Recently (two days ago) I auditioned for a part in a one-act play that my school will be putting on for an Ontario-wide festival/competition thing. A few of my friends have been in it in previous years, the director is a nice teacher who taught me English last year and I thought it would be fun to try out. This is the second year I auditioned. I didn't make it last year and,
Well.
As you can probably assume, I didn't get in this year either. The callback list came out (today) and unfortunately, my name was not on it. I was so disappointed. I had been trying to tell myself not to get too excited, that I probably wouldn't get in compared to all the amazing and talented future actors and actresses, but I was still upset that I didn't make the list. In fact, I wrote a journal entry that was essentially: I GET IT I SUCK AT ACTING I HATE MYSELF I AM SO ASHAMED I'M NEVER AUDITIONING AGAIN.
I wrote that entry in a pit of sadness and embarrassment, and it was absolutely the wrong way to go about my rejection.
When you love something, you need to stick with it and not give up just because you are embarrassed that people found out you LOVE the Percy Jackson books or Doctor Who or playing tennis or whatever it is you love to do. I know I am too concerned about what other people think about my passions that I stop exploring them. I'm embarrassed to have a single Doctor Who poster in my room and have stopped wearing my Supernatural t-shirt. But I am going to change this. I think John Green said it best:
"Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff - like, jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can't-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they're saying is "You like stuff," which is not a good insult at all. Like, "You are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.""
*pause to appreciate this quote*
Loving something, being passionate about something IS NOT A BAD THING. Love stuff so much you burst, and don't ever, ever, ever stop because you don't want people to think you're "weird" or "sad for auditioning every year and not making it once".
That being said, I plan on auditioning again next year for Sears 2017, I will just spend this year practising.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
BOO(bs)! halloween and sexy costumes
It's that time of year again, the time to spend all your time thinking about what costume to wear and not thinking about important things like, say, schoolwork. Halloween can be an incredibly controversial holiday, for multiple reasons. Let's start off with the easy one, TRICK OR TREATING.
How old is too old?
I know every year I think that it might be my last year roaming the streets for candy, and that thought scares me to death. I LOVE Halloween. I love making and wearing an awesome costume. I love walking around at night with my friends. I love free candy. However, I am 15 years old and in grade 11. So, is it ok if I still go trick or treating? I think it is, however, maybe not in the usual way. My last year roaming the streets for candy was in grade 9. I was nervous about being too old, but I had a great costume and I went with my friends and no one got mad at us for being too old. Last year, however, my friends and I decided maybe we were too old, but none of us were willing to give up all hallow's eve fun. So, we decided to go, but to go to collect food for the food drive. There are many different organizations, and I'm sure there are loads in your city or community. Here are a few that I found in mine:
Trick or Eat
We Scare Hunger
or find your food bank if you are in America and contact them to get information.
I think this is a perfectly acceptable way to still go trick or treating once you get a little too "old". You still get to dress up, you still get to romp around with your friends at night and best of all, most nice people will give you candy as well.
Ok, now on to the more touchy subject, sexy costumes. I'm not going to go into too much detail on this because I think Laci Green says it best in her YouTube video. However, sexy costumes do pose a large question. Is this ok? On one hand you have women accepting and showing off their sexuality, being proud of their bodies. On the other hand, you have unnecessarily sexy costumes such as:
Also, sexy costumes are almost the only kinds of women's costumes you can find, even for little girls!
What do you think, are sexy costumes ok, or are they getting to be outrageously ridiculous?
How old is too old?
