So welcome back to Sunday Power Ideas (one of my favorite segments because it really allows me to think critically about something I feel passionately about).
This week I actually posted on another one of my sites called Medium, and my Power Idea of this Sunday is actually posted there. Spoiler alert: it has to do with the Brexit and one of its effects on young people. Statistically, the greatest opposition of the Brexit were young people. It is understandable that they did not want to see these downfalls occur, however, for young people everywhere, this is a very unique experience. Check out my post here, and I hope you all had a fabulous weekend (sorry I am posting this late).
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I sometimes find myself idly browsing photo websitehs and being amazed at the moments captured. The beauty, the serenity, the absolute perfection of the timing for the shutter to occur. We all experience these magical moments, but if you are anything like me, they do not show up on camera.
I photograph horribly. I don’t look good in photographs, I don’t typically stage them well, it’s just an all over mess. But that doesn’t mean I don’t experience those moments. Me sharing visible moments with the rest of the world is just one of the convinces of modern technology, it is by no means an obligation nor a measurement of the life that you live. When I think about myself, I have to say.. I am blessed. Today I got to go on an awesome run at sunset, my rooftop deck i being renovated so I can do yoga on the roof, I was able to drink coffee and watch the ships sail in and out of the harbor. I would confidently say many of those moments were photographable. But I didn’t because I was in the moment. I know there is a lot of controversy about the idea that taking the best or most picturesque photo takes away from actually being present, and to a point I agree. When I was younger, in college I had a few friends that needed photos every time we would get dressed up to go out. Needed to a point that the only thing longer than the getting ready process itself was the time set aside to take photos. And it had to be perfect. I know there is an entire rabbit hole to go down when it comes to young women and body image, and to that… I say this. I hate that young women can be so self conscious to begin with, but the desire to have the perfect picture just adds to it. And quite honestly, I think it’s stupid. Live the life you love regardless of whether it photographs well. Mine doesn’t. But sometimes those are the best times. The other morning my Mom and sister came to visit and we strolled down the street to our nearest coffee shop in our pajamas. Right out of bed. And we were laughing and carrying on and loving every moment of it. And to be honest, I don’t think I would want anyone to capture that moment, because the way I remember it is perfect the way it is. Additionally, one snap shot cannot capture the whole picture. To continue with the other morning with my Mom and sister… We looked disheveled. But in any of the moments it didn’t matter because there was love, and laughter and life. That’s what made it so special. If you can amazingly capture your life, then I applaud you. But let’s all take the time to think deeper than our photographs to really understand the meaning and the memories. If you’re anything like me… You may not have a lot of those, but that does not mean that you aren’t awesome. Just live the life you love, that’s the best advice I can give. Yes, it has been as good as it sounds. Today I woke up starving. Ravenously hungry for everything; but, because I rarely eat breakfast I was unprepared for this event. I happened to arrive on the other side of the harbor early, so I took a stroll into Harbor East and found a great tea shop called Teavolve. The sit down breakfast menu looked phenomenal, but I did not have enough time to indulge. Instead, I had a look at the sweets in the refrigerated cases that lined the tea bar.
