Honestly... I envy clothing store mannequins. And now you're thinking "Wow. We waited two months for another 'Karleigh Michele' post and she's gone bonkers." Stay with me. I promise it gets good. I walk by Chicago's iconic Macy's building (formerly Marshall Fields & Company) every day on my way home from class. The Christmas displays have vacated the windows and the 2019 trends are in. I can't help but stare and think as I see these perfect porcelain figures under constant public scrutiny and, a few weeks ago, I decided that I could learn from them. I wasn't envious because of their perfect skin and designer outfits, but when I saw the one in a purple Adidas sweatsuit (my go-to outfit in 2006 - the height of my tomboyishness) I realized it was because they don't give a f*@$ - about what people think of their outfits, their job, or how many instagram likes they get... They can't. They're inanimate (and don't have Instagram). Obviously. Now, here's an idea: What if we all used our social media for our own enjoyment? What? You say. Don't I already do that? Eh, maybe. But how many times a day do you check your "Likes"? A mannequin wouldn't give a f*@$ about how many "Likes" last night's dinner or today's #OOTD got. What if we committed to social media being our digital scrapbook (because who has time to make a real one), for our own entertainment, to look back on and cringe, laugh, cry and smile, like I do when I go through photos at my parents? Now, I'm not hating on social media... I love social media and believe it has a HELLUVA lot of value in keeping connections with far away-family and friends, being a free marketing vessel for nonprofits and small businesses, and acting as a primary outlet for news for Millenials and Generation Z. Moving onto my envy... When we first moved to Chicago, I had about a dozen different brands ask me to model for them on Instagram. For a former tomboy turned self-proclaimed fashionista I jumped right on it. It was a chance to expand my following and hopefully get more people to read my writing, which is all I want. I thought this was a start so I used the private discounts each brand gave me to buy their product, took high-quality pics and posted them and a quick praise of the company to my account. I'd email my photos to the address they asked and wait anxiously for it to pop up on their account too - with a dream it would boost my followers and increase my web traction. It was a long wait because they never did. But they posted other girls. I guess my photos just wouldn't get enough "Likes". But what if, instead of putting money into brands who, more likely than not, are the epitome of fast fashion, I invested in believing in myself? What if instead, I worked my ass off, gave my blogs and my writing my time and had faith the rest would work itself out, because I gave everything I had to give? What if I could do this, instead of relentlessly checking for new "Likes" and followers? What if, like the mannequins, I confidently stand up, dress to impress, and put my writing out there without giving a f*@$, without worrying about how many "Likes" it gets, but knowing it's going to impact somebody and reach the people it needs to reach. I don't want to worry about whether I get 5 "Likes" or 500, as long as my writing reaches who it's supposed to reach, like when the Macy's mannequin I passed every day for weeks convinced me to buy her white Calvin Klein sweatpants. I challenge all of you to embody the mannequin as well - get up every day and do you - shamelessly and unapologetically - and throw those cares for "Likes" out the window. As always, thanks for reading! Love, Karleigh Michele
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Karleigh MicheleIt's me... Authentic, Real, and Honest. Because I believe that's the only way to write it. Archives
November 2018
Categories |