So long Summer 2020….

As I’ve got older September has felt more and more like the actual New Year to me, rather than the countdown on the 31^st December followed by the inevitable anti climax …(that’s assuming I’ve stayed awake that long. Unlikey)

And so with children returning to classrooms all over the country and a semblance of normality returning after, what has been quite frankly, the most bonkers year ever I thought I’d pop a few thoughts down. There’s a lot of talk at the moment about holding on to that slow pace and stillness of the past few months. And whilst I understand that for many that was the overarching feeling, for me the manicness and juggling of work, school and home life felt anything but slow and serene! The frantic paddling swan legs were well and truly exposed! And so for me personally, this return to a routine and familiarity feels like it could offer up more calmness and clarity than previous weeks and months.

….for me the manicness and juggling of work, school and home life felt anything but slow and serene!

But what lockdown did teach me was that those chunks or snippets of time for you, those moments alone or cups of tea in peace need to be valued intentially and not ‘always’ frittered away scrolling or procrastinating!

So with that in mind I’ve spent a bit of time over the past few weeks trying to visualise and strategise as to how to become more intentional with aspects of my life. Obviously there are the easy wins, fill in forms the moment you get them, book school lunches weeks in advance not the night before. You get the drift. But for the other bits, the bits that are meant to be fun, there still needs to be a bit of a plan! (Who am I!)

One aspect I really wanted to hone in on was how I create content for A Brunette Edit. I’m a serial winger when it comes to my posting and I’ve come to realise that this saps emotional and mental energy from me like nothing else. But I love the process, the creativity and the community so I enlisted the help of my very good friend Katie (Edie & Chalk) to help narrow down a brand identity which in turn could focus my attention onto what and how I want to create content that will (hopefully) still resonate and be meaningful.

‘I’m a serial winger when it comes to my posting and I’ve come to realise that this saps

emotional and mental energy from me like nothing else.’

What she helped me realise is that I talk about my Instagram feed and posts almost ashamedly, brushing it off to others as a hobby which they may perceive as not a valid use of time or energy. When actually it’s a representation of me, my passions, my values and my personality and is something I should feel eminently more proud of.

What Katie created is a little visual treat of colours, fonts and logos which somehow sum up my style, personality and creativity in 4 x 4 squares! (Brand/logo creatives you are genius!) And the tangible visuals have kickstarted a creative flow in my mind which just won’t stop. I want to write, talk and share content which is valuable to you as well as engaging and entertaining. (There’s no super humorous side of me which is suddenly going to appear however!) and the branding process has reignited my passion for blogging all these months later!

Lockdown showed us the true value of online connections and I think has taught so many more people that these connections can be meaningful and valid, despite often only being behind a screen. It has also shown up our vulnerabilities more than ever. With physical contact being so greatly reduced for many months, so many more people started showing up and being present, be it via Instagram stories, lives or videos. The nervousness of some people to show their actual faces was heartwarming because those connections suddenly meant so much more.

So moving forward I hope this is something we all hold onto. The world has changed, in some aspects irretrievably, but the sense of community and connection has sky rocketed. And I’m grabbing onto that tightly, as well as the passion and pride for the content we share online. For too long the negative aspects of social media have over shadowed the positives and I think we have a real opportunity now from a business and personal perspective to grow in confidence and value.

‘…..the sense of community and connection has sky rocketed.’

For anyone reading this who is just dipping their toe into the world of blogging and content creation remember that your views, opinions and contributions as just as valid as those with huge numbers and followings. Talk with passion, share with confidence and if all else fails stick to my tried and tested mantra of ‘fake it till you make it’.