That’s when the trouble occurs. Although all of the sweets looked delicious, the chocolate (gluten free) lava cake caught my attention first. The battle in my mind between reason and caloric intake ensued. As you can tell from the title, my desire for extremely satisfying caloric intake won. The lovely ladies at Teavolve even warmed it up and wrapped it up for the rest of my walk to work. In case it matters, my lava cake was accompanied by a delicious green chai tea latte with almond milk. I would like to think the cleansing, dairy free properties of chai, green tea and almond milk may have made up for the lava cake, but I am almost positive it doesn’t work that way… It also doesn’t matter. I am in full support of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Although work has been tiring me out to the nth degree in the past few days, last night I finally gathered myself up and got back on my mat. It’s been a little less than a week, but when you’re re-united with something you love, it can feel like eternity. I have to say, it felt so good. My sky blue nail polish blended with the deep purple hues of my mat and I felt strong and powerful and grounded. Yoga has always been something that makes me feel so strong yet so graceful. I know that there are many times that I certainly don’t look graceful. I can admit I often have comically hard or awkward falls when I attempt new poses or aerial yoga that my body is skeptical to perform. Part of the fun, however, is being able to laugh at yourself. Whenever I fall I always take the time to giggle a bit. Really smile at the attempt, and try again. Failure, even in the smallest ways- like falling down- can be hurtful if not done with a smile, a laugh, or a positive attitude. I woke up this morning feeling stronger. I love that feeling. I know many argue yoga is not a workout, let alone a strength training work out, but I am a firm believer yoga can be whatever you need it to be if the right timing, breath, and poses are applied. I’m excited because I plan to do the same this evening. I may even go for a run, which is rare for me currently because I usually decide I don’t want to. All in all, another good day. This Monday morning was surprisingly pleasant. Getting myself to wake up initially was not, but I trekked outside and took a few deep breaths. The air was cooler than I expected; I love cool mornings in the summer because it is so unexpected. It makes me appreciate a soft fleece and a hot cup of coffee. I always love to be up far earlier than needs to be, and today was no exception.
I typically pick out my outfits the night before because I make it a creative affair with makeup and shoe coordination as well. It is something I enjoy so much (it allows me to feel as though I am exercising my full potential as a professional and a creative all at the same time), but this morning I picked my outfit out because of the cooler weather. As lame as it sounds, it was exhilarating to coordinate my skin care, makeup and outfit all together simultaneously. Monday morning thrills, am I right? When I finally stepped foot outside, I was bathed in rays of early morning sun. I always think it’s fun to join the train of people already heading in the particular direction that I also plan to go. I merge into the beginning of a new day and follow the steps of many before me. Despite my location in a city, there are still birds to be heard. I particularly like the ever-present breeze and the way it whips the water of the harbor. Because of the cool nature of the morning, the breeze was particularly prominent. I got to wear a jacket for the first time in a while. I have to say, I felt very chic. Very urban. I know it’s all in my mind, and in reality I most likely looked like a short haired, stumpy girl, but I’m committing to the idea that it only matters what I think. Anyway, also, on the way to work this morning the nice people from KIND, the brand that makes super healthy snacks, actually stopped me and gave me a free sample of a raspberry chia breakfast bar. Holy crap it was good. I also failed to pack myself breakfast and account for the fact that I was starving when I left the house. The people at KIND were a blessing, really, and like I said, the chia morning bars (or whatever they’re called) were actually very good. I may actually go get myself a box. Despite it being Monday, everything has gone swimmingly. I appreciate days like today, and I hope you guys are also having an equally as fabulous day. As always, thank you for fostering my creative outlet that is the canvas of the world wide web. When I write, even if it is about pointless things, I feel all the more productive, invigorated, and excited. If you have never given it a shot, I highly recommend it. Even if just about no one reads it, who cares. Writing feels good. Recently I've done a lot of research. More than academic research, that is. I've been really interested in finding out what it takes for people to establish themselves as a personal brand in whatever realm that they so choose, and the techniques that they choose when attempting to do so.
