WORKSTYLIST

WE HAVE MOVED TO WWW.WORKSTYLIST.COM.

2012-04-08T23:19:00.001-07:00

I'm back and have moved to a new space at http://www.workstylist.com/. Come visit or follow me on twitter @workstylist.

PLAYING WITH A NEW BLOG

2012-03-21T16:11:00.001-07:00

The blogging process has truly been an introspective process. I've been reflecting and playing to unravel a NEW blog; it has been so much fun without all the pressure. I may continue WORKSTYLIST but written for my college students. I am enjoying the journey and have had some major revelations in my visual play blog.

Look out for a blog for the tribe of modern woman who believe in wonder woman, medicine woman, and fairy queens -- dreamweavers and lightworkers. Until we meet again...follow me on twitter for updates.

Love, light, divine,
-Tanya

WHAT DOES A BEACH GIRL WHO IS ALL GROWN UP WEAR?

2012-02-09T23:31:00.000-08:00

My hottest bikini photo of all time

I am in my element when I am by the ocean. I spent my childhood summers in the Philippines with my extended family on the beach, lived a few blocks from Santa Monica/Venice beach for 11 years, and one of my most peaceful memories is waking up in a sleeping bag on a secluded beach in Kauai with my cousins and our "local" friend as a mountain goat stood high up on the mountain above us.

There are beaches in the SF/Bay Area, but after being back for 5 years, I just have not found a beach where I feel like home. My home decor has been inspired by the ocean and textures that remind me of the Philippines. I moved in to my new corner unit in January because the open floor plan and floor to ceiling windows remind me of looking out into the ocean. And just until a couple of weeks ago, as I found a chain of blogs filled with images that triggered memories, I had not realized how I have truly missed my beach lifestyle.

I still wear flip flops to go to the corner Subway, even when it's 50 degrees out. But I no longer feel comfortable wearing shorts and tank tops on hot, summer days as I did daily. Although I just recently purchased a jacket from SWELL, flipping through their catalog and their style blog's favorite blogs seems to be more about fantasy fulfillment. Beach fashion is limited (and acceptable) to young women in their 20's.

This blog is about style -- in all areas of one's life. I am a beach girl. I'm going to find my beach, and I'm going to let the beach inside of me lead the way to what a beach girl, all grown up will wear. Now I feel like clapping (see photo above)!

WORKSPACES ON VIDEO: ARTISTS, CRAFTING, CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS

2012-01-31T22:47:00.000-08:00

What is better than images of creative workspaces? VIDEOS of creative workspaces.

A Selby Film - Lucy Chadwick for Zara from We Folk on Vimeo.

Laura Hollick of Soul Art Studio

Crafting a Meaningful Home from thayer gowdy on Vimeo.

The Book:
CRAFTING A MEANINGFUL HOME: 27 DIY Projects to Tell Stories, Hold Memories, and
Celebrate Family Heritage
By Meg Mateo Ilasco

Do you have any workspace videos/links to share? I'd love more inspiration.

EMERGE - PART II

2012-01-30T22:06:00.000-08:00

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

Spring 2012 Runway. All images courtesy of HarpersBazaar.com.

EMERGE

2012-01-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Nicole Warne - image courtesy of Gary Pepper Vintage

When we emerge into a new beginning, we can emerge like roses or butterflies. The rose bud slowly opens, seemingly effortlessly until it is in full bloom and splendor. The butterfly on the other hand must wriggle and writhe out of its cocoon, and although it may seem like it is struggling and suffering, it is exactly what the butterfly needs to push fluid to its wings...so it can fly.

(To view more of these gorgeous images of Nicole Warne in The Babushka Ballerina dress, visit her blog at http://garypeppervintage.blogspot.com/)

WORK IS LIKE QUICKSILVER

2012-01-27T02:13:00.000-08:00

Emilio Pucci via Vogue on Tumblr

Change is happening. Change is coming. Fast. In my body, my work, my relationships. I feel it, and I would be a liar if I said I embrace it fully. It was glaringly clear when most of what I read this week centered on change.