I know every year I think that it might be my last year roaming the streets for candy, and that thought scares me to death. I LOVE Halloween. I love making and wearing an awesome costume. I love walking around at night with my friends. I love free candy. However, I am 15 years old and in grade 11. So, is it ok if I still go trick or treating? I think it is, however, maybe not in the usual way. My last year roaming the streets for candy was in grade 9. I was nervous about being too old, but I had a great costume and I went with my friends and no one got mad at us for being too old. Last year, however, my friends and I decided maybe we were too old, but none of us were willing to give up all hallow's eve fun. So, we decided to go, but to go to collect food for the food drive. There are many different organizations, and I'm sure there are loads in your city or community. Here are a few that I found in mine:
Trick or Eat
We Scare Hunger
or find your food bank if you are in America and contact them to get information.
I think this is a perfectly acceptable way to still go trick or treating once you get a little too "old". You still get to dress up, you still get to romp around with your friends at night and best of all, most nice people will give you candy as well.
Ok, now on to the more touchy subject, sexy costumes. I'm not going to go into too much detail on this because I think Laci Green says it best in her YouTube video. However, sexy costumes do pose a large question. Is this ok? On one hand you have women accepting and showing off their sexuality, being proud of their bodies. On the other hand, you have unnecessarily sexy costumes such as:
Also, sexy costumes are almost the only kinds of women's costumes you can find, even for little girls!
What do you think, are sexy costumes ok, or are they getting to be outrageously ridiculous?
Monday, July 27, 2015
hot hot hot: how to stay cool in the summer heat
Summer can be fantastic, I love summer! No school, sandy beaches, freedom! But, as most of us know, with the freedom comes the heat, the all consuming, stuffy, smothering heat. I live in Canada, so I know I've got it good compared to places further south, but every once in a while when I'm in the city, it just gets so. hot. So, here are a few things that I do to help beat the heat and stay cool.
1. Hydrate
I know it's obvious but I cannot stress this enough - DRINK WATER. Drink a lot of water, every time you're in the kitchen, when you're bored, DRINK IT UP. Not only does water keep you alive (!!!!), it's also good for your skin! Whoa, added bonus. Please, go drink some right now, I'll wait.
Done? Alright let's continue to...
2. Clothes
Also kind of obvious but I find it can help a lot. I love skirts in the summer, they feel so amazing, especially when there is a breeze. They can be so much more comfortable than jean shorts. Also, wearing white can be a huge help, not only does it absorb less heat but it can also disguise the inevitable sweat stains that come with the heat.
3. At home
Ok so now you're dressed in white with a skirt and a waterbottle, but what are you going to do? If you are like me and live in a "nice old house" that doesn't have air conditioning, you're house is going to get hot, especially if you're in a heat wave that lasts days without cooling down at night. If it does get cool at night, make sure you open your windows before you go to bed, and then close them up again in the morning, this traps the cool night air in your house. Just make sure you keep the windows and doors closed throughout the day.
Also, INVEST IN FANS. Floor fans, ceiling fans, all kinds of fans, because if it doesn't cool down, you are gonna want them. Not only do fans give you a nice cool breeze, they also move the air around your house, promoting air circulation and keeping the air from getting heavy from just sitting there. Another thing that helps with air circulation is keeping doors open.
4. Get out
But what if it's still really hot in your house or you are going stir-crazy from being in the house for such a long time. I like to go to my local library, it's a nice walk and they have air conditioning and free wifi. I'll grab a few books and curl up in a chair. Or, I'll walk to a cafe and get some kind of cold drink as a reward, I love Starbuck's Iced Oprah Chai Latte, the Strawberries and Cream Chiller from Coffee Culture, or Sweet Lime iced tea from David's Tea.
Another thing you can do is go swimming! I'm lucky, there are two really nice swimming pools that I can bike to from my house. Grab some friends and try to get to your local pool! Or, since I can't drive, I'll get my mom or my friend's parents to drive us to a beach, there are a few not too far out of my city.
When it's hot outside, it's not a great time for exploring and hanging out in the city, so take it easy, drink some water, and chill out. (hahah get it?)
Monday, July 20, 2015
how to summer
Hello, it has been 9 months and I am now shamelessly writing another post, so let's just get right into it.
It's SUMMER. Yay!
