[All the photos in this post were taken today (!), with the last bits of autumn colour and some shots of the city, aren't you lucky]
Nonetheless, if you've been following along (and I'm sure most of you have), I've been posting material relating to #TheBlogRace for the last couple of months. A fun project initiated by Vix and Laila and brought me and the others through many proverbial highs, and this is our final entry!
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN STORY TO TELL
With trepidation we started with Instagram, and it's always refreshing to know that behind pixels on a screen, is someone with their own stories. I guess we don't usually stop and pause to think, that there may be more beyond blogger unboxings, PR gifts, amazing photos.
I remember thinking how refreshing it was to hear from Luke about being deaf and staying positive, and Chloe's dyslexia story and now kicking ass, basically on her way soon to her PhD! It reminded me that life is life is life, and not about avocados and brunch, though it sometimes can be... Everyone was enthusiastic, and it was fun being part of something where everyone had something of their own to contribute.
CREATIVITY IS NOT ALL TALENT
It wasn't for me, at least. I'm proud of the fact that I'm a creative person by nature, but this honestly pushed me to have fun while doing crazy fun stuff. One of my favourite posts to write was the Mooncake Festival story growing up, and this mishmash video of my week which brought a little excitement in my otherwise pretty mundane work week.
Talent doesn't translate into creative magic, and made me think about how much extra time and thought goes into a successful curated piece on social media. And for this I will always be thankful that I was able to do that, without which I probably wouldn't go the extra mile because 'I don't have enough time' or 'it looks too hard!'
I remember Jordan's magical Red Riding Hood and interpretation of autumn, and those enchanting photos which spoke to her determination and hard work in all things blogging, something I probably couldn't replicate, ha. Beth's writing was soulful and frank from the very start, and Sophie's #MeToo post struck a very strong chord with me and I'm just so proud to have known these people.
HIGHS AND LOWS, MAKING FRIENDS
Every week, I was equal excitement and slightly worried. Mainly because I was working long hours, and I was brainstorming all these ideas and hoping I had enough time to make it work. Getting home in a cab at 10pm were the bad days, and I didn't have time to do anything else.
But when I did finally pull through, it was something I was happy to call my own. Experimenting with new mediums, thinking of new ways to convey meaning (which I will always find exciting) was something wonderful, and something that I will walk away feeling thankful for.
Our little group on Twitter was filled with gifs (probably from me, I love gifs) and cheering on for each other one, having those messages ping each day was like being in a sorority, almost. Not like I would know what being in sorority feels like...
In the end, I feel like it's not so much about the competition than the chances that we had to talk to each other, us people with real problems and woes. I've grown to admire Taj whose cultural voice is so powerful with her words equally so, and getting to know about her life and vivid imagination is such a joy. Becky gave me all the colourful feels, and Katie's journey with Ostoma was a real eye-opener. And to the rest of you all, I think it's fair to forgive me in my ill state to say that you guys have been awesome and deserve all the equal shout-outs and love.
MERCI BEAUCOUP
Vix and Laila, you get a gif in my lame hotel room cause you're both super cool. Thank you for including me in this pet project, and giving me a good excuse to get creative and go wild with ideas. And mostly, thanks for this cool bunch of people with their quirks and jokes that I've been having so much fun with – I loved learning about the other Racers, but also you two who have been with us and writing with us.
I learnt how to be humble and kind, and there is a space for everyone's voice in this chaotic blogging community.
I gained so many new people in my life, all of whom I hope to meet IRL!
I found out that we're ordinary peeps with brilliant minds, and more fun than I was expecting ;)
Catch up on all #TheBlogRace action here if you've been missing it. I hope your week is less ill-ridden than mine!
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