THE CHRONICLES
Events recorded in the order of time.
I was raised in a Christian household and then became a student of a subject in high school titled, Christian Religious Education (CRE). Boy did we write in that class! “10 reasons why the Egyptians…., “Describe the events. that led…” I wrote fervently. Of many stories, in chronological order. See where I am going with this..?
I was thinking of the title of this post and the events that lead to it. This blog, the writing, the process. A chronicle of events. Google indicated that Chronicles are “Events recorded in the order of time.”
I had been journaling over the years however, it would be once a month, or even twice in a quarter! I had read the benefits of journaling; however, I had never put it practice until I embarked on The Artist Way with friends in 2021. Journaling is a transformative practice that offers numerous benefits for personal growth, self-reflection, and mental well-being. By committing to a regular journaling practice, I gained clarity, processed emotions, solve problems, and foster self-awareness.
It became a personal sanctuary for creativity, inspiration, and self-care through my daily chronicles.
In my previous post, I spoke off The Artist Way - I rave about it to everyone. Below are some deets to give you a breakdown of the fundamentals.
Understanding Julia Cameron's Artist Way: The Artist Way is a renowned book written by Julia Cameron, a prolific writer and creativity expert. The book presents a 12-week program designed to help individuals unleash their creative selves and overcome creative blocks. At the core of Cameron's teachings is the practice of "Morning Pages" and "Artist Dates."
Morning Pages: Unlocking the Stream of Consciousness: Morning Pages is a daily practice where one writes three pages of longhand stream-of-consciousness writing. This exercise acts as a form of brain drain, allowing us to clear our minds of clutter and tap into our subconscious thoughts and desires. By engaging in this practice regularly, we create space for new ideas, insights, and clarity to emerge.
Artist Dates: Nurturing the Inner Creative Child: Artist Dates are weekly excursions or activities that help nourish our creative spirits. This practice involves setting aside dedicated time to explore and engage in activities that inspire and delight us. Whether it's visiting an art exhibition, taking a walk-in nature, or trying out a new hobby, Artist Dates offer an opportunity to replenish our creative well and reconnect with our inner child-like sense of wonder.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Journaling: Journaling, in general, has numerous therapeutic benefits. It serves as a form of self-expression, allowing us to unload our thoughts and emotions onto paper. By journaling regularly, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, our patterns, and our desires. Journaling also acts as a powerful tool for stress reduction, self-reflection, problem-solving, and goal setting.
Cultivating a Creative Practice: Through Julia Cameron's Artist Way, journaling becomes a foundational practice for nurturing and enhancing creativity. As we embark on this transformative journey, we may encounter resistance, self-doubt, and creative blocks. However, by consistently engaging in Morning Pages and Artist Dates, we break through these barriers and develop a resilient creative practice.
Embracing the Process, Not Just the Outcome: One of the essential lessons from Julia Cameron's teachings is to focus on the process rather than fixating on the result. Journaling becomes a tool for self-discovery, personal growth, and creative exploration. It invites us to embrace imperfection and experimentation, fostering a mindset of curiosity and openness.
Expanding Creativity Beyond the Journal: While journaling plays a vital role in unleashing creativity, it is equally important to translate our insights and inspirations into tangible actions. The ideas and revelations that emerge from our journaling practice can serve as stepping-stones for pursuing creative projects, making life changes, or exploring new avenues of self-expression.
Julia Cameron's, The Artist Way is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to unlock their creative potential and live a more authentic and fulfilling life. By incorporating the practice of journaling, specifically through Morning Pages and Artist Dates, we tap into a wellspring of creativity, self-reflection, and personal growth. So, let us embark on this transformative journey, armed with pen and paper, as we discover the power of journaling and nurture our inner artists.
Photography: Arthur Hylton
TAKING TIME OFF
A Journey of Self-Reflection and Healing from Burnout
DEAR READER (This sounds like an introduction to a Bridgerton series )
After a long sojourn from this space I had cultivated for 10 years. 10!!! We are in double digit years and if you had told me this when I did my first post in 2012. I would have roared in laughter.
In hindsight, I am grateful for this blog, for the multitude of connections that happened because I took THE LEAP! For this post, I felt it was important to indicate my WHY… A YEAR AND A HALF is a long time!
What happened?
In our fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of responsibilities and commitments. As a creative individual, passionate about writing, I have always found solace in the power of words, but there came a time when the demands of my craft took a toll on my well-being. In this blog post, I want to share my personal journey of taking a year and a half off from writing due to burnout, and how it became a transformative period of self-reflection and personal growth.