1. On getting a job: “Today, that’s the kind of worker that it helps to be: flexible, self-propelled, forward-thinking. The old way is over. This is the new way. You are not who you think you are. You are who you fear you are. You can reinvent yourself today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.” How to Get a Job If You’re a Forty-Something Woman by Susannah Breslin, Forbes.com

2. On starting small and getting big in business: "Recognize that your original concept will evolve and that your product is completely separate from your business. You need to evolve both of these concepts separately and at the same time." -Jessica Herrin, Founder of Stella & Dot in Starting a Small Business via GOOP

3. On thriving in this new economy: “What defines Generation Flux is a mind-set that embraces instability, that tolerates—and even enjoys—recalibrating careers, business models, and assumptions.” Generation Flux by Robert Safian, Fast Company

4. On career change: The title says it all, “The Four-Year Career: Lessons From the New World of Quicksilver Work, Where ‘Career Planning’ is an Oxymoron” by Anya Kamenetz, Fast Company

5. On change at the most basic human level: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent of the species that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." -Charles Darwin (quoted in Generation Flux by Robert Safian, Fast Company)

WORKSTYLE EXERCISE: IF YOUR FAVORITE DRESS COULD TALK

2012-01-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

Harper's Bazaar February 2012 (US Subscriber's Edition) - Demi Moore in Balmain

I have not been able to stop thinking about this dress. I knew this dress had an important message to tell, so I remembered a quick exercise I did last year and reworked it for this dress.

If you are curious about what your favorite dress or photo of a dress (accessory, shoes, etc.) has to say, try this exercise:

Step 1: Pick your favorite dress or a photo of a dress (or accessory, shoes, etc.) and put it in front of you.

Step 2: On a blank sheet of paper, write "I am (fill in the blank).”

Ex: I wrote "I am this Balmain dress."

Step 3: Start introducing the dress from the perspective of the dress...what the dress thinks of itself, how it feels, etc. Remember, let the dress speak, not you. Apply the concept of free association – do not censor what you have to say. Write whatever comes to mind even if it does not make sense or you don’t like what comes. Trust yourself to know when to stop writing.

After you complete the exercise, read more to find out what your dress is telling you and what mine told me.

What your dress said is in fact a declaration of yourself, and as you read this, you may have applied the answers to a specific area of your life. What your dress said may apply to your current style or desired style, the kind of work you do or want to do, your relationship(s), etc.

Since I was focused on a message about my work, the three statements the dress said that were most impactful to me were:

(1) I am so many things.

(2) I am a storyteller.

(3) I am a conversation piece.

If your favorite dress could talk, what would it say?

Adapted from Barbara Sher's "Pick a Color" exercise in Wishcraft: How to Get What Your Really Want.

WISHFUL THINKING: WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO WEAR TO WORK?

2012-01-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

image c/o The Sartorialist

When my college students begin to experience the "What am I going to do with my life?" syndrome, the one question that seems to give my students the most immediate relief and clarity and offers the most comfortable opening to a more wholistic career decision conversation is: "Visualize yourself going to work. What are you wearing?" Ironically, it is a question I had stopped asking myself.

Instead I found myself constantly wishing I could be in an environment where I could "dress up more" or "dress more stylishly" -- "dress more like myself." I work in a public higher education institution, one where only administrators "get dressed up" and everyone else remains casual. Although there is no dress code, there is always the pressure to set a good example for the students, and of course, dress appropriately and fit in the culture. In my case, I have somehow come to interpret it as "I am a professional. You may not think I am attractive." Students asking me out helped shape that, but somehow I decided that in order for this to stop happening, I had to wear clothing a size larger -- all the time. And it slowly permeated to my non-work life as well.

I wondered if I needed to change jobs or profession altogether. How could what I want to wear to work have such a great impact on my choice of work environment and career? Traditional career theory focuses on interests, personality, and values, and somehow, my desire to express my own style seemed so trivial. Along with other trials and tribulations I was experiencing, this desire led me to examine the concept of style as well as my own. Yes, I had to experience a certain unraveling process, which I'll share in a future post to get to the answer.