This curiosity was inspired by a few things, however, I originally became interested in this when I needed beauty advice. A quick background on that: I have unbelievably oily skin, which has been prone to severe acne for almost a decade now. I was always told by friends and family that just using face scrubs and not wearing make up will make it go away. Well, ten years later, that advice has not gotten me very far. I took to the internet to figure out why my incredibly smart friends and family were (not purposely) misguiding me. It turns out that you can learn a lot from Youtube. Beauty bloggers are a very hip thing on Youtube currently, and I decided to explore the trend and the people behind the trend. These Youtubers that call themselves beauty bloggers (many have separate blogs and various social media accounts) will tell you everything that you need to know about makeup and skin care; from what's new in beauty to how they go about caring for their skin. There is loads of information readily available. But why trust their opinion? What have they done to establish their ethos? Most of the viewers have never met these beauty bloggers, but take what they say as the end all be all. After conducting research for the past four months (that's right.. that's a long time) I have found that there is generally a common theme amongst how beauty bloggers get started and work to establish themselves as a name in beauty advice and beauty blogging. They begin as amateurs, sometimes filming with their 'Photo Booth' application on their Macbook, just going through their makeup collection and talking about things that have worked for them for a long time and why. These people have been interested in beauty for a while; whether it be their childhood obsession or their actual training as a professional. As they continue, they next begin to brach out and buy higher end beauty products and give their likes, dislikes, etc. All while still buying concurrently from the drug store products that they have never tried or that is new. It is important to note that the frequency of updates and uploads is very important. Similar to creative writers, beauty must be updated and unexplored territory must be pioneered. Most beauty bloggers update their blog at least twice per week. One blogger has certain days in which her audience can expect a certain genre of beauty video. I thought that was a great strategy, because it gives her audience something to look forward to or get excited about, and it's scheduled. Humans are creatures of habit. After a bit I couldn't help but think, this has to get expensive for them. A great business man once said, "to make money you must spend money." I admit, I giggled a bit when I considered that concept in the realm of beauty blogging, but it really does apply. I did the math, and an average beauty blogger will most likely spend about $500-600 per month on products that they buy themselves to introduce and try out new makeup for their audience***. I like to think of this as an operation cost: it is a necessary expense to stay in business and continue to occupy the market niche in which they are either in or striving to be in. They also utilize other social media to build their following. After they post a video, it gets linked on their other social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) in an attempt to build a following on their Youtube channel. What I found most key, however, is that beauty bloggers tag brands they are using in their pictures and comments. This is not only helpful to allow them to be seen by the brand, but it also makes them accessible to other viewers and brands that are competitors. This inspires not only more views, but the potential for contracts and partnerships from other brands. There is, obviously, a waterfall effect when this occurs. The more popularity, the more brands and people will desire to parter, have contracts, or just take what you have to say very seriously. Many Youtubers also collaborate with a brand to create their own beauty products. Talk about existential growth in ethos. A Youtuber can only go up from here, friends. I know the Youtube beauty blog industry may not be the most interesting for everyone, and that is understandable, but it is worth considering the strategies these young men and women (whom many do not take seriously) use. Also, how hard they work to build a Youtube 'channel' and readily following audience from the ground up. In 2016, there are many forms of entrepreneurship. One thing they all have in common is that they require discipline and hard work. Establishing a personal brand, which is essentially building a business, is no joke. I have a few friends that are marketing majors, one specifically that chose not to take an internship this summer in favor of creating a personal brand. She has recently released a podcast called 'Same,' in an effort to build her person brand. She has expertly strategized her techniques and established her niche as friendly, personable, and talking about things she knows and loves: dogs, chipotle, with her final goal being "to connect people everywhere". Conducting this research (although I did not realize searching for one answer on the internet would become another project for me) has taught me quite a bit about what it takes to build a brand, but also be passionate enough about something to act upon a whim and do it. I know the purpose of this blog is to 'follow all of my whims', which is funny because after writing this I have inspired myself to go on more whims and follow my own ideas more seriously. It is very exciting to know that people who work hard, at almost anything, can achieve great success with the audience and within the arena that they desire. Have a great Sunday, folks. ***for more information about my data, please contact me directly using the contact me link. Sometimes when I wake up now I look like an adolescent boy that hasn’t washed his hair in days and had dreams of action (whatever kind of action adolescent boys have in their sleep, I don’t want to get into that). This morning, on this beautiful Friday, I have never looked more like a disheveled, unshowered male in my life. Sometimes having short hair does not work for me.