Writing had always been my passion, but as the demands grew, I found myself struggling to keep up. Full time school and work. The constant pressure to produce, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality content left me physically and mentally exhausted. Burnout slowly crept into my life, draining my creativity and leaving me feeling empty and uninspired. It became clear that I needed to step back and prioritize my well-being.
Acknowledging the need for change, I made the difficult decision to take a hiatus from writing. It was not an easy choice, as writing had been an integral part of my identity. However, I knew that in order to rebuild and recharge, I needed to distance myself from the source of my burnout. This period of time allowed me to explore other aspects of my life and engage in activities that nourished my soul. I did a couple rounds of the “Artist Way” which served as a jumpstart to channeling a spiritual path to creativity. Highly recommend this book by Julia Cameron.
Self-Reflection and Reassessment
During my time off, I embarked on a journey of self-reflection and introspection. I delved into understanding the factors that led to my burnout, examining my work habits, priorities, and personal expectations. This process helped me identify areas where I needed to set boundaries, delegate tasks, and re-evaluate my approach to my creative process. I also sought therapy and support, which played a crucial role in my healing process. Grateful for my family and friends during this period.
Rediscovering Passions
Without the pressure of writing deadlines, I had the opportunity to reconnect with activities and passions that I had neglected. I explored hobbies like knitting, watercolor, crotcheing, traveling, spent quality time with loved ones, enjoyed reading books that had been collecting dust and immersed myself in nature. Engaging in these fulfilling experiences rejuvenated my spirit and reignited the creative spark within me. It reminded me that life is not solely defined by one's profession, but by the joy and fulfillment found in various aspects of our ordinary existence.
Working on Self-Care
Taking time off allowed me to prioritize self-care and establish healthier habits. I focused on nurturing my physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Regular exercise, meditation, and mindfulness practices became integral parts of my daily routine. I learned to listen to my body, set realistic expectations, and embraced moments of rest and rejuvenation. Away from the posts, I had my instagram page to highlight this journey in different posts.
The Path to Renewal
After a year and a half of introspection and self-care, I slowly eased back into writing. To my art. I approached it with a renewed perspective.
I started by journaling in my notebook which made me enjoy the joy of writing. For myself. I set realistic goals, created a healthier work-life balance, and prioritized self-compassion. The passion for writing that had once felt overwhelming now flowed naturally, and I found joy in the creative process once again.
Taking time off from writing due to burnout was a challenging yet transformative journey. It allowed me to reassess my priorities, heal from the effects of burnout, and rediscover the joys of life beyond my vocation. This period of self-reflection and self-care not only rejuvenated my creativity but also taught me the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and setting boundaries. As I embark on this new chapter, I carry with me the invaluable lessons learned during my time of introspection, and I'm committed to nurturing my well-being as I continue to pursue my passions.
I look forward to sharing more of this journey now that we are back with more clarity. A reminder to give myself grace in these moments and to trust the process. Burnout is not a badge of honor.
Thank you my dear reader for being here. I appreciate you and a massive welcome back! 🤗🥂
Photography: Mariama Hurston
LOOKING BACK
I asked my followers on Instagram whether they would love to see the post back and the response was 100% yes. I have been mulling over that for a long time, probably before summer started as I was swamped with papers and presentations for school.
Balancing work and school full time is not an easy task. By the end of Spring I was ready to run outside and never come indoors. I promised myself to enjoy Summer fully. With a capital F.
A lot happened over the summer, day parties, trips, hanging out with my girls, adventures, and my favorite, a family reunion in Harlem. It’s been amazing and super grateful to God for all these joyous moments.
At the back of my mind was the question of the blog. Did I want to keep it? What’s next for the blog? Why do I keep it? Frankly, I haven’t been as intentional as I have been with this platform for a few years now. It ebbs and flows. It made me sad because I enjoy writing and creating here but I never gave it time of the day. I even convinced myself that no one reads anymore. I knew coming back here and typing out these words, the truth would reveal itself.
