Sundays in Westminster
After an impromptu hiatus, I’m whole-heartedly back to blogging and feeling full of inspiration to create (maybe it has something to do with the upcoming holiday season?). But it’s taken a while to get to this stage and I would be lying if I said that I’ve never been in a rut when it comes to channeling my creativity. As a fashion student, soon to be marketing graduate and content creator, my brain works overtime in the innovation department. I enjoy striving to be original and experimental on a daily basis in all these different aspects of my life but even for someone as energetic as me, it takes a toll. We have to be ‘on’ everyday and being mentally exhausted is not a viable option because there are deadlines to meet and ideas to think of. So what’s the answer to overcoming this mind-block?
If you’re a like minded artist, an aspiring girl boss or simply want to learn something informative and have trouble brewing your creative juices, read along for a guaranteed way to get rid of those blues. It’s my newest obsession and it’s here to stay – listening to podcasts! If you expected some out-the-world answer or never-heard-of-before solution then I’m sorry to burst that bubble, but podcasts have been here for a while although massively underestimated in terms of their impact. Not only can it heard during those dreaded commutes to work or uni, but they are a really good way to kickstart your day with energy and inspiration.
Here are 4 podcasts that I’ve been hooked to, which have given a huge upgrade to my creative process in terms of blogging, understanding the fashion industry and learning from other amazing people who have tons of inspiration to offer.
1. The Influencer Podcast – Hosted by Julie Soloman, this podcast has an array of influencer topics on hand, such as how to increase your engagement on social media, ways to create an editorial calendar and unique opportunities to stand out from the saturation in this industry. At the end of every episode I’m always left with an exhilarating feeling to start acting all the information I just learned (which is always a good sign of a successful podcast). My personal favourites are: Style Meets Strategy: How Margo and Me Became An Influencer and Using Pinterest to Grow Your Influence.
2. Fashion No Filter Podcast – This is unabashedly and unapologetically a podcast for the fashion fanatics. Hosted by industry experts Camille Charriere and Monica Ainley, it is a great listen for when in the mood for intellectual conversation that still doesn’t take itself too seriously. I enjoy their selection of guests, who are completely willing to share tips and advice to for fashion enthusiasts to take their career to the next level. My personal favourites are: Behind the Instagram Algorithm with Eva Chen and Hot Feminism. The only downside? The episodes aren’t particularly regular!
3. 10% Happier with Dan Harris – This podcast doesn’t necessarily delve into all things creative, but the reason I’ve included it here is because it provides fascinating detail on ways to relieve yourself of the stress & anxiety of daily life using meditation. Having a sense of calmness and clarity does wonders for your imagination and boosting ingenious idea creation. Don’t expect it to be a guided meditation app because it’s absolutely not. It looks at conditions such as anxiety, almost from a psychological standpoint and treats it as a system that can be broken down into various treatable components. This doesn’t mean you’re going to be listening to a psychology lecture, so don’t waver just yet. Rather, Dan Harris speaks to different industry experts every episode, who take real life examples combined with meditation solutions to unpack aspects of individual stress. My personal favourites are: Unwinding Anxiety and Redefining Your Relationship with Your Phone.
4. Blogosphere: Serious Influence – Ever wondered about the business side of the influencer industry? There’s a lot of black and white analytics and hard core management that goes behind the colourful feed of every Instagram influencer, which this podcast unravels. Founder of Blogosphere, Alice Audley, poses some difficult questions to her guests that bust the myths we all have around adverts on Instagram, forming long-term brand partnerships and even the actual process with which bloggers earn. TOQ’s favourite episodes are the ones featuring Kyle Galvin (fashion photographer and content creator for influencers) and Victoria Magrath (founder of luxury lifestyle fashion blog, InTheFrow).
Hope this post left you feeling inspired in some way! Get ready for some Christmas and party season content, coming up soon on The Obsession Quotient.
OUTFIT DETAILS
Outerwear – Depop
Boots – Bata
Mesh dress – Zara (old)
Top – Mango (similar here)
Belt – Zara
Umbrella – Primark
Jeans – Zara
Earrings – flea market