it’s funny because if you were to look at my social media, it’s as if it never happened. This makes me realise that I (and many of us) really do document so much of our lives online and even when we aren’t documenting our own goings on, we’re likely catching up on someone else’s. When I think back to our little trip the other week, I have such fond memories of the weekend away and although for once I may not have the beautifully captured images to show for it, it still happened and we still had a great time non the less. Whilst I love being able to capture, create and share moments online, for me the trip has been a reminder that it’s so important to also switch off from it all occasionally and here are a few reasons why.
To Help De-Stress
Modern technology and the invention of mobile phones and internet on the go have been brilliant in helping many aspects of our lives become more efficient. However on the flip side it has meant that we have become ever more reliant on technology, especially those like myself who use it as a large tool for their job. So for most people (myself included) our mobiles have become an extension of our right (or left) hand. Basically meaning we rarely ever get to fully switch off.
As a result an increasing amount of us are suffering from anxiety and stress related conditions. It’s hard to say technology in some ways doesn’t play a part. Everything is faster and we’re supposed to keep up and aside from that there is an ever growing pressure to always present our best selves online whilst having to look at everyone else’s. I don’t know about you but sometimes this can all get the better of me and I need a big fat time out. Whilst we obviously have to keep up with our work commitments and the social side of the internet can be fun, we do have to allow ourselves the time to occasionally step back and relax away from it all. Annndd breathe.
To Spend Quality Time With Loved Ones
I’ll hold my hands up and say I’m one of those people who will quite often have my phone out on the table when out for lunch or a coffee. It’s not that I’ll be on it constantly, however it’s sort of a (quite weird) comfort knowing that it’s there. Again going back to the topic of always being switch on, I feel I always need to be alert to check work related emails or respond to a call from my agency. Sometimes I hate it and my habit to check my emails has become an unhealthy compulsion (I kid you not I just checked on my phone then). I think it’s so important to try and live in the moment however and aside from my weird email checking habit, when it comes to spending time with loved ones I’m pretty good at keeping off social media. Unless of course I’m with a friend like L’Oréal, as we’ll quite happily have fun messing around filming each other being silly on insta stories or taking shots for the gram (you know how it is). With other friends however, it’s not always like that and so I will happily step away from the social media when handing out.
Quite frequently these days though I’ll be out and spot a couple or friends out together where one will be on their phone whilst the other stares into space. I guess for many of us it can be the excuse that it’s ‘work related’ although mostly when I see it I suspect it’s just mindless scrolling. If we think about it, if we seriously can’t spare an hour or two phone free to hang out with a friend, or enjoy date night with our other half, then maybe our work (or even online social) life is spilling over into real life a bit too much.
One thing I’ve found after returning home from trips where I’ve allowed myself to switch off is that I often return feeling really inspired. Now of course being out of my usual habitat can have a part to play in this, not to mention having time to relax and clear my mind. However I do find that when I spend too much time looking online for inspiration that I can wind up feeling less inspired than I did to start with. Everything starts to become the same and in the process my thoughts start to align with those ideas too. Now I’m not saying I’m ever able to be completely original because lets face it, there’s too much out there these days and likely anything you do, someone else has already done. But I do notice that as all of our interests, searches and likes are (quite creepily) logged with our online activity, we are constantly targeted with adverts, videos and images of thing we already like, so that we aren’t really seeing anything new. The same goes for news and political opinions but that’s a whole other discussion for another day.
Basically we get trapped in an ecco chamber and the reality is that the only way to get out of it is to switch off from the online world and go somewhere outside of our usual zone…but even then, are we really able to step out of the ecco chamber completely (hmmm, let’s not get too deep here). In a nutshell, before I digress any further, sometimes we need to get away from our online world in order to fill our minds with something completely and organically new.
Occasionally switching off can do wonders for the mind, relationships and life in general. Life online can be fun, an escape from real life and for some even a job. However just remember that although it may seem like it, you don’t have to be switched on all of the time and if you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or just like you need some quality time with the people in your real life, feel free to step back, switch off and take some time away from it all. 🙂
Hello and welcome back to another instalment of Five Things and if you’re new then welcome, welcome, this is basically a blog post where I ramble on about five random things that pop into my head/current goings on, etc, etc. It’s actually that simple. Although I hadn’t initially intended to make this a series, seeing as this is my third Five Things instalment, I have a feeling these may sporadically continue, and so because of that, I’m calling this post: Five Things Number Three! I know, inventive right? Anyway, that’s enough of an intro, let’s begin…
1.
If you were wondering, these photos were actually taken on my recent-ish trip to Porto at the end of August. It’s crazy to think that this trip was now over a month ago and since then I’ve been abroad another two times and now it’s almost October. Like how did that happen and where has that time gone!? I feel like It’s something I’ve said in so many blog posts but time really does speed by and it’s something that never ceases to surprise me. I know it’s so cliché to say but I honestly felt like life went in slow motion when I was a kid and now in adult life, everything seems to be zooming by.
2.
Being aware of time can be a blessing and a negative simultaneously. I say this because I’ve become very aware of time recently and as someone who is a self confessed huge procrastinator, I’ve been managing my time very well and in the process been getting lots done. The problem with this is that the more I do the faster time seems to go. I know it’s not actually the case but it’s like they say (second cliché alert), time flies when you’re having fun or when you’re busy and I’ve been both busy and having fun. Obviously I can’t complain but it freaks me out all the same.
