(Necklace C/O Tweak Boutique, Earrings: Vintage) (Photos by Dabito)
Every week I get emails from people wanting to know more about what I do, how I got to where I am and my professional journey. It is a REALLY long story and so, Aliece and Jennifer (and the rest of you) I have decided to put this in a blog post. I hope this answers your questions and please feel free to ask more questions below, if you’ve got ‘em. Here goes:
When I was in high school I wanted to be a singer. I also wanted to be a journalist, a diplomat, a teacher or work for a fashion magazine. I was kind of a nerd. I was always an overachiever and always had a million things going on: student government, school plays and musical theater, dance productions, after school jobs (I worked at ‘Express’ and got REALLY good at folding jeans). I took German, French and Spanish in school and I lived abroad in Switzerland my junior year of high school. Although part of me wanted to go to an art school for college, it didn’t even really seem like an option at the time–my family and friends all expected me to go the academic route, and so I guess I expected that of myself as well. I applied early decision to go to Yale and didn’t get in. It was the first time in my life that I gave something my all and it didn’t come through. Up until then, I had really believed that if I worked REALLY, really hard at something that I could always achieve it. It was a good lesson to learn, and a good time to learn it.
I ended up at UCLA as a World Arts and Cultures major. By this time I knew I wanted to work in the arts, and I knew I wanted to travel–but I didn’t know much else. I didn’t know if I wanted to work in the performing arts or the visual arts, and to put things in perspective for some of my younger readers, I got my first email account my freshman year of college and way back then we spent more time in the libraries than on the internet. I actually remember when one of the librarians at the UCLA research library introduced me to google. Ya, I know.
I worked through most of college. I was a cocktail waitress, I worked selling tickets at a local theater, I was a hostess at a fancy Italian restaurant and I sometimes got little modelling gigs which, along with my academic scholarship (and my parents) helped pay for all my travel.
My junior year of college I studied abroad in Italy and while I was there I focused on fashion and communication courses. I did a lot of drawing, concept development, photography (back then it was still all about film–I loved learning to develop the film myself and watching the photos appear like magic onto the paper. ) I’m fearless when it comes to speaking foreign languages (and yes, sometimes I made a fool of myself) so I picked up Italian very quickly. I met some amazing people (some of whom are still my closest friends) and I decided to move back to Italy after graduation. I also made a conscious decision to not pursue the performing arts as a career. That world was too weird and too gross. I worked with enough 32-year-old waitress/actress/singer/models to know how difficult a path it was, too.
I went back to UCLA after Italy and decided to minor in Italian and for my thesis project in the World Arts and Cultures program, I treated L.A. as though I was on my year abroad. I loved the fact that when traveling, every weekend was an excuse to see a different part of the world and go somewhere I had never gone before, so I treated L.A. like I was a foreigner. My friend Dana and I started a magazine called Infinity Mag where we documented these adventures. It was through this work that I first started to really get good on computers as it was a whole huge DIY project. I found that I really enjoyed doing layouts and picking out fonts and things and my interest in graphic design was sparked.
After graduation I did move back to Italy. My sister Faith joined me there and we signed up to go to the fashion institute called Polimoda (FIT’s sister school) mostly so that we could stay in the country and work part-time legally. I found a super random job at a literary agency where my boss blew cigar smoke in my face and stared down my shirt as I did translations, dictations and some minor graphic design and web design work (that I taught myself how to do along the way).
Once my sis and I finished fashion school and discovered that we wanted to stay on in Italy, we decided to become entrepreneurs. With the help of my boyfriend at the time (who is a lawyer) we started an Italian business and hired ourselves as the CEOs in order to get our papers. Miraculously, this worked and we got two-year renewable visas to stay in Italy. We started to design a line of purses and get them made in a town nearby to Florence where all of the high-end Italian brands like Gucci get their bags made. (And no, we had no clue what we were doing, really) but we decided that we needed an atelier space when we stumbled upon a very small cheap space not too far from our homes that happened to have a window onto the street. So, we looked at each other and were like “a boutique!” and we both saw stars in our eyes. We both had always collected vintage and we decided to open a shop with vintage and upcycled wares–lots of stuff that we carried at first were things we made ourselves or clothing and accessories that other students from Polimoda made. Soon we also began to stock objects and small furniture pieces. Every time we came back to California we would take extra suitcases of American vintage stuff back with us–especially vintage T-shirts which were a hot commodity.
We started cutting up the T-shirts–mostly to make the ones that were too huge, smaller. And the cut-up shirts always flew off the shelves. Sometimes we even had lines of ladies waiting to get shirts custom cut. It was then that the idea for a T-shirt cutting manual was born. Faith and I called up some friends from fashion school, told them our idea and they were down. We were doing a trade show at the end of the month and wanted to have the books done by then so we all camped out in the living room–we took turns (wo)manning the shop, drawing, cutting up shirts, writing the instructions and scanning in the projects until “99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim and Tie your T-shirt into Something Special” was born. My parents loaned us $5,000 for the project and we got it printed at a local printer–made it cloth-bound and beautiful and printed out the first 200 copies.
