annibtj

[annibtj]

26th august 2022

hello! how have you all been? i know it’s back to school season for a lot of you - i hope you’re taking care of yourselves and enjoying the start of a new semester!

i wanted to come on here and just have a chat, it’s been a while...

i feel like, while i may have posted the occasional photo here and there, i haven’t actually been very present, and while i post on instagram and youtube a decent amount, i always find myself missing this space.

i do feel like it’s hard for me to post here, a place where i used to document my studies and my productivity, now that i am no longer studying/a student/being productive in the ways that i used to. 

in case you missed it - i graduated end of 2020 and started a masters in the first half of 2021, but dropped out because it wasn’t the course for me (my advisor literally told me to drop out and save myself the money. lol)

while i do think i still want my masters (maybe in english, instead of creative writing specifically) and so i hope to return to academia at some point, you might be wondering what i’ve been up to for the past year.

2022 has been more crazy than 2021, where i was working a hospitality job trying desperately to recover from academic burnout and my anxiety that had been running mostly unchecked while i was studying. my anxiety has got significantly worse before getting better (and i still think i have a ways to go before i have somewhat of a handle on it) and my hospitality job demanded way too much of me physically, actually.

really, i’ve spent the first half of this year riddled with anxiety attacks and back pain, which hasn’t been that great.

but in june i moved house, quit my job, and have been focusing on building my mental and physical strength back up since then - i am so lucky to have a partner who not only has a well paying job but who is willing to support me and in fact, encouraged me to quit my job and focus on myself for a bit. words cannot describe how blessed i have felt to take this break and kind of ‘sort’ my life out.

but as i’ve said, i’ve been missing this blog, i’ve been missing ‘being productive’ in an odd sense, and most of all, i’ve missed writing. if you’ve followed me since i was studying for my undergraduate degree you would know i majored in creative writing and also got a minor in english studies. and while i obviously am no longer studying, i have always wanted to talk about what i love - books, and writing, and writing my own books.

essentially, when i dropped out of my masters last year, my academic burnout was creative writing burnout. i have barely done any writing over the past year. and i’ve been patient with myself, even though the itch to be doing something, the itch to get back to what i love, has been hovering over me for months, i am finally feeling up to scratching that itch, and getting back to it. and not only that, but sharing my work as well.

i would love to write for a living - novels are my dream, and will probably be what i talk about the most, but there isn’t really an income in novel writing (if you’re like me, with no signed book deal to go off) but my partner has been pushing me to start a patreon, which is something i would honestly love to look into, a way to share my writing with you all but not totally fall into the starving artist stereotype. patreon is something i need to plan more, and will probably be something i talk more about, but in the mean time, i’m excited to start sharing more writing related content with y’all. this is how i’m going to be being productive, this is what’s going to be taking up my time, and this is going to be my future. 

i’m looking forward to bringing y’all along with me x

[annibtj]

slow productivity >>>

[annibtj]

celebrating small + big wins :,)

[annibtj]

persuasion (2022)

[annibtj]

everything i know about love by dolly alderton

[annibtj]

what’s the best book everyone has read so far this year?

[annibtj]

books that i bought for my birthday (back in april) 🌷

[annibtj]

early morning walk before work (7:03am) 

[annibtj]

admin days are always better at coffee shops

[annibtj]

“i refuse to get caught up in the mindset of being ‘late’ to the new year - you simply cannot be late to the present moment” - an excerpt from my journal entry

happy 2022 ♡

having a ‘late’ start on the new year traditions - journal set ups, goal settings, etc

[annibtj]

happy 2022 ♡

having a ‘late’ start on the new year traditions - journal set ups, goal settings, etc

[annibtj]

currently obsessed: summer in the city

[annibtj]

it is so easy to focus on our short-comings and flaws. we all have things we can learn from and improve on. but know that you are enough as you are. take a deep breath. be a little kinder to yourself. you got this x

[annibtj]

have been looking into the one publishing degree available in new zealand... considering applying for next year.... 

[annibtj]

bookstores open up again for the first time since we went into lockdown in august. had to go and pick up some new reads. i’ve missed browsing the little indie bookstores in my city :,)

[annibtj]

Anything to share about writing your first resume? Been procrastinating mine for some 2 months because i have 0 experience besides some non commercial art freelancing

my first ever resume i just found a template online and filled in the gaps which some people scoff at but it is a great place to start! it is definitely hard when you don't have a lot of experience, i only have experience working in cafes/hospitality but listing what you've studied is also really great, any extra-curriculars you do can say a lot about your drive/commitment/social and communication skills, and don't forget to add what your computer/technology skills are! if you use social media, if you know how to use microsoft word/excel etc, any software you've used (for example i know how to use premiere pro, which is adobe software) - any skill you have is worth mentioning!

and just in general format it so it's easy to read and spot what is important!

[annibtj]

it’s 7:23pm. the sun hasn’t set yet. i just opened our window and even though we live in the city center i can hear birds chirping over the rush of cars and hum of generators. i breathe in and can smell the fresh flowers of summer. the light is soft and the air is sweet.