"I like amateurism because those people usually tend to take themselves not so seriously. I think any sort of creative endeavour, if you're in it for long enough, the mechanics of the business - of making money - discolours things a little bit." Noah Taylor.
For those of you that don't know Noah Taylor, he played Still Water's Manager in Almost Famous among many, many other roles. What he said in this certain interview particularly resonated with me. It's the actual act of doing something just for the pure enjoyment of the process, without really being too conscious and calculative of the final outcome. I actually did my whole final major project for my degree about it years ago, because the notion of 'staying in the moment' really fascinates me.
I have a blog, yes (you're on it now lolz). My friends take photos of me in my clothes, I write a paragraph or two to a accompany them, and then I share it for the world to see - so I suppose that makes me a blogger? Right then... Maybe even a Blogger with a capital B? It's definitely a term that's getting more and more saturated in this digital age. But hey, I guess I'm playing a part in that saturation. I'm no blogging Veteran, I've had Let's Dust for two and a half years now so perhaps I'm part of the frenzied herd that jumped on the big fat blogging bandwagon, or perhaps I caught the tail end of the dust in the air left from the first few rounds of successors.
I have indeed been paid in the past for posts, but I also write a lot of my blog for free. Of course I do? It's my blog and I enjoy running it. I witter on about what I love and what I feel strongly about. I'm showing you clothes that fit my mood and tell you story, if you care that is. What I'm not doing, is showing you what's 'hot and what's not'. I'm not directly setting myself up to be of influence, and I'm not asking you to spend your money on the clothes I'm wearing. Hell, I just want to tell you a story through styling, photography, and the written word with an uncontrived, unspoilt and honest reflection of me.
It's above and beyond INCREDIBLE to be paid for blogging, I am forever grateful for the opportunities given to me, it's funded travel adventures and brought me closer to some of the best people I know. But it's also extremely vital that I remain true to myself. When money becomes a weighing factor, how does this affect the content we put out? I don't want my content to derail from its original destination, on it's journey into the digital stratosphere. We can't really escape anyone in this modern world we live in. It's good to have drive, focus and ambition but fundamentally its worthwhile enjoying the ride, staying humble and not forgetting your roots. Feel inspired and learn by others, but don't obsess their every move. Let go.
When I started my blog, I was looking for creative recreation because I didn't feel I got enough of it through my job. I worked full time in personal shopping retail and struggled with depression. The combination was pretty soul destroying at times. I loved styling, and being visually expressive so after a friend gave me the encouragement I needed, I made Let's Dust. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Plus I love those D.I.Y in-your-bedroom projects, the type you can stay up late into the night working on.
Now here's for the disclaimer; I wasn't looking for free clothes, any type of Internet fame or sponsorship by brands. I was looking for therapy.
Rebel Heart T-shirt by Thrills at Pepper Mayo Australia. Aura Skirt by Free Poeple. Dusty Pink Cardigan from Bershka, and my old smelly boots from Topshop, seasons past.
Photos by Brogan Lane.