As I tumbled out of bed in my baggy t-shirt, I looked in the mirror and saw the black mascara accentuating the bags underneath my eyes and I just laughed. Happy Friday to me. For some reasons I had very riveting dreams of my senior friends on the days that they graduated from Penn State. We were all crying, and by the looks of it there was definitely a chance I was actually crying in my sleep as well. Sometimes I wonder what triggers different types of dreams. Why I awoke with a start and realized that while I lay sound asleep, nothing had happened besides the beautiful sunrise over the water. I was relieved to find that one thing was beautiful this morning… it certainly was not me. Whenever I think about the transition I make from the time I wake up to the time I get into work, I can’t help but feel a bit proud. As though I overcame a real obstacle. I have a feeling actual people feel this way when they accomplish real victories. Mine just happen to be smaller than most. But still, the caterpillar to butterfly metamorphosis that is my coffee, some time on my roof, a face wash, and some strategically placed make up is definitely something to write home about. Many hate the idea of having a long morning routine, but I find that the detail and precision that I apply to everything in my morning- from making my bed, pressing my clothes, picking the correct shade of lip gloss, and identifying the roast of coffee that readily fits my mood are the smaller choices but make a real difference in my happiness, composure, and ability to make greater decisions later in the day (and also when it really matters). It takes me a little under three hours to get to work in the morning- that is from the time I wake up to the time I actually step foot in the door of the corporate office. I love every minute of it. Sometimes I read, and sometimes I take twenty minutes to sit on my bed and look out the window and thank God for all of the beauty He has put into the landscape and the day. I think doing all of these things makes me who I am. I would really like to incorporate my yoga practice into the morning, but after one week of work I am fried. As I alluded to earlier, this morning was not glamorous. I know getting used to working 9 - 5 is a right of passage, but it is killing me. I am excited to begin another work week next week, don't get me wrong, but sometimes work robs you of your identity. I have been thinking a lot lately about work life balance in a way that has to do with more than just time. A balance between maintaining you true identity, or who you would be all of the time without meetings and business casual. Whether that be expressed in some of the subtle flairs in your wardrobe, or pictures, or friends that you chose to make at work. Holding onto that identity is so important, and I am nervous that not many people do. As I grow into my professional career further, I plan to work even harder at doing the things I love, but also being the person I love. I keep my one piercing on my cart light halfway down my right ear in always because it makes me feel like me. I also always keep my tacky runner's watch on, face down, because it reminds me of things I have worked for and how running has made me who I am today. It's funny, so many interns worry about their first day outfit (which, is important) but what about all of your other outfits for the other days? How do they fit into your style and your plans and your goals? Thinking through these ideas typically makes me exhausted, and today is no different. But, on a lighter note, happy Friday ya'll! It is chillier than I expected;
wind whipping off of the water and the constant dampness of a harbor that never sleeps. The majesty that is the tide is something I frequently overlook but watching her interactions with ships and vessels alike Is something that will forever fascinate me. I got sick on nut butter today. Another surprise I did not expect. You live and you learn, that is correct. When I see the skyline I see boundless opportunity. I see a world worth exploring, and a city that will support me every step of the way. I feel gracious, unabounding, excited, and overwhelmed all at the same time. I have always wanted to live in a city. Is it all it's cracked up to be? It may be another surprise I did not expect. Although the day bleak the people glow and iridescence. My cashier at the grocery store was one of the nicest people I have ever met. Proud to be in Baltimore, proud to live in Baltimore. B-more. B-iridescent. B-proud. And most importantly, B-optimistic and seek every opportunity. I cannot believe it is June 1st already. I have spent the past month with little structure, but with large goals (some important, some less important) that I have worked towards, and others that I just finally started working on because I finally lost the courage to fail.
