Something Creative.

Blessed.

The holidays are such a wonderful time for so many reasons. They give us the perfect opportunity to really take the time and appreciate and give thanks for all the things we have been blessed with in our lives. Although I wish I would do this every day, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the real world. Reconnecting with old friends, working like crazy to make the perfect first impression at your first job that you hunted seven months for, figuring out how to be an adult…things like that unfortunately seem to take the reigns over reflection and appreciation of all of our blessings (while oddly enough, representing a huge chunk of what I’ve been blessed with in the past year). 

Becoming an adult has definitely has been hard, but that doesn’t mean that it has been negative. I was provided with so many wonderful opportunities that have gotten me to this place in my life, where amazingly enough, there are even more opportunities waiting. Since graduation I have viewed my college education as something normal, even a burden that I will be paying off until I am 50. With student loan bills flooding in it’s hard to remember that I was given a gift that most of the world isn’t as lucky to receive. I am thankful for the gift of education that I was given, and I hope that I remember to continue appreciating it and using it to inspire myself and those around me.

Starting toward the end of October, I was starting to get pretty down about finding a job that I would love. After my stint with Children’s Hospital I thought, I’m not going to find something better than that, I’m not going to find anything at all. “Why did I even go to school?” “Will I ever even get to live my dreams?” “Was that the path I really should have gone down?” All these thoughts of doubt and despair would fill my mind, I felt discouraged and without purpose. I found a job two weeks ago through a family friend at an amazing company that is perfect for what I am interested in doing with my career. Would I have appreciated it right out of school? Of course. But I appreciate it 100 times more now after everything that has lead up to me being here. Finding this job has also taught me a lesson, although I am happy I have this job, it didn’t solve all of my problems like I thought I would. I still have this drive inside of me to find more, to learn more, to continue searching for what my dreams really are and what I need to do to achieve them. I have learned that life isn’t like school where there is instant gratification for the work you put in. In school, you take a test, a week later you get it back with a grade showing how you did. Life, real life, out in the world…that’s completely different. I’m learning how to see the world in the long term and trying to not be disappointed when I don’t see results in an instant.  

The number one thing I have really opened my eyes to this past year is the amazing people I am surrounded by. God has given me the most amazing group of friends and family to support me and guide me. Although I have lost some people who I thought would be in my life forever, God has also given me the knowledge that I would not be able to be the person I am if those relationships remained in my life. 

This year has been remarkable. Full unexpected moments of sadness, happiness, inspiration, revelation and change. I have tried this year to appreciate every moment for what it is and try to see how God is present in everything that happens. I know I can do better though and I hope that this coming year I work harder to trust in  God’s plan for me and continue down the path that is ahead with faith, strength and optimism. 

That’s Monumental

I tend to be a bit of a pessimist. My outlook on life has always been to expect the worst and you’ll never be disappointed. However, this philosophy hasn’t really done its job, and in fact, looking back actually set me up for more disappointment. Expecting a C on a test never made me happier to get an A, always anticipating my boyfriend to be 30 minutes late never made me any happier when he was on time…the list goes on.

Along with this, I never really looked forward to anything because I didn’t want to have expectations that would end up not being met. This was a recipe for disaster. I was missing out on all the little things that were actually monumental things and up until recently I was immensly underwhelmed with life. After graudating I’m starting to see all of these little things and their huge impact. Looking at myself 4 months ago and now, I not only realize how quickly I have changed but also everything that has happened to cause it. When I looked back on everything I have done in my life so far and stopped viewing it all as just a bunch of stuff I was supposed to do, or things that were expected of me anyway, life seemed a lot more amazing.

Who I have become over the course of my life, in the past few years and even the past few months isn’t just something that was supposed to happen. It’s a result of the big, small, and teeny-tiny things that have happened that I have subconsciously let move me. This has even helped me to make things I have dealt with in the past few months less monumental (i.e. things I really built up to be life-changing that really aren’t all that earth shattering).

Disappointment is already built in to life so I need to stop setting myself up for more. I also need to take the time to realize that amazing things are always happening to me and making me into a better person.

I listen to my head too often, I need to start listening to my heart a little more and realizing that certain things really are important to me and not belittle them just so I end up not being disappointed.

Hobby Hunt

Excited to still be at the age where it is acceptable to still not know who I am or what I’m doing, but approaching the deadline for figuring it out, I have been on a hobby hunt! School has defined the person I was for as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are housed at the Academy of Preschool Learning in Milwaukee, so since age 4, experiences I have had at school are what have defined who I was and who I was going to become. I have always been a student, but now, I am a graduate and it’s time for me to define myself.

