Issue #252: base layers, bold hairstyles, making room for change 💫

Editor's Note

My not-quite resolution? Embrace more change.

Goals shift, priorities evolve... and that can be a good thing

by Olivia Rogine, Director of Brand Strategy and Special Projects

Happy New Year! I hope this newsletter finds you well on your way to breaking whatever resolution you set out for yourself in 2022 😅. Juuuust kidding, but can I be honest? I kind of dread this time of year. There’s so much pressure to be the best versions of ourselves, we forget to make room for what’s bound to happen: goals shift and priorities change.

This year, instead of inevitably disappointing myself one month into carrying out resolutions, I’m embracing the unexpected. These seeds were planted a few months ago, when I moved across the country with my partner (yes, we were part of the great COVID-migration). See, immediately after moving I felt compelled to build my routines again and recreate a familiar pace to my days, as if it would offer some sort of comfort and semblance of normalcy in my new surroundings. Cue: the same breakfast, workout class, and daily patterns that I had outgrown somewhere around the 400th day of 2021.

What I soon remembered was that I actually love change. Why was I boring myself with sameness? I feel most alive when I’m exploring like going for an unplanned hike or deep diving on a niche topic (think: orange wine, the physics of wireless charging, high-altitude baking...). Discovery, in its many forms, keeps things interesting (and keeps me on my toes)!

Picking my life up reminded me that we’re always beginning again, shape shifting through different chapters of life. I understand that not all change is welcome. But I find that when our routines are rooted in change, rather than habit, we open ourselves to possibility. So here’s my challenge to you: invite small moments of change in your day, week, month, and even year. And don’t worry, I won’t hold you to it like that looming resolution.

Here’s some thought starters on how to invite change into your day-to-day:

• Order something new at your local coffee shop (have you tried my absolute favorite beverage, a London Fog, before?!)
• Learn a bold hairstyle, and fail spectacularly!
• Replace a weekly chore with a creative moment. Mine would be watercoloring instead of doing laundry on Fridays
• Style an outfit with only articles of clothing you’ve hardly touched in your wardrobe (and use this video as inspo)
• Make a fancy breakfast recipe
• Read a piece of poetry (if you don’t do that sort of thing often), and then submit one!
• Listen to a different genre of music and discover even more

Regardless of how you choose to move forward in this new season of life, there’s room for it all: routines, rituals, and yes, even radical change.

Happy new year,
Olivia

P.S. Do you have a blanket that you absolutely love? One that perhaps you're spending even more time than usual in as we all figuratively and literally hide under some blankets this January? We want to hear about your most comfortable blanket ever. Let us know right here, and send pics and links if you have 'em!

weekly picks

• For a sorta fancy WFH lunch... I’ll admit it: I miss packing lunches for work and putting thought into my mid-day meal. I’ve tried to recreate what I liked about lunch prep in the comfort of my own home, like pre-portioned snacks and having a real “lunch time” to look forward to. Lately, I’ve been trying out INKA’s utensils, chopsticks, cloth napkins, and handy lunch kits. Who knew that aesthetically pleasing reusable containers could be so satisfying?

• Psssst! Social media has created a new kind of gossip culture. But you didn’t hear it from me. (Bitch Media)

• Best [insert thing here] of [insert year here] are my favorite kinds of lists. This roundup of the best book covers of 2021 is a perfect example of my deep appreciation for cultural time capsules. (PRINT Magazine)

• What happens when you’re like, literally OBSESSED. (Vox)

• From mushrooms to hibiscus to Long Island Iced Teas (yes, really), there are a lot of predictions about the food trends to come. (The New York Times)

• How Instagram is a tool for Black people to remember, honor, and share the past. ​​(Teen Vogue)

• Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, try this. (The Atlantic)