Romanticise Your Life Without Being Delusional
There’s a fine line between romanticising your life and losing yourself in the fantasy of what you wish it looked like. In my early 20s, especially while chasing a Creative career, it was easy to get caught between two extremes - a cycle of burnout and emotions of grandeur. The truth is, life is about finding balance. Try new things, immerse yourself in the experience whilst keeping your focus sharp on why you started in the first place. Romanticising the journey isn’t about pretending it’s glamorous - it’s about seeing the beauty in each moment.
Taking unpaid internships in New York City, running around between showrooms, styling sets and late-night projects, felt like a test of endurance. The long hours, negative bank balance and “figuring it out” stages were exhausting. I really had to focus on the bigger picture in order to keep going - these are not obstacles, they’re the evidence that I am in motion. I’ve enjoyed my NYC Fashion experiences, even the ones that low key traumatised me because it forced me to grow into the person I am today.
Romanticising my life is knowing that my sacrifices are building something real. It’s reminding myself that every networking event, unpaid labour and every creative risk I take is an investment to my future self. The goal isn’t to struggle for sake of struggling, but to understand why the efforts are worth it. Had I not been forced to work for free, I wouldn’t have taken the opportunities that lead me to direct an entire runway show! In fact, I probably wouldn’t be working in Fashion at all.
Like I said, keeping your focus is key. It can be easy to get lost in the dream of “making it” without actually doing the work that gets you there. You don’t want to wake up five years later realising you romanticized the idea of success more than the work itself. Ground the dream in action. Set clear goals. Take every opportunity to sharpen your skills. Remind yourself why you’re in this city, this industry and this moment of your life.
Your 20s aren’t for figuring everything out. These years are for learning, evolving and collecting experiences that shape you. Romanticising the process makes the hard days easier and the good days even better. Just remember - the magic isn’t in some distant future where everything falls into place - it’s in the steps you’re taking right now to make that future possible.
