Saturday, November 7, 2015

Bright Skies Ahead

I've been thinking a lot about my future lately and what kind of career I'd like to start pursuing. I turn 23 next month and some of you may be thinking a career path is something I should have already started thinking about by now, but it's always just been so overwhelming. I've bobbed around from wanting to do this and then that since I was a wee little child, but since I was around 17, I've been distracted by different aspects of life. However, as time's gone on and I'm finally beginning to get to know myself again, I'm really starting to focus on real goals for myself!

Since my late teenage years, I found myself starting to settle; I told myself "Oh I won't be able to achieve anything I'd actually like to do for a career, I'll just work in a 9-5 office job that'll pay my bills." Not the most positive way of thinking, is it? LOL The past few months, though, I've began to see a brighter future for myself, one where I give my dreams a real go! I have a few dream careers (based on the little amount I DO know about each one) in mind that I really want to shoot for over the next ten years and I thought I'd share them with you!

1. A & R Representative

An A&R rep is someone who scouts new talent for a record label, in other words, they'll go around seeing different artists live or hearing demos or mixtapes and if they like what they hear, they can work towards getting the talent to sign with the record label they work for. I've been interested in the music industry since I was about fifteen. I started street teaming for the record label, Fearless Records, at that age and that basically consists of promoting their bands in various different ways and in exchange you'll get a ticket to a show or in most cases, for my friend and I anyway, guest listed backstage. :) Before I even started running street, I had been going to shows almost every weekend so I started to really create relationships with different people; people in bands, record label representatives, tour managers, roadies and I really got to see different aspects of what that sort of life entails.

I don't exactly remember how I first heard about A&R, but I know I've had an interest in the position since around my show-going days. The idea of finding new talent and playing a major role in helping them share their music with the world is just so appealing to me. When I first started going to shows, being in the front of the crowd singing along to every word was my favorite thing and it still very much is, but after my first time standing side-stage at a show, something changed. I got to see the concert from a whole other perspective. I got to see the crowd and the look of love and true joy on the face of every person in the room and that has become something that really fills me up with happiness and a love for the art of music. I think it would be incredible to be able to help give people that gift of music and help the musician/musicians to achieve their dreams!

Here are just a few of my favorite photos with some of my favorite people from my show days! :)




2. Author

I've loved writing for as long as I can remember and as I got older, I realized it was something I'm actually quite good at. English was always the class that I excelled in the most in school and it was a subject I actually enjoyed. I've always kept journals and recently, I've been getting back into it again, along with this blog, however what I truly, truly enjoy is fictional writing. In my teen years, I was writing a book about a girl and her friends and the trials and tribulations of growing up and since then, I think I've tried to continue that book in some way or another. Every time I try to write something new, the characters start to remind me of that teenage girl and her friends...unfinished business and all that. I'd like to pick up on that book again and do some revising which I'm sure is greatly needed!

To this day, my fictional stories have all consisted of the young adult genre type writing. I've been told that my voice is similar to that of Jason Myers (Exit Here) and Michael Northrop (Gentelmen) which is possibly one of the greatest compliments I could ever receive since those are two of my favorite writers of all time. I love that writing is so cathartic and I can say anything I've ever wanted to say through a character. Also, the idea of being able to help someone with something their struggling with or just make them smile through something I've written would be an absolute dream come true. Writing has taken a backseat these past few years and I'd really like to see that change so that I can give being an author a proper go!

3. Event Coordinator

This is a job that I know far less about, but regardless, it is something I'd really like to look into. I first got a glimpse of being an event coordinator from would you believe it? The Hills. Yes, the guilty pleasure of a "reality show" that starred the ever so beautiful and talented Lauren Conrad. Do any of you remember her friend on the show and in real life, Heidi Montag? Well, in Season 1 of the show we saw Heidi working for a company called Bolthouse and they planned and coordinated events for different companies and it just looked so exciting! The reason I started to consider it as a job for myself is because I started to realize that putting together parties and events for friends was something I truly enjoyed. I loved picking out the venue, decor, food, music, everything that would go into an event on a larger scale and I'd quite like to do a bit research and see if it's a possibility for me. The lifestyle of socializing and also having a desk job that also greatly involves working with others toward one final goal is very appealing!

These are the three career paths that have always stayed with me in the back of my mind and I think it's time I really start to focus on them! I hope this has inspired you to give your dreams a chance! Leave your dream jobs in the comments below if you'd like! xx





Saturday, October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween!

Today is the day of All Hallow's Eve aka Halloween and I won't be doing anything tonight besides working and then watching horror movies and drinking some fine libations with friends, but I hope if any of you are going out that you're safe and have fun! xx

PS - Keep an eye out this week for another blog post from me; it might just be an update post or maybe something specific, but either way keep your eyes peeled! :)

Throwback to Halloween 2013 with Dalton! xx


Sunday, October 11, 2015

Sisterly Love

Hello lovely readers, how are you doing? Please do let me know in the comments below! :) I'm currently doing absolutely fantastic! The reason for this amazing mood is that as I'm writing this, I've just discovered that my sister is more than pleased to accompany me to The Weekend, Banks, and Halsey concert in December! By the time you read this, it will have already been the next day, but I'm just so excited, I couldn't wait to type up a little post and share the news!

I like The Weekend as much as the next person, but my main attraction to the event is because of Banks and Halsey. I've loved Banks ever since my sister first told me about her back in January of this year and I've recently become obsessed with Halsey. I'm just loving these strong female figures right now! I'd like to include my sister in that category. She is by far one of the most amazing women I admire in all aspects of life and I couldn't be more grateful for her.