3.
Speaking of freaking out, I’ve never really been a particularly anxious person but lately I’ve been sort of feeling just that. I’m not sure if it’s the ‘feeling like time is going at the speed of light’ thing but the more I do, the more I put pressure on myself to do more. It’s weird, if I’m having time off from blog related work stuff, I’m pretty good at letting everything go and I mean completely, without much pressure on myself. But when I’m in the swing of things and work is flowing it’s almost like I’m in constant competition with myself, always trying to improve and outdo myself on the next thing I do and I’m sometimes left with the feeling of dissatisfaction, like it’s still not good enough. I’m pretty sure that’s a battle that most self employed creatives deal with at times – it’s a real ‘woe is me’ scenario, I know, but I know I’m not alone here. The feeling of anxiousness though is a clear sign that I need to chill the frick out and stop putting so much pressure on myself. Instead I need to be like, ‘boo, you got this, you’re doing alright’.
4.
Something that has been helping me to relax a lot recently is reading. I’m not sure if I mentioned this in a recent post, or spoke about this on my channel but I’ve been wanting to make time to get back into reading for a while and I’ve now finally done it. It was clearly long overdue as I picked up a book last week and I’ve almost read it. This one is real page turner and I’m so glad because the last book I tried to read was not and it put me off reading altogether. I gave myself a bit of a ‘I don’t have time to read’ mentality but if I have enough time to watch an entire series of Ozark in a shorter period than I’m willing to admit here on my blog, then I definitely have time to occasionally pick up a book. When I read it’s the one time I feel I can switch off with no distractions. I can’t check my phone, I can’t have a conversation midway through or reply to a message, I’m just fully submerge in my book and I love that. My current read is Pines by Blake Crouch if you were wondering and it’s part of a trilogy so I’m already excited to start book number two!
5.
When I’ve read this book I’m going to pass it on to my friend Jazmine so that she can read it and I’m hoping she will have a book for me to read in return. We started doing this at the start of the year but then stopped as I got out of the habit of reading and she went to India for three months. I do love a book swap/book club though because when I read a good book all I want to do is find someone else who has read it so I can talk about it!
Okay that’s it, I’m done with today’s Five Things ramble. In part because I’ve ran out of waffle (as in things to say) and also because dinner is ready and I am hungreaahh (I’m having stir fry FYI)! So that’s it. I’m sure I’ll be back with another Five Things in the not so distant future but until then, ciao for now!
Today’s post is going to be a rambling one, as whilst I’d had every intention of making this post a deep and meaningful one, it’s late, I have a 5:30am call time tomorrow (yes you read that right, 5:30AM!) and I have about a zillion other things on my mind, which unfortunately don’t provide much in terms of deep and meaningful topics of conversations. I can however treat you to the delights of my current brain activity with a spew of whatever pops into my head. So welcome to the second instalment of 5 (very random) things, with a new outfit post thrown in to boot.
1. The thing in the forefront of my mind is tomorrows shoot. Two shoots in fact! I have two bookings in one day, both coincidentally for sportswear/fitness clients and one after another. Apparently the first job will involve running, so I’m just hoping I won’t end up a big sweaty mess by the afternoon. Either way I’ll require a few coffees to help me through the day I’m sure because it’s going to be a long one.
2. The second thing on my mind is my holiday on Friday. I almost said trip but this one I am actually allowing myself to call a holiday. It’s going to be my 8th (I think) trip abroad this year and the 3rd trip Damien and I have had away together this year too. I’m really hoping to relax on this trip and switch off a bit. I feel like I haven’t done it in so long and I’m really ready to just chill the heck out. Out of office will be going on and I won’t be taking any phone calls!
3. Okay notice how I didn’t say ‘switch off completely’ there. The last time I switched off completely was when Damien and I went to Kos last October and I put my phone on airplane mode for a week – it was pure bliss! This time however, with it being a really busy time for work and with stuff constantly coming in, I already know I’ll find myself having to respond to at least one email. But I’m putting a restriction to it, along with how frequent I even allow myself to check my emails in the first place, because this is going to be a hol-i-dayyy after all.
4. Topic changer, but the green guitar I mentioned in my last 5 Things post, is now settled into our living room, and yes, I have been picking it up to practice on too. Now I’m no rockstar just yet but I have learnt two cords. Yes, two whole cords. As unimpressive as that may sound, it’s actually a lot further than I ever got the first time around, back when I had my uni guitar (you know the one that broke). I’m making a concious effort to pick it up and practice a bit everyday. I’ve put it out there now so this is pressure on me to have made some real progress in a year from now.
5. Back to the topic of holiday I actually can’t wait to get away and enjoy some sunshine because the weather here over the past couple of weeks hasn’t been the best. I can hardly call it summer weather and I’ve already starting pulling out those transitional pieces, like this satin trench coat I’m wearing in the pics. I’m not altogether thrilled that our UK Summer seems to be getting cut abruptly short but at the same time I must admit that a part of me is excited for Autumn clothes and pulling a few of my old jumpers back out (ughr can’t believe I actually just said that).
Okay that’s it. I’m done. This has been a most rambling, random and inconsequential blog post (I’m tired can you tell) and if you made it to the end, then hurrah and if not then hopefully you enjoyed the pictures and got something out of this outfit post. Ciao for now!