Style is a manifestation of one's internal to external truth, which is reflected in what we wear, how we feel when we wear it, what our workspace looks like, how we work, the kind of work we do, etc. Quite simply, style is being ourselves, and there is nothing original about that answer. But what I've realized is that STYLE IS A PRACTICE, and I must always be conscious and tenacious about it. It is not only a reflection but also a measure of how authentic I am living.

For the most part, I wear what I want to wear to work now and tweek it accordingly, but my style is definitely emerging. (I know it because the first couple of days I made the shift, my colleagues and students felt compelled enough to tell me.) Can I wear photographer Camilla Alibrandi's backless dress and high heels to work as featured in The Sartorialist? No, but I certainly can wear something that elicits that same feeling I have when looking at that image. And I don't have to leave a rewarding job I am honored to have.

What do you REALLY want to wear to work?

START SOMETHING LOCAL: POPUPHOOD - CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS REVITALIZING OLD OAKLAND RETAIL

2012-01-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

POPUPHOOD from Eva Kolenko on Vimeo.

I am so proud and excited to live just a couple of blocks away from Popuphood. This small business incubator initiative, which features 6 retailers has been receiving such positive press. I specifically chose to live in Old Oakland because of my desire to live in an urban walking neighborhood, which still maintains its historic charm. My father had a small antique and furniture restoration shop in Alameda, just next to Oakland, for over 20 years, so I definitely have a love for the Victorian era, local artisans, and small business. Having local artisans in Old Oakland definitely brings a vibrance to this area, which I truly believe can continue to be revitalized.

Here's a short documentary by Eva Kolenko, which provides a preview of the retailers in Popuphood, the beautiful architecture of Old Oakland, and shows how city and business partnerships can truly work. Here is to supporting individuals and businesses in your local area who are starting something!

FEATURED WORKSTYLIST: FLORRIE - INDIE MUSICIAN WHO WANTS TO START SOMETHING

2012-01-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

Florrie

Twenty-two year old, UK artist Florrie not only gave me this month's theme song, You Want To Start Something, (which by the way is so apropo for writing this month's posts) but what I also consider a gift and inspiration from a talented and generous artist unwilling to compromise her creativity, who continues to share her work ... much of it for free.

Florrie is an unsigned artist who has released 2 EPs, and although she has received offers from major labels, she has opted to wait until she finds "the best label to partner with" and continues to record and tour. In her blog, she shares how she funds her music career as a recording artist on her own, how she builds a fanbase, how she generates income, why she has chosen to remain unsigned (for now), and who has helped her with her style.

To listen to Florrie's music, watch her videos, support and connect with her, visit her website.

START SOMETHING - INSPIRATION FOR A PERFECTIONIST WITH A MILLION IDEAS

2012-01-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Books: Start Something That Matters and Craving Success: A Startup Junkie's Path From Passion To Profits

I've been wanting to start something for a very long time. I've had a million ideas, carefully documented in a well-organized system. But for a self-avowed perfectionist, overthinker, and overplanner, starting something is... hard. I'm not talking about examining and planning. I start plenty of those. I'm talking about executing. Starting something that matters is even harder because if it truly matters, then the desire for perfection is even greater.

I used to start things all the time...I would get an idea, feel the excitement, and I would jump and do it. Entrepreneurship is in my blood, thanks to my father, which is why I know I will always have that yearning to start something. Ten years ago, my sister, our best friend, and I quit our jobs and started a magazine. We had a great time, disappointment, and learned so much about business, which I'll share in a future post, and we started something. Closing shop after 9/11 before we could even print our first issue surely resulted in trauma, which many entrepreneurs with failed ventures experience but are unaware. Since then, I've treaded the start something waters very lightly.

