#like i basically started to assert my boundaries in like small everyday things

[autobahnmp3]

when i first learned what personal boundaries /are/ i had a lot of realisations in a short amount of time and there certainly were some changes in who i kept as my friends. and all of this was super awkward to navigate (it was hs)

[shophotlavablog]

Inspo: Lulu Bonfils

Instagram: @louisvuittoncrocs

You have seen Lulu grace your instagram feeds and Savage Fenty runways alike. She is sugar sweet and real when she’s speaking about the ups and downs, and frankly BS,  of her industry and her life with chronic illness. Lulu has been Inspo since I met her, so it was only natural that we asked her(art major) to draw a tee for the line. Happy to roll this new blog area out with an interview with her.

Hot Lava: What have been you working on lately?

I haven’t had a formal job in a long time, so regular working days for me are few and far between. Lately, I’ve been filling all my time with drawing, cooking, cleaning, building things, learning how to take care of plants, doing brand collaborations, and prioritizing spending time in nature. I’m also trying to figure out the whole elimination diet thing. 
 What are some things you’ve been doing to prioritize “me time”?

I think the past couple months I’ve been focusing all my time on me time, relationship time, friend time, and family time. Though, I find all those things fall under me time. I’ve been doing every hobby of mine that makes me happy, learning new skills like home improvement, practicing new mediums in art, building things with my mom, and spending time on things that my job typically prevents me from doing, like redecorating my home.

Can you give us a small walk through on how you started out in your career, and what younger you would need to hear to get where you are?

I never sought out working in my career, but I did recognize there needed to be more bodies like mine in fashion. I was scouted at an opening party for the brand Me and You at 15, and from there was offered to do headshots at Cast Partner in Brooklyn. After taking headshots, they email blasted my photos to every agency in New York and I ended up signing to Wilhelmina NY and London shortly after and my career started from there. I was shown things in the fashion world that I was naive to & my eyes were quickly opened to how vicious and brutal the modeling world was to people. If I could tell my younger self one thing about my career it would be that you need to know who you are, your morals, your beliefs, your boundaries and your needs. No matter how hard people push for you to succumb to their wants, you must always assert your needs and boundaries because you will be put in compromising situations that test them. And everyone does not need to like you!! That is a sacrifice you have to make in the process of asserting your needs.Tell me your most embarrassing moment in your current career/relationship/ creative endeavor. I think the most embarrassing/hardest moment in both my career and relationship was when I got sick with a month long intestinal virus in Barcelona during a work trip. I got sick the day after I arrived and luckily my boyfriend was there to bring me back and forth from the hospital to the hotel. I was so ill immediately that I wasn’t able to do any of the work that I was flown out to complete, which is the epitome of embarrassing for me career wise. On top of that I was openly shitting my brains out next to my boyfriend, which also is super embarrassing. It was definitely a horrific experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone & I’m still struggling with gut issues from it almost 2 years later! Luckily, we had been together for 2 years at that point so pooping in front of him wasn’t the scariest thing.

What causes you stress and how to ease those stresses?

Basically everything! I’m an over-thinker, to a fault. When I think so much to the point of anxiety & panic, meaning I’m ruminating on a thought to the point of obsession, is where the real stressing begins. I think almost everything happening in the world/America is extremely stressful for everyone in every way possible, and with very long term and life impacting issues. My only tactic to get myself through this is self soothing through activities, talk therapy, and speaking to myself. Each of us has activities that are meditative, calming, and force us to slow down and resist ruminating on harmful thoughts or things we can’t change. This is my main tactic for staying sane through everything that’s been happening. Making sculptures, drawing, cooking, exercising, are all forms of self soothing for me and they're the main ways I feel I can get through extremely hard emotions and thoughts to process.

Do you think about where you’d like to be in 5 years or even 1 year or are you more of “in the moment type”?

I tend to over-plan and get stuck on ideas of executing a perfect 5 year trajectory for myself & I realize it’s an anxious tendency that doesn’t best reflect the life situation I’m in. The modeling game is an extremely unstable career, as are many freelance gigs, and I’ve learned to lend myself to a schedule thats out of my control, for the time being. I never dreamed of modeling as my own career choice, however it is at the center of my universe, next to my own passions and interests. So I think the idea that I could plan my future has gone out the window since I started working in a career that chose me, rather than the other way around. I know my end goals and I know what activates my interests, and I think for the time being, that’s all I can rely on for future plans.