However, if you're like me, a few weeks into the hot, sweaty freedom, you get bored. This summer I was supposed to have a job and be able to spend my days in an air-conditioned building making money. BUT, that didn't happen. So, here I am, having not planned anything for half the summer, sitting on my butt watching YouTube videos about what to do in the summer but not really doing them. Because I am so bored, I am making a list (for myself and any other reader who wants to have some FUN) about cool things to do in the summer when you are really, truly bored.
The first idea is to make a list.
This is what I am doing right now, but I also made a paper copy I keep in my purse or beside my bed so when I am at a loss about what to do and my dad is telling me to "turn off Netflix and get off my butt", I can pick something and go do it! I love lists, they help you organize all your ideas so you don't forget them, plus when you've finished doing something on your list, you get the satisfaction of crossing off yet another item. I challenge you to make a list of all the things you were hoping to do this summer and cross everything off before school starts!
Here is my list:
-go thrift shopping (take the bus!)
-bike up to the craft store for supplies
-pick wildflowers and put them in bottles
-walk to the park (read, take pictures)
-clean my room
-DIY some t-shirts
-go get some ice cream
-have sleepover
-write a book
-read a whole book in one day
-make Popsicles
-make ice cream
-lighten hair with lemon juice
-draw henna
-go get some iced tea
-bike up the the bakery for croissants
-create a blog (yeah I forgot about this blog when I was writing this list)
-make a stuffed animal
-give myself a mani/pedi
-read old National Geographics
-bike up to a different park
-weed the garden
-call a friend
-re-read Harry Potter
-write a list (not really sure why this is on here but let's just go with it)
-pet a cat
-try a new recipe
-make dinner
-make a smoothie
-make a collage
-print off some photos
-listen to new music
-learn to play guitar
-learn to play the ukulele
-write a letter
-upcycle old clothes
-make friendship bracelets
-make a craft
-colour in a colouring book
-do some yoga
Well, that's my list. I plan on doing every single one of those this summer, in fact:
-create a blog
-write a list
It's SUMMER. Yay!
However, if you're like me, a few weeks into the hot, sweaty freedom, you get bored. This summer I was supposed to have a job and be able to spend my days in an air-conditioned building making money. BUT, that didn't happen. So, here I am, having not planned anything for half the summer, sitting on my butt watching YouTube videos about what to do in the summer but not really doing them. Because I am so bored, I am making a list (for myself and any other reader who wants to have some FUN) about cool things to do in the summer when you are really, truly bored.
The first idea is to make a list.
This is what I am doing right now, but I also made a paper copy I keep in my purse or beside my bed so when I am at a loss about what to do and my dad is telling me to "turn off Netflix and get off my butt", I can pick something and go do it! I love lists, they help you organize all your ideas so you don't forget them, plus when you've finished doing something on your list, you get the satisfaction of crossing off yet another item. I challenge you to make a list of all the things you were hoping to do this summer and cross everything off before school starts!
Here is my list:
-go thrift shopping (take the bus!)
-bike up to the craft store for supplies
-pick wildflowers and put them in bottles
-walk to the park (read, take pictures)
-clean my room
-DIY some t-shirts
-go get some ice cream
-have sleepover
-write a book
-read a whole book in one day
-make Popsicles
-make ice cream
-lighten hair with lemon juice
-draw henna
-go get some iced tea
-bike up the the bakery for croissants
-create a blog (yeah I forgot about this blog when I was writing this list)
-make a stuffed animal
-give myself a mani/pedi
-read old National Geographics
-bike up to a different park
-weed the garden
-call a friend
-re-read Harry Potter
-write a list (not really sure why this is on here but let's just go with it)
-pet a cat
-try a new recipe
-make dinner
-make a smoothie
-make a collage
-print off some photos
-listen to new music
-learn to play guitar
-learn to play the ukulele
-write a letter
-upcycle old clothes
-make friendship bracelets
-make a craft
-colour in a colouring book
-do some yoga
Well, that's my list. I plan on doing every single one of those this summer, in fact:
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
get inspired
Ha! So much for posting very often! How long has it been? Like a month? I apologize for not living up to the whole "I swear I'll post" thing. Guess it didn't really work out the way I'd hoped.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have started this post if I hadn't just finished watching Troye Sivan's YouTube video about doing whatever you want because you want to. "Make cool shit," Troye says. So I'm going to make me some cool shit.
