Style, Stylee, Stylish, Stylin'

I am going to be really honest with this post. I am trying to work out my relationship with the concept of style* and how it fits into my professional future. Not in a, “What will I wear to the office next week,” kind of way; more like, “What do I do with this passion that I have for style.” It’s something that I have been wrestling with for a few weeks after a friend politely pointed that adding style into my work is an option, and the answer hasn’t magically popped into my head. Maybe this blog post will help. OR you all will say something that could lead me down a cool path, because you are good at that.

  

I think about style A LOT in my life. I am the person who cares about having a well-balanced book shelf, and I will get rid of books/tchotchkes to achieve that goal. I have mentally redesigned my house based on cheerful, modern wallpaper that I don’t even own yet. I have already chosen the perfect crisp yet inviting shade of green for my future private mental health practice, which I can’t create for another year. If I see the potential in a clothing item, I will secretly keep it for years, while at the same time throwing away my childhood journals. Walking into a well-curated, clean, modern store actually allows me to breathe more deeply then when I walked in. I have a power color for god’s sake. Basically, style takes up a big part of my brain. 

In a way, I find that space-taking as kind of embarrassing, because style can feel so frivolous at times. When I am feeling extra dramatic about it, I will ask myself, “Why can’t we all just go around wearing the same linen sacks and living in the same houses decorated in the same way?” Then I snap out of my curmudgeonly state and realize that is ridiculous, and it would make life very bland. Plus, who wants to live like that?

It also helps to chat with wonderful Austin stylists, like Laurel Kinney, who talks about using style to not only express yourself but to reach the next life goal, a balanced perspective of beauty and utility. This gives style a grounded relevance to my professional future and a reason to talk about it in this blog. If we see style as a source of empowerment, a tool to use to move forward and to bring joy, then it becomes extremely important and less frivolous. 

I am still not totally sure what to do with my style passion. I feel like there is space to add style to my future in mental health/empowerment work. I am just not sure how to do that quite yet.

      

Thoughts?

- Lauren, Style enthusiast with no current place to put her energy

*Please note that when I say style, I don’t mean fashion. Fashion evokes this image of expensive labels, small sizes, horrible cleanses, and other things that generally make women feel like crap. I mean style, which is all about expressing who you are in a joyful manner. It’s your aesthetic identity.