Two weeks in
January can be a month of change and for some, the start of new intentions. I have eased myself into the first part of this year in order to realise what I want to achieve.
Tu Clothing
Dogtooth double breasted jacket
Weekday Stores
Black roll neck (similar)
Acne Studios
Grey pinstripe trousers (sold out)
Weekday Stores
Vacant two-toned jeans (similar)
Two weeks of the 2019 has past and I want to start by saying it’s okay to take things slow. As it ticked over to midnight I was on the comfort of my sofa in loungewear, watching Black Mirror, accompanied by a tub of hummus. And as soon as 2019 began, I could almost hear people setting their new set of goals or articles going up on how we can hit the ground running. But what if I don’t want to hit the year with any sort of speed? If my New Year celebrations are anything to go by I think I’m more than comfortable with doing my own thing.
Social media is such a powerful thing, but it without doubt lends itself to comparison and that is not a good thing. In my circle of friends I have many who I look up to and are successful in their own right. I then also follow plenty of other people online who are doing some incredible things. All of different ages, backgrounds and circumstance. And it is only towards the end of the year where I kind of thought to myself that I’m still relatively young. Age is never an excuse for belittlement to how much one can achieve, but it’s providing me with comfort in this headspace I am in that there’s no rush to achieve everything right this second and that I need to be where others are.
Last year I felt it was a year of solidifying for myself what I want out of all of this. I had moments where work felt right and outcomes were satisfying and although they may not have been frequent, I think I know what it is that I want to accomplish this year. I no longer feel the need to keep up like I did throughout 2018. Yes I would like my first flat, the capsule wardrobe and a career path of sorts, but I’ve distanced myself from the idea that I need it now or that I need it straightaway because I see others who have that. The mantra of staying in your own lane couldn’t ring more true as I move and progress in my own settings.
I think over the past month I haven’t done too much and stayed still, metaphorically speaking. I didn’t feel the rush to get this up for January 1st which I’m happy about and instead I’ve had notepads and paper follow me around the house as I let thoughts trickle in with what I want to focus on and I want to change and in truth, there’s only a few things that I keep writing down. In an environment where it’s all about the next thing, I’ve took the time to relax, think about where I’m at right now and what I enjoyed creating last year before taking my next step. There will be times where I might get carried by the current and deadlines prompt me to work at speed, but I think this grounding that I’ve given myself at the start of the year will help me remember what I am aiming for. It only takes a couple of ill-judged decisions to change things.
Looking back, some of my favourite ever photos were taken in Blackpool with Matthew so I wanted to use some of them to help illustrate this blog post. I feel one of those ‘feel right’ moments happened on the beach and it set the bar for myself in terms of the photos I want to carry on creating. I know I haven’t explicitly explained what I’m going to be changing or aiming for, yet I hope it becomes apparent as time goes on.
If you are feeling lost or confused, just remind yourself it’s not a race. Here’s to a slower, but progressive 2019.jbicon