jumper dweller

Bloody Hell, folks. It's been a while. A hot minute, some would say. Firstly, a sincere sorry for not writing on here for ages. It's been a crazy few months marked by illness, indecision (or the malevolent goblin of indecision, 'the duck of indecision' - I'll put a pic of him at the end) and inner turmoil and frustration. But tonight I felt inspired and wanted to write a little something about how I would go about constructing an identity when a) you don't feel like you really have one, and 2) there is a pull from society/peers/family to just be like everyone else (primarily so that you remain unproblematic and therefore fit seamlessly into the world we live in, its qualms unnoticed and its wonders ignored). So I have a couple of tips (can I really call them that? Let's say ideas) that might kickstart you (and me, goodness knows I need it!) into discovering more so who we are and who we want to be! Right, shall we get started? Have a kit-kat (ak...

My capsule wardrobe!  Minimalism is, to many people, an extremely attractive yet lofty ideal. Own as few things as possible, only those that serve you and are functional for you and beautiful to you. For me, it was a concept I valued but I considered it entirely impossible, in practical terms, to implement in my day to day life. Maybe some you feel the same? Weighed down by possessions (literally so when moving from place to place) and unable to separate you from your stuff . Consumerism has been bred into us.  So, I hear you ask: 1) how are you going to implement minimalist ideals and b) why are you even trying since you are most likely doomed to fail? 1) Live with as little as is comfortable for as long as is comfortable. Ultimately, although I did a big wardrobe declutter and discarded (aka gave to charity) all the fallen apples (aka the clothes I really didn't care about all that much), I haven't abandoned the majority of my clothing though it no lon...

A subtle dash of rainbow..? You hear exhibitionist and you think narcissist.  These two can correlate, but they're far from one in the same. An art exhibition is not a display of the artist's internalised narcissism, but rather a message to the world concerning something they believe to be important and worthy of note.  A portion of my clothing collection!  Fashion is the same for me. I have often spoken on this blog about why our style is our initial message to the world about who we are, but take that one step further: what if our style could represent more than that? What if it could demonstrate a series of beliefs or an ethos that we wish to embody? What if by people looking at us we were in fact sharing with them what we hold key to our personal ethics? It's possible, certainly.  I am, in this sense of the term, a low-key exhibitionist. I don't shout or scream or act outlandishly to encourage people to look. I don't even really wa...

For some unknown, or at the least semi-unknown reason, it is ridiculously difficult for me to be kind to myself. I'm sure many of you reading (if there are actually 'many' of you in the first place?) will be able to identify with that. In a culture where every single achievable thing is quantified and compared with everyone else's achievable things, it's unsurprisingly that we young whippersnappers struggle to admit that we have value and worth aside from what we create/our grades/our monetary assets. Everything is about consuming, growing and competing, and that is just not a culture that cultivates kindness.  Self care! It is a radical thing, these days, to treat yourself nicely. We preach self-care as gospel, but it's far from bubble baths (Lush being our treat of choice), painting nails and applying some oddly cooling face mask. Self-care is our weapon, our fortress against low self-esteem. Once we value ourselves as people, looking after ourse...

  A happy Louise!  Hi folks! Me again. Long time, no write (?)... In truth, the title of this blog post, 'Super Busy', has been indicative of my past (aka-til-now) and future (aka-henceforth) state. It's bloody difficult to balance work, study and generally being a human being. So, here are a few tips (it's going to be a short post today, folks, I'm currently procrastinating from uni work, sorry!)  Today's outfit! Stay Accepting: enjoy who you are and STOP COMPARING  This tip is a good one, if I do say so myself. It can be really difficult to accept the situation you're in. Maybe uni seems overwhelming or you just don't like your new haircut (okay, both relevant for me...), but ultimately, nothing lasts forever and the achievement gained from waiting things out, whether that be an MA degree or long hair after the pixie-grow-out phase, is always worth it. Time is a wonderful thing and it passes all too quickly, so enjoy where you ar...

Q: Can I make this blazer work? A: Barely... I've not written about this before, and honestly, I've only recently come to understand it myself. A friend and I were discussing last night why I just cannot seem to get out of my overdraft: clothes. It's as simple as that, I love clothes too much. This then made me wonder: where does this thirst for newness come from in terms of clothing? Partly consumerism, no doubt. But I believe the root is in my deep need for change, for vitality and vibrancy, and for the ability to be someone who I am not yet but might one day be.  It's difficult because I do not want to stop buying clothing. But I know I must. My bank balance silently laments at its minus figure, induced by the addiction (dare I call it that?) to change. I have come to the conclusion that I want to be someone else but me.  On this blog, I've celebrated 'the chameleon' but it, as with most things, comes with a downside. I am permanently poor...

Autumn is here! Good morning folks! Today I wanted to write a little something which is very relevant to my life at the moment. It might be short and sweet (because I'm drugged up to the ears on valium) but I hope you enjoy/find it interesting all the same. We begin with the illness I'll be talking about today: bipolar. I recently came up with what I believe is a pretty relevant metaphor for bipolar: it is a worm, that sits gently behind the ear in hope of weedling its way in without our knowing. Before we know it, the worm is eating away at our sense of wellness, rotting and decaying whatever it can.  For me, currently the worm is deep within my brain, eating away at my contentment and health. I did not notice its arrival until it was too late. Bipolar is a difficult beast to manage, always in a state of persuasion, hoping you will unshackle it for the promise of creativity, activity and inspiration. It's no secret that both mania and depression can bring about...