Let's talk about inspiration. Where do you find it? Do you have to search for it? Why do you even need it in the first place?
Inspiration can be found anywhere. Sometimes it's found in a leaf falling from a dying tree, sometimes from a great book or a cool sign. Sometimes, from a YouTube video you're watching while you should be studying for a huge biology test tomorrow. Whoops. Inspiration isn't one specific thing. It is different for everyone, because that picture of a cat and dog cuddling that makes your heart swell and makes you want to be nice to everyone, might just be trashy poster crap to your friend.
Finding inspiration can be weird. For me, I usually don't go out looking for inspiration unless I've already found some and am craving more, or I am just really, really, really bored and my eyes hurt from watching Netflix. Even then, I'll rarely go. Inspiration doesn't always just come to you. Sometimes, you have to go looking for it. Searching for inspiration can be difficult, and ways to look varies per person. When I'm trying to find inspiration, there are a few ways I look.
1. Google it
If I'm feeling really lazy, I'll look online. Sometimes, just going on YouTube and looking for inspirational videos can help (I must recommend Sprinkle of Glitter because she has some really great heart warmers). Other times, looking at quotes or photos by your favourite person or about a cause or problem that's important to you (no matter how cheesy it sounds) can be very helpful.
2. GO OUT!
If you're like me, going outside can become a bit of a rare occurrence (thank goodness I have to walk to school otherwise I'd never get out). Getting outside into the "real world" can really help. Go for a walk through the park. If you like photography, bring a camera, if you don't, just enjoy the fresh air! Look at the children playing and the birds chirping. Life is great! Don't waste yours! Or, you can go to the library! Or attend an event! Like DIY and/or art? Go to an art show or a museum! If you don't have any money and/or can't get to a park easily, SIT OUTSIDE. On the curb, in your backyard, on your porch. Maybe you'll see something happen that will inspire you to write a story, or draw an amazing work of art! Inspiration is everywhere, if you're looking.
3. Listen
My last recommendation for finding inspiration, if you feel like you don't have a talent that can be inspired by trees or books or art or cats, just listen! Read the newspaper or listen to the radio! Maybe something will come up that makes you passionate. Listen to your parents talk about boring things and hey, maybe you'll find it interesting. Or, if you still haven't found inspiration, ask someone! I'm sure your parents and teachers would love to inform you on things they love and feel strongly about. Ask about problems in third world countries, about travel opportunities, anything you think is cool! That crazy civics teacher might just tell you about the things that go on in your city's government that makes you want to do something about it! Grab a camera, write a blog, TELL PEOPLE. With a little inspiration, you can do anything.
Wait, if it can take so much work, why do we even need inspiration? BECAUSE IT'S COOL. And fun, and makes life worth living. Without something in your life that makes you happy and passionate, I really don't know what life's for. You were given a wonderful opportunity, make use of it! Don't worry if you haven't got anything just yet. We're still young. I'm not sure what my purpose in life yet is either. Use the tips above, and together we can find something that makes us smile and feel good and want to do something other than sit on our asses watching YouTube and writing blog posts while we're supposed to be studying for a huge biology test tomorrow.
To be honest, I probably wouldn't have started this post if I hadn't just finished watching Troye Sivan's YouTube video about doing whatever you want because you want to. "Make cool shit," Troye says. So I'm going to make me some cool shit.
in·spi·ra·tion
ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n/
noun
- the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.