The best thing about graduating? You have a ton of time on your hands. If I didn’t have this 8-5 gig, all that free time would be dangerous. However, pre-being a real adult, I had a few weeks to explore things I thought I might be interested in/make me more interesting. The deadline for introducing yourself and saying “Hi I’m Jocelyn and I just graduated from Loyola…yah that’s all” is just on the horizon…I’ve gotta find SOMETHING besides my PR and marketing classes to talk about, yikes! Hence, the hunt for practical, talk-aboutable hobbies began.

I have started reading more, both books and the news (have I hit one of those transitional life moments since I find the NYTimes Podcasts really exciting?!). Anways, I outside of reading, running I thought it would be exciting to explore something COMPLETELY new. Now this hobby is awesome, becasue I happen to be killing two birds with one stone. Being in Chicago for the past four years, I have not lost touch with, but just become more distant from my family up in MKE. I decided to ask my grandmother to teach me how to sew. I guess she trusted me enough to not push my fingers through the sewing machine becasue she said YES! I picked out my first pattern, bought the fabric and went through the whole process of making my own dress. I loved doing all of it because it was all completely new and different, I learned so much about the process and fun short-cuts that my grandma has used, and I got to spend so much time with both of my grandparents. Best of all, I felt really good when I finished the project. Knowing that I had put so much work into something that was successful made me feel great.

This also taught me something, having hobbies isn’t important just so you “have something to do” or “have something to talk about” and sound interesting. It’s important becasue in school you are constantly working to get good grades, complete successful projects and make your teachers, parents and yourself proud of your accomplishments. After school, your hobbies give you something else to be proud of and new things to accomplish. You still have something to define you and you are still contributing to something. I find all of this very important, and because of it I don’t want my hobby hunt to end any time soon! I want to continue exploring and learning about new things, trying as much as I can at least once, and keep feeling a sense of accomplishment even though I don’t have research papers, final exams and a GPA pushing me.

Fake It Till You Make It…

A phrase that makes a lot of sense at face value. But of course, since face value is NEVER good enough for me, I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, and I’m wondering…do you ever really “make it”? My biggest worry is that on the day that I am becoming CEO of some amazing company, I’m still going to be faking it for someone and not be completely fake-free. Seriously though…

I have my first full-time job, I’m growing up. But at work I still feel like a little baby who doesn’t completely belong there. I fake it though and try to act as confident as possible..hopefully it’s working. I look at all of my superiors, everyone from the coordinators who are just above me in the hierarchy all the way up to the VPs. They just scream “I’ve got it all figured out!” But do they? I always wonder if I’m ever going to feel completely like a “grown up” or to feel like I completely belong in the working world. Will I ever feel like I have made it in my career or will I eventually feel like an intern in a 30-year-old’s body?  

Maybe in this case fake isn’t so bad, maybe everyone just has to do it to try their best to conquer their insecurities. And maybe the phrase should be “Fake it so you can make it”. There’s so much pressure out in the working world, I know it from the perspective of a new college grad with student loans that are creeping up. But maybe even the VPs of the world feel it too. I mean, the world is changing so quickly and maybe they feel like they just can’t keep up — maybe they are scared they will be kicked out and replaced in a second by someone who can. So why not fake it? End random rants and thoughts.

The Journey Begins…

In the weeks following graduation, I took some time to indulge in an extension of my college life. Full of seeing friends on a whenever-I-wanted-to basis, hobby hunting to take up my suddenly empty schedule, and immersing myself in every possible Law & Order marathon known to man. Although it was nice to live in a fantasy world for awhile and bask in the glory of my Bachelors Degree, I needed to be honest with myself, it needed to end.

Enter, full time job. Yes, the part (or…all of) me that hoped to remain a 21-year-old child for the rest of my life cringed at this concept. It wasn’t just that the idea of really “growing up” disgusted me. To be completely honest, more than anything, it scared me. Although I love structure, and school provided that for me and I knew I wanted it back after graduation, I just wasn’t sure I was mentally prepared for the structure that adulthood offered. Scared of messing up? Sure. Scared of paying bills? Um, yeah. But what was I really scared of? Becoming boring.

I was a picky Ricky at first. First I didn’t even want to think about moving to Milwaukee…then I got real (aka the sight of my savings account, or lack thereof slapped me in the face), so I did. But then, I didn’t want to apply for ANY job in a suburb of Milwaukee, because duh, only boring people work in the suburbs. Well, as the 15th Law & Order marathon ended I realized my “fun budget” was non-existent and maybe jobs in the suburbs were okay, because I would be making money, just like I would in any other zip code. Although I came to see the realities of the situation, a part of me honestly did die. The nagging thought in my head “am I going to have to settle for the rest of my life just to make money?” I still haven’t figured that out. I always told myself that I would follow my dreams no matter what. I feel like maybe my dreams got on a plane to NYC and didn’t buy me a ticket to go with. Those fears are still a work in progress I suppose. 

