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Happy Birthday to the blog! I launched The Prudence Profile a year ago after lengthy years of ruminating about it. I’m happy to say that a year ago, I decided that I really had nothing to lose and no way of “failing” so I took the risk. A year later, I am still passionate about promoting positivity and the genuine joy of style and a self-care routine. My mind is brimming with ideas for styled shoots, reviews, and information that I want to share. I’ve met a wonderful community of creatives across the United States and within my own town that has lead to exciting opportunities and uplifting conversations. Looking back on this year where I finally made my creative passion a priority, my only thought is, “I should started sooner!” In the end, I know that this exact timing is the way that it should have been in order for things to be as they are now. And for that, I am grateful.

As you can tell, this year has been one of growth and taking risks, and I want to share what I have learned. For my first blog anniversary (and birthday! technically yesterday), I had to return to the original site of my inaugural blog post…the almond orchards! Every spring, these trees bloom for two weeks. I had to make it out for this styled shoot, inspired by the beginning of spring. I even dabbled in major color (keep scrolling). Alongside these gorgeous photos, I will be sharing the 3 Things I Learned From Starting a Blog This Year. These lessons are helpful whether or not you wish to blog; they may sound simple but they have been paradigm-shifting, perspective-altering realizations for me.

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1. being your genuine self is the best way to flourish

Yes, yes, “Be true to yourself” is that generic classroom poster. Yet, when applied to creative work and business, it takes on a whole new meaning. The reality is, there are hundreds of thousands of bloggers who are beautiful, creative, funny, stylish, etc. It is easy to compare oneself to others or to imitate what others are doing, because it’s what shown to be successful for someone else. Especially when I first launched the blog and Instagram, I felt a need to express myself in a certain way, because “it’s what everyone does.” However, what works for someone else may not work for another person. The more I grew in my work, the better I have been able to find my creative voice and feel comfortable in presenting my genuine self. And when that happened, things started to change for me. I was happier with what I shared and OTHERS RESPONDED.

So what does it practically look like to be your genuine self? Do I have to have one perspective, be one brand, and be completely homogeneous and categorical in how I present my style? Absolutely not. I recognize that I am a dynamic person that’s constantly in a state of development. With time, my preferences may change. To me, being myself is being honest with who I am, what I like, how I express myself, and presenting it in a way that makes me happy.

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2. it’s no sacrifice at all if you really love it

I spend extra hours every week shooting photos, styling pieces, planning out times that I can catch the daylight (made easier now with daylight savings), writing and editing, and everything else that it takes to run The Prudence Profile. This is on top of a regular day job in a completely different field (which I love as well). This is not an effort to boast. Rather, I learned that the busier I was, the more productive I became. Because this creative work mattered to me, it energized me. It wasn’t a burden So, if I had back-to-back meetings after a work day that kept me out until 10 pm and then had to stay up until midnight to write, I do it joyfully. Work the hustle, right?

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3. people are amazing—connect

By sharing with others my passion of style, makeup, and skincare, I have connected with amazing people that geek out over stuff that I obsess about too. I have given recommendations and received advice from others as well. I’ve met other people in the creative space who inspire me with their pure and joyful spirits to persevere in my own work. These are I’d-get-coffee-with-you-any-day type of people…really awesome folks. I get to be apart of projects that I never thought I’d be involved in (stay tuned). An introvert by nature, this blog has been a platform for me to express myself and to reach out to others. What I found is that humanity is encouraging, people are kind, and it’s good to step out to see who is out there.

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Confession: I enjoyed shooting this style edit so much! I just danced and danced among the orchard trees. This dusty rose midi-dress ushers in the spring season. The bandeau-like neckline and button detail give a vintage-feel with a just a peek of skin with a cut-out detail. Bring your SPF, straw hat, and sandals, and you’re ready for the beach. Or layer a crew neck tee underneath, Converse, and a denim jacket and you’re ready for a day of errands. For a slightly more polished event, do as I did and pair it with caged heels (in gray violet).  Since I was just feeling happy and in colorful mood. I topped this outfit with a rainbow-colored kimono.

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Lastly, I want to thank you for your continued support. I have so much more to do and learn, but I appreciate those that are following along in this journey. Thank you for the kind words, for reading, for commenting, for sharing with loved ones, and for bringing joy to my life. It’s been a great blog birthday!

I’m off on another adventure to celebrate my actual birthday this weekend so feel free to take a peek on Instagram. Also, follow the blog below to get weekly content right in your inbox. Thank you!

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