Hi BellaStylistas! It’s Isoken Ogiemwonyi, every month, I’ll be sharing a short letter spotlighting our monthly theme from my personal perspective and giving you an idea of some of the amazing content we have planned. For June, our theme is Fearless Summer.
Editor-At-Large Isoken Ogiemwonyi introduces the BellaNaija Style’s Fearless Summer theme for June
I gave an interview to BellaNaija.com a few years ago – where I cited ‘Act as though it is impossible to fail’ as one of my mantras.
And it still is, in that to prevail, you must to a certain extent ignore some of the loud, loud voices clamoring for an audience in your head , telling you all the things that can and will go wrong.
To prevail, you must drown out these voices or in some cases, listen, mitigate for the worst scenario and carry on anyway.
However, I gave that interview before I knew what it really was to fail at anything – I mean I was a shiny 22 or 23, and had more than enough enthusiasm to tackle whatever life lobbed at me.
I was a gifted child, and to many preternaturally ‘wise’. I spoke, acted and behaved way older than my actual years. These things combined made it a little easier to sail through school, my various degrees and any and all endeavours I found myself pursuing.
Not to say that life was a ballpark or I wasn’t challenged or frustrated, but in the words of a close friend- life had yet to show me true ‘pepper’. So when I spoke of failure, I was coming from a pretty naïve place.
As a far more ‘seasoned’ veteran, and more than a few metaphorical battle scars, technically, I know better.
What has this got to do with BellaNaija Style you ask?
Well, this month we are exploring fearlessness – whether that’s something as innocuous seeming as taking fashion risks, dealing with difficult situations with grace, celebrating the boldest, and most audacious BellaStylistas or how we conquer fear on a daily basis in our careers, love lives and habits.
I was incredibly (and unbelievably) intimidated to write this. Like – yes I love fashion, can write and I know the mechanics of the role, but as always Impostor Syndrome is real.
So I decided to start with myself.
Join us as we unpack all the different facets of being fearless, facing your fears and learning how that’s often just about doing the simplest thing and just getting started.
summer ke? is this for the Nigeria audience