How do you stay true to yourself while executing other people’s creative?

I think of my job as momentarily fulfilling others creative ideas, so my motivation as I work is to act as a tool to best emulate what they are trying to create. Then, when I’m off the job, I’m thinking of my own ideas for drawings/sculptures. I think being in other environments where I am used to create an atmosphere/world inside another person’s ideas helps me expand and consider new ideas of my own. Being in tune with others creative endeavors helps get my own brain juices flowing.

QUICK QUESTIONS Name one hobby: Baking/cooking! I’ll never get tired of learning new recipes and techniques. If you wrote a book what would the title be and why? How to be a Model Without Letting It Ruin You What are you listening to right now: The entire Chromatica album everyday

CLICK HERE TO SHOP THE LULU TEE

[volunteeriowavistas]

Voices from the Past: Advice from Last Year’s VISTAs

By: VISTA Leader, Helen Bisioulis

We are at that time of year where we have had many of our VISTAs end their terms and many new VISTAs start. To our VISTAs who have ended their terms: thank you for spending a year of your life tackling poverty here in Iowa. We are so appreciate of your service. To our new VISTAs: welcome on board to the Volunteer Iowa VISTA team! We are so excited to have you as part of our team. Thank you too for dedicating a year of your life tackling poverty in Iowa. Check out the advice that last year’s VISTAs have for you! 

Mariah Himes, Iowa Mentoring Partnership Project Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA July 2016-July 2017, Volunteer Iowa AmeriCorps VISTA Leader August 2017-June 2018

“Make a list of all your big ideas—or small ideas. Just have a handy list of things to do that may or may not relate to your VAD that are NOT urgent, that you can do for fun when you have less to do than is ideal. You make not think so when you first look at your VAD, but there will come times when you will get bored and need something to do, especially something that doesn’t involve being on the computer.

Go to as many conferences and trainings as you can. Meet people from fields you are interested in. Ask them to lunch or coffee; get their story. Make the connections you want.

Constantly seek out new opportunities to learn about things that interest you. Peruse local job opportunities and see what sticks out to you. Look at available positions and, for ones that interest you, review the requirements. Pursue experiences and trainings that will bolster your resume to meet some of those requirements. Use your year of service to build your resume into something with which you can walk confidently into an interview for a job you actually want.

Use your passions and interests at work. Chances are you have lots of room for influence, innovation, and initiative at your site. Fill these spaces with (or create spaces for) activities you love and find creative ways to link them to your VAD. For example, if you are an artist, find or create ways to use your artistry in support of your organization and use it as the asset it is to build capacity in unique ways. One VISTA member was working on recruitment for a nonprofit agency. She was an artist and missed painting, so she developed toolkits to help the volunteers she was recruiting work better with her organizations clients—children in need. The toolkits provided a pathway for the adult volunteers to engage children artistically as they went through tough times at home. These toolkits were not on this VISTA’s VAD, but she used her creativity to link her passion to her work in a way that would leave a lasting impact. Those toolkits will be available to volunteers long after she finishes her service site.”

Helen Bisioulis, Dubuque Circles Initiative AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer Coordinator August 2016-August 2017, Volunteer Iowa AmeriCorps VISTA Leader August 2017-August 2018

Take advantage of professional development opportunities and networking.. Even if you have been in the social sector for awhile, there is always more to learn. Networking is a great way of securing a job in the community after you are done with VISTA and may even help you get some projects done during your VISTA year. When I was a VISTA at Circles, I volunteered at a local community fair where I met AmeriCorps NCCC members. I was just curious about what they did so I talked to them about it. Well I found out that they were looking for volunteer hours in the community and when I started at Circles, we did not have enough volunteers for the 30 children that we had. This team of 8-10 AmeriCorps NCCC members volunteered for the whole first month of my service term until I was able to recruit volunteers and interns from the local colleges. My co-worker’s jaw dropped when she saw that I had recruited so many volunteers in only a month. You never know where networking may lead! 

