Archives for 2018

IG Influencers: A Bubble Soon to Pop

07/29/2018 By Sarah 1 Comment

I have come to accept it, and I’m sure there are people out there refusing to talk about it. Especially since last year it became a $1 billion industry, and could be worth $2.38 billion by the time 2019 hits. But while the influencer industry looks promising, there are some truths we need to acknowledge for it to remain so.

Think of how much money companies can save now by advertising with independent influencers. Their cost for running ads with services before the time of influencers included magazines, celebrities, commercials, billboards, street signs, etc. Influencers now offer not only more content than brands ever had a need for before, but a new, more intuitive kind of promotion. Less broad, and more acute/niche specific.

Here’s why I predict what is happening right now in the industry is going to cause it to crumble…

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How to be an Individual

06/14/2018 By Sarah Leave a Comment

“If outside validation is your only source of nourishment, you will hunger for the rest of your life.”

We are all unique, we are all individuals. But what does it actually mean to be an individual- someone who is so confidently their self that they do what they do with an air of authority? And by authority, I mean that people see them as having a trusted voice in their niche.

Ask:

Do I go through my day trying to please someone? Do I wait for approval, for validation, to find out if I am worthy today? If today will be better than yesterday? Do I feel powerless or less valuable if I’m not being fed affirmation by an outside source?

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Le Jardin Secret

06/12/2018 By Sarah 1 Comment

There’s something about vast, manicured gardens that I love so much. The secret pathways, the artful way of the flowers, the silent statues looking over the lawn. If I could live in a garden, with nothing much more to worry about than sun exposure, I’d be in bliss.

I long for simple things, beautiful nature, and places that feel timeless.
You can forget most of anything in the garden, if you just allow yourself to get lost.
If you just wander without intention, while being mindlessly mindful.
To pay attention to the details- of the bees dancing between flowers,
the harmony of the birds, and the patches of shadows with light in between.

In between- that’s where I want to stay.
Not here nor there, but present. In the now.
A place where time doesn’t exist if you don’t let it.
And I can disappear there happily,
given to the romance of the roses and the whim of the trees.

Read More to see all the photos from this beautiful day, and watch the video at the end of the post!

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Vanity, Negativity & Imitation: The “Art” of Instagram

06/07/2018 By Sarah 3 Comments

I’ve been mulling over these thoughts for months now, wondering how to go about sharing them. I prefer to stay away from negative topics, and put my efforts towards spreading more positivity than negativity. But that doesn’t mean I don’t deal with fighting these negative feelings almost every day, considering my everyday job revolves around this App. An app with so much potential to discover beauty and magic, but also a place that creates a lot of unnecessary feelings.

Behind the masks of everyone who parade around on Instagram, showing only their best face, their best outfits, and their best versions of the truth is a whole lot of unattractive bullshit.

There, I said it.

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Be Your Own Sunshine

05/22/2018 By Sarah Leave a Comment

“Spend time amidst the trees,
thinking and not thinking…
breathing, and doing as they do.
Learn to be present, and remember
how to daydream.

Do simple things-
Drink tea by the window,
slowly.
Arrange a vase of flowers,
mindfully.
Fall in love with books.

Walk without direction.
Follow the sites, the sounds,
and the smells.
Be content somewhere,
alone, or in a crowd.

Forget what time it is,
forget priorities.
For a little while, be free.
Your moments spent living
are no less valuable than
your moments spent working for the weekend”

Note to Self – 4.19.18, Les Belles Lettres

You May have noticed these “Les Belles Lettres” appearing here and there on my Instagram and Stories. If you haven’t guessed, this is my little work in progress. A collection of my writings that will hopefully make up enough pages to become a full book in the near future. What you might not know about me is that before blogging and even before photography, I wrote extensive amounts of poetry, prose, and free form. I wrote multiple poems a day, sometimes. Which all collectively became 2 books which I published at the ages of 18 and 19. My poetry was also submitted into some international books, and appraised by literature professors in Europe.

It’s strange to think that I’m the same person today that wrote all this poetry when I was younger. My mom always said my writing sounded like that of an old man from another century, haha! I sometimes wondered where the words even came from. Of course, I spent a lot of time reading Keats and I’m sure some of my inspiration came from him.

These days I find it harder to write like I used to. I’ve grown up, and I spend less time day dreaming and noticing the beauty I once saw everywhere. It’s been a part of me that’s been sorely missed. So when I have a moment, or when inspiration strikes, I sit down and write. It may not be as lovely as my old writings, but it’s with a new voice. The voice of who I am now. And I’m excited to get to know it better. And share it with you.

Read more for outfit details and more photos!

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