Alice Catherine

As I’m getting older, I sort of realise how precious time actually is, and how valuable those lessons we learn along the way really are. I’m proud of my twenty seven years, and each year I feel a bit more like the person I’m supposed to be. A birthday celebrates ‘a year better’ and if you’re lucky ‘a whole year wiser’ too. I thought I’d share some words that stuck over the past twelve months. Some that you may well have heard already, but words that have definitely been held close when I’ve needed them…

‘When you avoid conflict to make peace with other people – you start a war within.’ 

I don’t know where this quote came from or where I originally heard it, but it’s something I remind myself of constantly as someone who can be a bit of a pushover. I heard Brene Brown cite it again recently on Russell Brands ‘Under The Skin’ podcast, and I just couldn’t agree with the sentiment more! Something I’ve been inherently bad at over the years is sticking up for myself and being upfront with people when it counts the most. It takes confidence to be open and honest, and that’s not something that comes naturally to a lot of us. I now understand that different people come into our lives at different stages and they all have the capacity to teach us something. We’re not meant to be close with every single person that makes an appearance, so there’s no point in hiding the way we feel in order to appease them. The right kind of people will always be there, even on our not so good days…

‘Hold up a mirror before you hold up a magnifying glass.’ 

Another great little mantra that I often to repeat to myself in times of internal conflict. I think it’s a sign of maturity to check in on yourself every now and then as we all have the capacity to project our issues and insecurities onto other people. Nowadays, I’m less impulsive and I really try to mull over situations before making any rash decisions. Am I expecting too much from people? Could I have maybe handled that work situation a little better? Could the way that I’m reacting now be because of something else that I haven’t dealt with properly? 

Sometimes it’s as simple as just looking in the metaphorical mirror. We can be our own worst enemies at times, and there’s really no shame in keeping tabs on that. The more self aware we are about our negative traits, the easier it is to deal with them in a healthy way…

“Life isn’t about finding yourself—or about finding anything, life is about creating yourself.” – Bob Dylan

I recently watched the Bob Dylan documentary by Martin Scorsese and totally fell in love. I’ve been around Dylan’s music since basically being in the womb. It’s the music my Dad would always play around the house, and I’ve always found his voice to feel like home. It’s my Sunday morning background music of choice, and I really loved this quote from the new Netflix documentary. I think as a society, we put so much emphasis and pressure on this notion of ‘finding ourselves’ when in reality none of that really matters. So long as we are creating what we love and what feels like the truth – the rest of it is merely a bonus. I’ve realised that I’d much rather chase after positive feelings than definite answers…

‘I found the muse in myself. And loved her fiercely.’ – Annie Finch 

Another little quote that cropped up this year and really stuck with me. As a content creator, I’m constantly looking for external factors to be influenced by. Whether it’s walking down the street or logging onto Pinterest – there’s this constant pressure to be inspired by the world around me and to keep churning out stuff. I’ve realised that it’s much more enjoyable when my inspiration comes from within. We all have the ability to be our own muses, and the more that we practice self love – the more the inspiration is likely to flow. When I’m happy and my head is clear, I tend to create my best work. I want to continue to be my own muse, and to have more faith in my thoughts and ideas…

Happy Birthday to my fellow July babies, Love Alice x 

Photographs taken by Catherine Booty 

Dress c/0 – Maje 

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