In 2011, I discovered a new world of creative bloggers and read Start Something That Matters by TOMS Shoes founder, Blake Mycoskie and Craving Success: A Startup Junkie's Path From Passion to Profits by The Crave Company founder, Melody Biringer. I knew it would be time to start that something...whatever it was...something that would be my own.

Takeaways from "Start Something That Matters"
I first heard of Blake Mycoskie's story in 2009 when watching a "How I Made My Millions" episode, and his concept of building a socially-conscious company focusing on sustainability rather than profit left an indelible mark. I came up with some ideas after watching that show, which I revisited while reading his book last year.

As a college/career counselor and former entrepreneur, I constantly examine the concept of work in our lives (thus, this blog). I've read plenty of business books, and yes, the concepts are not original as this Wall Street Journal review points out, but his model certainly is, which the same review describes as, "creative and open-minded."

The book affirmed my belief in the pursuit of meaningful work as a goal or mission and that conscious capitalism is possible. The one quote that struck me the most was:

"When you go back to your core motivations, you affirm the authenticity of your project, which takes away one of the biggest fears: that you are a fraud. When you live your story, you don't have to pretend you're someone you're not. You can just be yourself."

Whatever it was that I would start could not just be a good idea, a profitable idea, or something I had experience in...all of that would no longer matter unless it truly is meaningful to me, contributes something to someone, and something that reflects who I am and my evolution.

Takeaways from "Craving Success: A Startup Junkie's Path From Passion To Profits"
I am a big fan of "how to" guides and considered starting my own series at one point, so when I discovered CRAVEGuides by Melody Biringer, which features female entrepreneurs by city, a new collection began. My sister and I had the pleasure of meeting and having lunch with Melody during Ali Brown's SHINE event for entrepreneurs in 2010 and were thrilled with the possibility of serving as a CRAVEGuides partner. Unfortunately, that didn't work out, which was disappointing, especially since Melody is one of my idols. (I think she was shocked when I told her that.)

In her book, Melody shares her story of starting more than 20 businesses, one of which didn't make it past printing a business card (I really liked the lesson learned in that one.), with an emphasis on a "just do it and move on" attitude. She believes in "failing fast" and "flipping" an idea.

She states, "Failure doesn't need to be feared. It needs to be mulched into fertilizer for the next hot idea." Similar to the whole notion of when one door closes, another opens up -- except with Melody's version, you've gotta open it and go in--fast!

Craving Success is an overthinker and overplanner's nightmare AND remedy; I appreciated it because I needed it.

When I decided to blog, I followed Melody's concepts. I actually started a couple of other blogs, which allowed me to determine what I really wanted to blog about and refine my concept.

I wanted one thing this year: to start something that matters and is fun. And now I have...my blog.

WHY A BLOG OF ONE'S OWN IS AN HONOR

2012-01-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

Abigail Ahern c/o The Selby

I sit in my home office, a second room of my own, writing my first post in yet another space of my own called a blog, and I am not just grateful but I am honored.

Workstylist is a space for me to write about work, style, and things that inspire me. This photo of Interior Designer Abigail Ahern's home, space, books, and style (love her desk and boots!) (c/o The Selby) captures the essence of Workstylist.

It has taken me quite a while to find the courage to create this blog and write this first post simply because this space is about being absolutely honest and authentic, and sometimes, that part is the most difficult to reveal.

So why a blog of one's own?

The simple answer is because this is part of my work--creative and inspired work that I want to share. The more complete (and very long) answer would also include my ode to Virginia Woolf, who in "A Room of One's Own" reminds us that women did not always have, and still do not in many cultures and other countries, the freedom to write and pursue one's gift or chosen work, so as to be frustrated and even driven to insanity or death because they could not/cannot reach the state of "incandescence," where creative work is a viable choice -- unhindered and free. And now, I no longer have to seek the refuge of anonymity or "desire to be veiled," but rather I can share my work, as well as others' work, and connect with you as a result.

I am honored to call this blog my own. Welcome to Workstylist.

Video: The Selby Meets Abigail Ahern