Furthermore, if you would like to do add more projects to your VISTA year, do not hesitate to do so. While you do have a VISTA Assignment Description (VAD) that lays out your activities for the year, look for gaps that lie in your organization, think about ways that you can improve it. That is the purpose of the VISTA. The VISTA can come into the organization with fresh eyes and see things that others who have worked there for awhile may not have. While I was serving as a VISTA Leader at Volunteer Iowa, I noticed that there was a need for affordable, relatively nice, and safe housing for VISTAs. So, I went about to research such housing in all of the communities that VISTAs are serving in across the state of Iowa. This turned into a 30+ page Iowa Housing Resource Guide that I frequently show to potential employers as an example of the hard work that I am willing to put in, my attention to details, and my ability to address gaps and needs. This was not on my VAD, so don’t be afraid to try something that’s outside of it. A VAD is supposed to be a living document, too, so if you and your supervisor feel the need to change it, do it! With Volunteer Iowa’s permission of course.

Also, if you’re fresh out of college, there is a lot of adjustment that will need to be made to what it’s like to be in the work world. For example, employers like initiative, learn how to take it and be a self-starter. Learn those little things like how a scanning machine works or how to send a fax. All of your work will now be at work so when you go home sometimes, you may be bored. This is where adulting like grocery shopping, cleaning, etc. comes in. Volunteering at a local organization can curb boredom and is good for networking and resume building, especially if you want to stay in the social sector.

And when I say leave work at work, I highly recommend that you do so. For your own mental health and the sake of the organization that you are serving in, take care of yourself and don’t overdo it. If you get burnt out, that not only negatively effects your health but the well-being of the organization that you are serving at because they are missing out on all of your great energy and ideas! Burn out will happen but doing things like setting up boundaries between work and home, will lessen the impact of it. I also recommend the following very basic self-care tips:

1. Drink enough water.

2. Eat at least two meals a day.

3. Get between 6-9 hours of sleep a night. Set a regular bedtime.

4. Make room for something fun everyday.

5. Exercise daily, even if it’s just going for a 10 minute walk, it’s something that is getting your body moving.

Benet Conlin, Iowa Community Action Association VISTA March 2017-March 2018

“I'm not sure what I wish I knew before getting started. I was prepared to be it on my own- I didn't know anything about a vista leader or that even when applying you could talk with them.”

Jasmine Sronkoski, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Community Engagement VISTA, April 2017-December 2017

“Capacity Building and indirect service is tough and a slow but important process

Your VAD is important, and be open for it to change. Let it guide the work you do, but don't feel like you have to be rigid to it

Discuss compensation time during the first few weeks of service and get it in writing - this is important when taking care of yourself. Although service  is a 365 day position, there comes a time when it is necessary to take a     break. Don't feel like you are lacking in doing so. 

Get to know the support systems in place in the community and ask for help when necessary”

Jackey Melton, United Way of Wapello County Literacy Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA, April 2017-April 2018

“1.       Make friends with the other VISTAs.

2.       Be helpful.

3.       You must step out of your comfort zone.

4.       Be patient. You will learn and understand your VAD.

5.       Have fun. Life is short.”

Kay Wolfkill, Iowa Mentoring Partnership AmeriCorps VISTA May 2017-April 2018

“The only thing I wish I would've known is more about my service site. So like I wish I would've taken more time to get to know the organization I signed up to serve in, what others' experience is, how prominent they are in the nonprofit scene, etc.

I would also add in there to never be afraid to ask your supervisor or coworkers for growth opportunities or any projects they have to pass down to you so you can learn something new. You'd be surprised how often you have the opportunity to gain experience or exposure to something if you just ask to sit in on meetings, help with a task, etc. This was especially helpful for me because part of joining VISTA was to figure out if I even wanted to continue on in the nonprofit sector so I wanted to take advantage of every possible opportunity to learn.”

Connor Milliken, Iowa Community Action Association AmeriCorps VISTA, June 2017-June 2018

“Be flexible to change. As a VISTA, you have to attend to different activities. Don’t let it overwhelm you, just embrace it. VISTA is not only about your host site but connecting to other VISTAs. There are a lot of different avenues to be involved. It is important to take direction & collaborate. Embrace the inbetweenness, don’t let it make you anxious. You may have some downtime, don’t become complacent. But you’ll also have times when you’re really busy.”

Melanie Bressler, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Community Legacy Program VISTA, June 2017-June 2018

“I would’ve signed up for government assistance ASAP, knowing that other VISTAs did it, too. You can do stuff that just interests you for your own personal and professional development. And you don’t have to follow your VAD to a T.”

Miranda Bellah, Iowa Public Television AmeriCorps VISTA, July 2017-July 2018

“1. Be assertive.

2. No more than 20% of your work should be busywork.

3. Speak with previous VISTAs about what the workplace culture is like at your site.”