My first post went live on October 1st, 2012. If you would have told me that the blog would be turning 9 years old in a few days I would have thought of it somewhat laughable. The blog was my connection to the Fashion industry back then. It gave me something to do right after college. It allowed me to research and write on tales close and dear to me through life lessons, inspiration, random tit bits. It was geared to be a direct link to a future clothing line. Well, that one is still up there. The blog is where Anneconventional was forged. A space for conversations that connect to you. It was where I came to find solace when I was far from New York with the dream of working in the industry. I learnt so much from jotting on this space. I can recall countless hours sitting at Barnes and Nobles with a stack of magazines. Fashion with Roshie started here. Some great friendships were forged through this domain. Then I tucked away my special place in the dark. To the furthest attic of my mind and leisurely took a peak at it now and then. I have a habit of not reading previous posts. Once Published. It’s gone and no longer mines. I haven’t read a recent post in a long time, however, I have promised myself to look back in order to appreciate where I am today. Now more than ever.
It’s time to dust off and perform a deep cleaning. While at it, some reckoning as well. To remove this space far from the attic, to a brightly lit room that’s full of intention.
Post-Covid has brought a lot of changes, starting with how we consume. I will be sharing stories on that because it’s all my professors talk about and it would be a good need to know.
The blog needs a little face lift. Templates, style, fonts need little love. I am ready to march into year 9 equipped with the same fire I started in this wonderful space. I will be reading my posts for the past three years,tears will be shed. Crying is very therapeutic. It should not come as a surprise that I cried plenty jotting this down. I felt bad leaving my baby in the dark for so long. vowed to navigate these feelings and give myself grace. Reading 3 years of stories will be like flipping through an old journal and finding gems I may have forgotten. Every writer has a voice. I have missed THAT voice.
I had these images taken at 7am. Time has become my only luxury. Mariama, my photographer also has a full time job and loves taking photographs. If it takes 7am photo shoots for the work to be done, we are here for it. It was us and the birds that early in the morning. I love how the shadows came to play. With a touch of the golden hour from the sunrise.
If you are back from the many, many months of . Thank you for rocking with me and welcome back. Please say hello in the comment box. It’s wonderful to have you back. Also, where are you reading from? I am intentionally trying to have conversations with you moving forward. Thank you for being here :)
Intentionally!
BROWNSTONE BROWN - A HARLEM STORY
Brown is a color that has slowly grown on me over the year. Perhaps it’s growing a little bit older and having a deeper appreciation for neutrals and muted colors, albeit with prints. I used to avoid the color brown like plague. Granted, while in Kenya I wore the color four years straight as part of my high school uniform. After graduating, I pushed this color to the furthest corner of my color closet brain and it’s been in the attic amassing cobwebs until, well recently. Thanks to Harlem.
The nostalgia of the color brown was brought about by my neighborhood, Harlem. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy living in Harlem. I walk past these beautiful brown stones that come in all shade and hues. It’s a daily dose of inspiration. That said, this jumpsuit called out to me. African print in Brown – and an open back. Sign me up.
I will be wearing a ton of African print this summer. It’s only right. New York is officially open and Summer 2021 is upon us. Let’s goo! 😊
CAROUSELS AND WHITE DRESSE
Hello and Happy Thursday.
The sun is shining and the skin is glowing. There’s something about sunshine that makes everything sparkle. People look lighter and happier especially after the grueling long winter months in a pandemic.
New York has opened up with precautionary measures of course. I went to an event in Brooklyn at Fort Green park and what a joy it was. Beautiful black people, vibing, hanging, dancing. It made my heart full. I loved being surrounded by that. Outside feels soo good!
For today’s post, the location was by the Brooklyn bridge. The views from Brooklyn are scenic and picture perfect. The Carousel vibes have been provided by Jane’s Carousel, after doing a little research I discovered that the carousel was opened in1922. There is a fun little history about this location. Check it out here. Super family friendly for anyone with little ones.
My outfit today is courtesy of Rent the Runway. We rent just about anything nowadays. From movies, to cars, and why not clothes right? It’s with GREAT PLEASURE that I am announcing my partnership with RENT THE RUNWAY!! I have onboarded to be an ambassador for Rent The Runway. Rent the Runway is a premier fashion subscription service that has an endless supply of designer clothes for a monthly fee. The customer service is A1 with worry free returns and free backup sizes. I have been enjoying this subscription and intend to share some fabulous styles moving forward. If interested, you can use my code to get a few styles in this summer RTRFAM51B9450. Let me know your thoughts! I would really like to know. Happy renting!!
Editorial Photography: Arthur Snipes
Dress: Rent The Runway OPT Brissa Dress
Shoes: Bershka
Bag: Chanel
Sunies: Ray Bans
Accessories: Maasai Market