In the heat of the moment though, I was up in the clouds. I was living the parts of adulthood that I like (happy hours, road trips, time for hobbies, etc.) and getting interviews, so of course I felt like I was awesome. So, I can be a little negative and say that maybe I’m not sure this is the path I should be on, but it has turned out alright so far.

I snagged up a full time job at Children’s Hospital up here in Wisconsin. A paycheck, finally. Really, it was all I was concerned about. Well, I just started yesterday and let me tell you, I can already tell that I’m so happy I got this job for a million more reasons than just that. I’m working in the Health Foundation of the hospital, so I get to work on one of its largest fundraising events and I am already completely inspired. I have realized that I am going to get to be a part of something that is going to make a difference in thousands of peoples lives. Sure I still want to move to a bigger city and live an exciting life full of adventure, but this experience of job hunting, thinking about the path I’m heading down, has reminded me of what I really wanted to do with myself post-college and really with my whole life. Make a difference. My concern with where I resided and what I was doing with my free time and making sure I had a job that allowed me to be happy with both of those concepts made me only worried about the money. Now, I get to be close to my family, work at an organization that has changed so many lives, be surrounded by states full of my friends, and ground myself a little after my four-year run in the Windy City. 

College was a huge journey for me, but I forgot to write any of it down. Now, I want to make sure I remember all of the important lessons, fun experiences, and amazing things that happen forever. So, here it goes…

Fashion Gets Social

Consumers have always had a desire for immediacy, which plays heavily into the exponential growth and the success of social media. Social networking outlets have quickly become something that is more than recreational for consumers. With the ability to express admiration or dissatisfaction for a company in a matter of seconds, consumers have more power than ever. Although taking longer than most, the fashion industry has hopped on the bandwagon. Within the last year, everyone from in-house PR representatives to individual designers began to take advantage of all the benefits and possibilities that alternative communications have to offer.  By taking into consideration effective methods as well as the power that social media has to change the relationships that consumers have with a brand, companies can take full advantage of the benefits that social media and online communication can ultimately contribute to its profits and reputation. 

Okay, so social media has all of these business and money making implications, we get it but…we don’t really care. Thankfully, spewing out cleverly phrased 140 character statements that try to get you to buy a product isn’t all social media is good for when it comes to fashion. Online communication, in all of its forms, has completely changed the face of personal style and accessible fashion.

Let’s start our journey through the online world of fashion, starting with (drum roll please) personal style bloggers. They’re just like you and me, but they get free clothes and write about them for a living.

Personal style blogs are the latest and greatest trend when it comes to influencing and inspiring personal style, purchasing decisions, and driving traffic to retailers. They are popping up everywhere and quite a few are starting to make a name for themselves. Take a look at the pioneer of personal style blogging, Jessica Quirk, creator and writer of What I Wore. Her love for fashion drove her to start taking daily pictures of her outfits and over the years she has turned this into her full-time job. Not only do thousands upon thousands of girls visit her page everyday for daily outfit and style inspiration, but big-time brands have recognized her influence as well. Retailers like COACH, ModCloth, and Kate Spade all fork over their goods for free to Ms. Quirk just to get their name and pieces on her blog. Along with this, nearly every Sunday, Jessica hosts Boutique Breakfast, a installment of her blog dedicated to independent fashion brands with less exposure. And even though we might want to hate her for prancing around in her free Jeffery Campbell boots, many of Jessica’s fabulous frocks have been thrifted! If you are a regular reader of her blog, you know she constantly raved about Beacon’s Closet, her favorite thrift shop when she lived in Brooklyn. Post-move back to Indiana, and she was on the prowl for a new hot-spot for affordable finds. She now gets a lot of her vintage, one of a kind pieces at Vintage Vogue, proving you can get classic, memorable pieces if you just keep your eyes peeled and get out there and bargain hunt. It is easy to see that through What I Wore alone, current trends from the big brands are being promoted while new, up and coming brands are being brought to light all thanks to the work Jessica does. 

