MY AUGUST JOURNAL
So here we are, mid way through September and I am only just writing my August journal.
That pretty much sums up August, busy.
THE HIGHS
August was full of professional highs for me. I was nominated for Creative Of The Year in Cosmopolitan Woman of the Year for 2018 (you can still vote for me here). My first reaction was pure excitement when I found out followed almost immediately by fear and doubt but this is the high section so let’s leave that for later. It’s funny, working for yourself and it just being you means you rarely take a moment to pat yourself on the back and feel proud of yourself so this was the perfect excuse to do so. I experimented with shooting wet face masks on magazines & even though after posting it, it didn’t perform super great I still freaking loved it. My Full Stop interview in Real Living Magazine came out and after being worried that I didn’t make it look cool enough, I was obsessed with how it turned out (classic, you’ll see a theme here). I went down to Sydney for the Nespresso Master Origin event and had the most amazing food and laughed my head off with the team until passed midnight. After not finding any new house to move into, we got approved for a periodic lease in our current house until we find somewhere which was really best case scenario. Magazines this month were particularly inspiring, especially HUNGER & The Gentlewoman. I also photographed & illustrated my collaboration with Love Stories Australia which is a stand out project from this year, I might touch on that more in September’s Journal though. How can I forget that I turned 26 too?! As I said, huge month. A notable mention has to go to my mum for her birthday gift to me. Quick back story, my mum always has had the best pantry & I have never lived up to it. So for my birthday she got me a Mum’s Pantry Starter Pack with everything I could ever need and more. She killed it and now I need a bigger pantry.
NEW IN
After cancelling my last External Hard drive order, I re-ordered one through apple but it still won’t arrive until the end of September so that saga continues.
But in other new arrivals:
- Country Road Judd Dinner Plates (shop here)
- Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation (shop here) After trying this out through August I actually really enjoy it, let me know if you want me to do a review in a monthly favourites or something
- Love Stories April Morning Fragrance. I got two samples and went through them so quickly that I knew I had to make the full size mine.
INSPIRED BY
Water currents, white wash, air, dried flowers, tint, perspex, peaches, blush as eyeshadow, shooting through objects.
THE LOWS
The professional highs brought along a few personal lows. Definitely probably took on too much through August & into September so it left me feeling pretty drained. I have really had to step back and say no to a lot more to compensate in September. I really have to make sure that I am working in a way that is sustainable long term to avoid burning out. I had a lot of self doubt in August, whether it was the award nomination, executing the work for Love Stories or even down to an interview, that needs to stop. We didn’t find that house that I thought we would this month, which isn’t a big low because we can stay here but I just thought it would have been sorted by now. The first attempt to shoot the editorial for Love Stories was a fail with it being the windiest day in Brisbane and it meant even with all of my i’s dotted and t’s crossed, I can’t control everything. I got an exciting email and then was ghosted. I burnt my hands too many times with my curler, probably due to being over tired and rushing.
WHAT I LEARNT THIS MONTH
I can’t keep up at the pace that I went in August. I definitely will be adding to my goals for September to try slow down a little. I am 100% capable of executing whatever the hell I want to do. The self doubt got the best of me this month so hopefully the results of that doubt will make me realise that I am more than capable.
GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER
I really want to focus on getting my life in some sort of order again, to feel like I have some control back. Say no to more work, focus on the projects that are important to you. Try take a break from this house stuff. I figured out finding a place to live/work is like what I think modern dating would be like. You spend too much time flicking through options on apps, you are afraid to commit incase something more perfect comes along, you waste time inspecting the options in person only to be let down and you dread your friends and family asking how the latest option went because it didn’t go well. Get your tax return done. Make time to make a new artwork collection.
How was your August and how are you looking moving into September?
j x