Now, about the music. We've all heard of The Weekend, so please excuse me as I skip the description of his music. LOL Banks has this beautiful, sultry voice and her lyrics really touch the soul (especially if you're female, in my opinion). With lyrics like "Please tell me that this could be easy, I'm tired of waiting for permission to love," she gets down to the depths of love and some of her songs really are quite heartbreaking. I love the realness and relevance of her songs.

Halsey is incredible. With bass heavy beats being the backdrop to her unique voice and lyrics, her songs make for an experience. I'll give a little taste of her lyrics by choosing some from my current favorite song "Colors". Some lyrics from the chorus are as follows, "Everything is grey, his hair, his smoke, his dreams and now he's so devoid of color, he don't know what it means." These lyrics are so personal to me. Her voice is just so pleasant to listen to, as is Banks and I couldn't be more excited for the concert and to be attending with my beautiful sister.

I hope something makes you happy today as well! All love. xx

Saturday, October 10, 2015

#WorldMentalHealthDay

Hello everyone! Today is World Mental Health Day and I was actually unaware of this until I saw Zoe Sugg's tweet and it got me thinking I'd like to talk about mental health today. I was going to film a quick video, but as I'd like to use this space a bit more, I thought a blog post would be perfect!

I've talked about mental health related topics quite often within my life so I'll make this as quick as possible. LOL I think mental health issues are growing more and more common among people and it's easy to forget that everyone is fighting their own battle. Recently, I've had to remind myself frequently that every person's motivations and intentions can be greatly affected by their mental health. That being said, let's be kind and patient with each other. :)

Something else I'm realizing over the past week is that it's extremely easy to let people around us rule our emotions, but we shouldn't give them that kind of power. We are the ruler of our own minds and emotions and we have to be strong enough to tell ourselves, "They're going to do what they want because it's their life and I've got to do what's best for me." By that I mean, if their's someone in your life who you feel is draining you mentally or physically, it's ok to take a step back and say you need space or a break. Be gentle with yourself and love yourself enough to accept that someone might be toxic and you've got to let them go. 

Lastly, I just want to add some tips to deal with anxiety or stress that I'm finding are very helpful recently. I'd also like to add that I am fully aware there are many more forms of mental illness besides anxiety and depression, these are just what I can personally speak on. :) First of all, MUSIC. I cannot stress enough how incredibly therapeutic music can be, whether that's indie, rock, hip hop, EDM, any kind of music that you love can do a great deal of good to your beautiful mind. For me, hip hop and dance-y music can make me feel like a bad ass and super confident and rock/pop/indie just melodically and lyrically soothe my soul. I also find spending time with my loved ones who are good influences in my life really helps. Even just a five minute chat can lift your mood immensely. Last but not least, going for a walk and getting fresh air can clear your mind of any negativity and help you to put things into perspective. 

These are all tips that I myself am trying to implement into my life daily as well and I'm hoping some of these will help someone out there too. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if anyone reading this needs someone to talk to, I'm always here to listen. I truly hope you're all well! All the love. xx

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

It's been 84 years...

Hello lovely reader, I've not written properly on this blog in ages! This is something I seem to do quite often; I'll come back, talk about how I've been gone for quite some time, say I'll be writing again and then I disappear. Again. It's quite a shame, really, because I genuinely enjoy writing this blog, no matter if it's about beauty, life, anxiety, etc; I just love it. This is not the only place I've neglected writing, I no longer write in my journal anymore either. Shock horror! 😨

I'll be honest, as I always am (if not, a bit too honest at times), my anxiety has been so terrible, the past few months, in particular that I spend all my free hours outside of work and school watching YouTube videos. I haven't been able to tear myself away from a screen for fear of any terrible thoughts or feelings that might come. Because of this, I haven't really written anything anywhere, I haven't read or listened to any books, I barely go out, it's all bad. It's also the complete opposite of the list of things I wrote at the beginning of the year that I wanted to do.

However, it's only the beginning, but the past few days have been pretty damn good! I'll tell you why. :) I went to see the band, The Maine this past Friday and the lead singer (John O'Callaghan) said something that has stuck with me and I think always will. He said something along the lines of "Get off the internet, off YouTube, off your phones and go outside. Human interaction is awesome! And enjoy the sun and being outside; look we're all outside right now having a good time." It's been a few days so I did have to piece that together how I remember it in my head, so its definitely not 100% accurate. LOL For months, Dalton (my best friend, if you remember) and my mom have said things very similar to that, but John's words were the final push I needed to get out of my rut.

I'm not entirely out of my rut, but I feel like I'm slowly, but surely getting out. I feel hope again. I still haven't spent much time outside, but I've been pushing myself to exude more positivity and strength. I'm also trying to do more things besides watching YouTube vides; things like actually doing my homework, chanting (part of my new Buddhist practice), and spending more time with my mom. I owe a lot to The Maine. I've been a fan of theirs since I was 15 and they're a huge part of my life and sanity. They are an incredible band and if you're into groovy, rock, indie type music with truly inspiring lyrics, you should really check them out!

24 Floors - The Maine
Photo courtesy of wehearit
I do hope that I'll stay writing on this blog more frequently from here on out, as it could be an incredible outlet for me and I do just love the blogging community. :) I think that's all for now so I will talk to you all again very soon! xx