Another, shall we say, powerhouse, when it comes to the world of personal style blogging is Kendi Skeen of Kendi Everyday. The quirky and sarcastic undertone of her writing paired with her preppy/boho-esque style are all things that set her apart from the rest. Taking a different path than What I Wore, Kendi Everyday offers up sponsorships and giveaways from smaller boutiques, and although many of her clothes are well-known brands, Kendi works hard to promote less known boutiques and online retailers. I know from personal experience — I have visited so many websites and looked into so many retailers that I wouldn’t have had I not found them through Kendi Everyday (or other fashion blogs, for that matter). Not to mention, she throws together the most beautiful outfits from places like J. Crew, Anthropologie and Target. Readers can get inspired seeing chic and trendy outfits on a “real girl” budget. She has also been a trailblazer in the concept of “30 for 30”. Kendi picks 30 pieces from her wardrobe to re-mix for a full month. By doing this and showing readers the power of a few key pieces, women can see that you don’t need a massive wardrobe (or budget) to have style. These blogs have had a great influence on empowering women to develop their own personal style and showing them that a tight budget doesn’t have to hold you back from always looking your best and expressing your identity through your style. 

The next stop on our journey is into the world of user generated content. There are fabulous fashion sites out there that let fashionistas just like you post your daily outfits to share with the world. Lookbook.nu and Everybody, Everywear are both great resources for this. Everybody, Everywear really allows viewers of the site to get an idea of how to work one piece in countless different ways, therefore allowing girls from all walks of life and income levels to start creating their own personal styles regardless of budget or tastes. Basically what the site does is pick a piece, and then fashion bloggers link their posts of them wearing the piece to the website, and voila, they show up for the world to be inspired by. Even Polyvore, a site that allows users to create collages of outfits (realistic or ones they would wear everyday in a dream world) allow for users to share their ideas on what to mix and match to create different styles for different people.

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. by Z-tHBoH (AWAY) featuring blue pants

I think after our little journey to just a small slice of the resources the Internet has to offer, it is already easy to see that social media and online communication are really starting to shape and help evolve the fashion industry and the perception of personal style. Fashion, trends, really everything, is more accessible now than ever and it’s online communication and social networking sites are only expanding. It’s an exciting evolution to watch happen, hopefully the fashion industry continues to embrace changes in communication and perpetuates the idea of style for everyone!

We all have those lazy Sunday mornings — a cup of coffee, America’s Next Top Model marathon playing in the background and a little online “shopping”. Now I don’t know if I’m the only one in this boat, but if there was the possibility of running into a sales person online I would say, “Oh, I’m just browsing” or I would be window-shopping. My frequent (sometimes daily) visits to retail websites rarely turn into actual purchases. I think that lack of online purchasing can be attributed to one phrase, in my opinion at least, and it could be true that “one bad apple spoils the bunch.” I’ve had less than a hand full of bad experiences shopping online, but those few purchases-gone-wrong have since always made me want to “just take a look at it in person” or “try it on just to be safe”, or maybe I just still like getting out of the house every now and then. Yeah the more I think about it I could definitely be rowing this boat solo.

It’s no secret, people, more formally known as consumers, are dominating the digital space more than ever. Call it laziness, need for instant gratification, convenience, people are hypnotized by what occupies their computer screens these days. With everyone needing to constantly be in touch and make sure they don’t miss a Tweet, maybe online-only retailers have the right idea. It’s obvious from the stories my mom tells me, and even looking back on my 8th grade years, that the social space is changing. My mom constantly tells me about what a big deal it was to go to the mall and hang out with your friends, and I can relate — I may or may not have thought I was the coolest person in the world going shopping with my friends alone when I was all of 12 years old. But now, kids hang out with their friends on digital farms, and hey, those clothing retailers still have to make a buck (and save a few, too) so why not eliminate the brick and mortar and just go digital? I’m sure there are many concerns, like me, the cynical consumer who thinks that people should have some sort of desire to be an active part of society, even if it means stopping into the Gap to check out some jeans. But hey, if it’s done right, I can’t say I wouldn’t be impressed. 

Nearly every store has an online component to their sales. But, ASOS, a clothing retailer, passed on the physical locations and started up their business making sales online only right off the bat. And they seem to be doing a pretty good job considering that they are “The Label of the Day” on The Internet Fashion Database. Based off the stats alone I’d say they’re doing pretty well…5.4 million unique visitors per month, and four years after launching the website they created their own women’s line followed by the men’s line in 2007. Impressive, to say the least. With an exclusively online retailer having so much success, the way business is conducted could really start to change, and hopefully speak to the demanding consumers needs and make them feel more at ease when officially making a purchase off the web. Hopefully this will also make brands realize that taking every component of an online presence is important, not just making sales, but also communicating and being interactive with your end user as well.