A small, abbreviated list of goals I wanted to accomplish are as follows: do yoga every day, make sure I get to the gym as often as possible, treat my skin well, watch all nine seasons of Scrubs, write every day,keep this blog up and functional, start learning Russian, spend exuberant amount of time with my family, and begin learning about Java Script. I had previously discussed some of these goals in a previous blog post, and although they sound bizarre and slightly random, they all served in my mission to better myself. It feels good to say I have finally achieved goals; it has given me confidence to take on greater challenges. One of my most proudest moments this month is that I did, indeed, finish all nine seasons of Scrubs. And although this blog may seem extremely trivial and very random, everyone must start somewhere. We do not all become amazing writers in a month, but I want to become an amazing writer one day. I want to be able to critically think about a myriad of subjects and allow the prose to flow out onto paper and appeal to my desired audience in the most strategic way possible. Like anything else, we must practice, and we must start somewhere. This past month of blogging has been my start. It has been quite a lot of fun because it has made me interested in writing techniques and strategies. This has inspired me to read other blogs on a plethora of different subjects. From technical to makeup, I have been learning so much about style and communication. I am not yet sure what purpose I want this blog to serve- there is no particular one thing I can post about without even myself finding it incredibly boring, so I believe it will continue to be whatever comes to mind. Whatever inspires me. That, to me, keeps things both fresh and fun. Tomorrow I move to Baltimore to begin an internship. I have to say, I am ecstatic about the opportunity to work somewhere I love, and doing something I am very passionate about. This is what dreams are made of, people. Although I am sad to leave my family, new journeys and new destinations are actually what this blog is all about. Walking through life and exploring new things has always been what I am good at. Conceiving new goals, chasing after the extraordinary, and sometimes being side tracked by smaller destinations along the way is what life is all about. I am not going to edit the beginning of this blog to redefine the purpose of this blog because that would defeat the purpose. It is amazing how only in a few sentences, it is almost as if I had an epiphany. A change of destination for this blog. This, friends, is a lesson in itself. Start, and be patient, because you will never know where you will end up. I don't think I have any more words of wisdom for now, so this is where this post ends. Thank you, as always, for allowing me to not only practice being a better writer, but to also find myself in a different place with each blog post. Here's to that. I have always loved aesthetics. For those who do not wish to read about hair, makeup, and clothing, I suggest abandoning this post right now.
Anyway, the art of style- whether it be hair styles, hair color, makeup trends, or style trends- have always intrigued me. Style is art, and art has always been one of my passions. The other day I got a huge haircut. By huge I mean a drastic change; from long bob (lob) to pixie cut. It's incredible how the perceptions of myself and my ability to act on the confidence of an idea have inspired me to cut my hair so short and since then. I know that sounds a bit silly, but if we all think about it, hair is part of our identity. Many people, especially females, are willing to suffer pain of death before surrendering to a hair style they feel is ill-fitting or unbecoming. When I showed my hair stylist the picture of what I wanted, her only response was: "when you cry I am not holding you in my lap." But my resolve did not waver. I had made an appointment, I had found a pixie cut that is flattering for curly hair, and we were doing this. Well, I did it. The last time my hair was this short was when I was an infant. It feels good. Drying my hair takes all of ten minutes (maximum), and styling means a pump of mousse (that can be any old drugstore brand, mind you). It also makes me perceive other aspects of my appearance or aesthetic differently as well. I think more critically about what I am putting on my body because once one statement piece is taken away (hair), it will be replaced with another. Focusing on pieces of clothing that to me scream "chic", such as off the shoulder tops, loose silhouettes, and dazzling shoes have become more important. Summer is an excellent time for the creativity of fashion to come alive because warm weather provides a plethora of options. I am so excited to buy my first big-brimmed hat and strut my stuff down the street. I mean, come on people, this is what dreams are made of. In the next few weeks when I decide to go shopping (I do this about once per month when I have allowed my budget a certain amount) I will certainly be more strategic about my choices in an attempt to formulate looks that emphasize my very bold new haircut. I also went nuts at Sephora yesterday. More to come on that, because that in itself is a novel. But in summary, it was eye opening to see how many ways a face can be complimented and structured when hair is no longer a distraction. Definitely more soon, but here's to a new chapter of feeling older and potentially more sophisticated. |
Author: Allyson DitizioGeographer, yogi and occasionally creative writer. Archives
September 2016
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