- "Helen had one of her flashes of inspiration"
Let's talk about inspiration. Where do you find it? Do you have to search for it? Why do you even need it in the first place?
Inspiration can be found anywhere. Sometimes it's found in a leaf falling from a dying tree, sometimes from a great book or a cool sign. Sometimes, from a YouTube video you're watching while you should be studying for a huge biology test tomorrow. Whoops. Inspiration isn't one specific thing. It is different for everyone, because that picture of a cat and dog cuddling that makes your heart swell and makes you want to be nice to everyone, might just be trashy poster crap to your friend.
Finding inspiration can be weird. For me, I usually don't go out looking for inspiration unless I've already found some and am craving more, or I am just really, really, really bored and my eyes hurt from watching Netflix. Even then, I'll rarely go. Inspiration doesn't always just come to you. Sometimes, you have to go looking for it. Searching for inspiration can be difficult, and ways to look varies per person. When I'm trying to find inspiration, there are a few ways I look.
1. Google it
If I'm feeling really lazy, I'll look online. Sometimes, just going on YouTube and looking for inspirational videos can help (I must recommend Sprinkle of Glitter because she has some really great heart warmers). Other times, looking at quotes or photos by your favourite person or about a cause or problem that's important to you (no matter how cheesy it sounds) can be very helpful.
2. GO OUT!
If you're like me, going outside can become a bit of a rare occurrence (thank goodness I have to walk to school otherwise I'd never get out). Getting outside into the "real world" can really help. Go for a walk through the park. If you like photography, bring a camera, if you don't, just enjoy the fresh air! Look at the children playing and the birds chirping. Life is great! Don't waste yours! Or, you can go to the library! Or attend an event! Like DIY and/or art? Go to an art show or a museum! If you don't have any money and/or can't get to a park easily, SIT OUTSIDE. On the curb, in your backyard, on your porch. Maybe you'll see something happen that will inspire you to write a story, or draw an amazing work of art! Inspiration is everywhere, if you're looking.
3. Listen
My last recommendation for finding inspiration, if you feel like you don't have a talent that can be inspired by trees or books or art or cats, just listen! Read the newspaper or listen to the radio! Maybe something will come up that makes you passionate. Listen to your parents talk about boring things and hey, maybe you'll find it interesting. Or, if you still haven't found inspiration, ask someone! I'm sure your parents and teachers would love to inform you on things they love and feel strongly about. Ask about problems in third world countries, about travel opportunities, anything you think is cool! That crazy civics teacher might just tell you about the things that go on in your city's government that makes you want to do something about it! Grab a camera, write a blog, TELL PEOPLE. With a little inspiration, you can do anything.
Wait, if it can take so much work, why do we even need inspiration? BECAUSE IT'S COOL. And fun, and makes life worth living. Without something in your life that makes you happy and passionate, I really don't know what life's for. You were given a wonderful opportunity, make use of it! Don't worry if you haven't got anything just yet. We're still young. I'm not sure what my purpose in life yet is either. Use the tips above, and together we can find something that makes us smile and feel good and want to do something other than sit on our asses watching YouTube and writing blog posts while we're supposed to be studying for a huge biology test tomorrow.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
greetings and salutations
*read title in the nasally, whiny (but wonderful) voice of Christian Slater in Heathers*
I have recently been exploring the realm of fashion and beauty and blogs and modelling and magazines. Things I am not very used to. I also seem to have broken the button that aligns my words to the left side of the page, and for that I apologize. Moving on, this blog has been inspired by the wonderful and all-accomplishing Tavi Gevinson. I hope to do her justice by posting on a regular basis about things I love and enjoy. I am not very good at this "blogging", I have an incredibly small attention span and a knack for extreme procrastination Two things that (as I've learned from previous experiences) don't go very well with blogging.
I hope my strange view on the world provides you with comfort, knowing that you are not the saddest person wandering the Internet.
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