A month later at the trade-show we presented the book with the help of a Collective that we started made up of bunch of our former fashion school friends. They helped us to do live demos of cutting up the T-shirts. We wore nurses hats and called ourselves The Style Clinic. People were into it. We sold out of the 200 copies of the books in two days. We got offered a small publishing deal from a local publisher and we got picked up for a few features in some big Italian magazines–including a 5-page spread in Italian Glamour.
People started to call the store from far-off places looking for the book (from Japan to Australia) and after printing a second run, we would just send the books off one by one as orders came in (we did not even have a website for the books!) Finally we decided it was time to get a publisher to help with the book and sent it (blindly) to places like Pepin Press, Thames and Hudson and Taschen (all European publishers) to see if they could help us with distribution. Shockingly–two of the three publishers (the first two) got back to us with offers. We were THRILLED. We would be able to totally pay back our parents and have a little leftover, too.
It was at this time that my sis had the brilliant idea to get an agent. So that’s what we did and the New-York based agent ended up hosting a bidding war and she sold the book to a US publisher for almost ten times what our best European offer was. Crazy. Random House’s new craft inprint, Potter Craft bought the book. It was around this time that (after four years) we decided to close the store. As fun as it was to have a shop, it was tough economically. If she or I weren’t in the store, and we were paying someone to work there, we were losing money. It was also around this time that my sister got pregnant. There was a lot of buzz and excitement about the books (and of course the pregnancy) and we could barely even believe how it all came about. We were flown out to NY to be on NBC’s The Today Show, our book lept to #4 on Amazon and just a few months after the release of the book Random House commissioned book #2. We were also consulting with a few Italian fashion brands and taking trains back and forth to Milan really often. It was an exciting time…But things in my private life were a bit hectic. I was going through a tough break-up and needed a scene change. My new niece had arrived and Faith was a mom now. We were growing up and I felt like I needed to shake things up a bit. I decided that after almost seven years in Italy that I wanted to move to NYC. Plus, if any of you have ever lived in a foreign country, you may know this feeling–after a while I was just tired of being a foreigner and longed to come ‘home.’
When I moved to NYC I was shocked to find the huge DIY movement that was blossoming here. I literally had NO clue. We didn’t even have internet in our homes in Italy, let alone wireless. In NY there was Etsy and Readymade Magazine and tons of shops so similar to ours in Italy, and BLOGS! Woah! I moved into a loft with a couple of girlfriends in Williamsburg. I didn’t even know what a hipster was. I’m telling you I had never even heard the terminology. Ha! I had some serious catching up to do.
So I was in Brooklyn and looking for jobs, working on finishing up our 2nd book and dating a new L.A.-based American boy. It was a welcome change from Italy, but New York was also really tough. I found it to be expensive, kinda lonely and isolating. The winters were freezing the summers–hot and muggy. I got a job as the DIY editor of Venus Zine (a freelance job for a Chicago-based magazine), which was a really fun a great experience but really poorly paid. I continued to work on more books, did creative projects for a lot of other books and brands and began to pick up some graphic design jobs on the side, mostly friends and friends of friends doing business cards, simple websites and I started doing logos and things too.
I spent a ton of time at home in front of the computer and probably didn’t go out as much as I should have considering I was paying so much to live in one of the most incredible cities in the world. My sister Faith and her 10-month old daughter, Noa joined us in Brooklyn in the spring. They got a little place just a few blocks from our loft and we worked on some more creative projects together. We worked on a clothing collection, we did the Renegade and hosted workshops at Etsy and Madewell. There was a lot of buzz but not a lot of cash.
I started to fly out L.A. whenever I could to see my L.A. boy and after two years of back and forth and still not loving New York–I decided to move to back L.A. in 2008. Out here I started doing more graphic design work, I began developing brand identities for small companies and found a lot of work through word-of-mouth. I started consulting with lots of companies, helped open a boutique and start a fashion line. I even taught art and design to children one semester. I was working sometimes as art-director, sometimes as stylist, sometimes as graphic designer. I started my blog. I found an office space and had dreams of having the same kind of ‘collective’ vibe we had had in Italy, but it never really worked out that way. I found myself to be in front of the computer alone again, all the while being more and more passionate about interior design. My then ‘jungalow’ was featured in Apartment Therapy’s book of Small Cool Spaces and I started to take on small projects in interiors and styling and offering up these services to clients to build up my portfolio.
Blogging became really, really fun and I was waking up earlier and earlier to photograph, layout and style my posts. I learned a lot just by doing it every single day.
This was all going well but I was working 60 hour weeks and not making the same kind of money that my friends with full-time-jobs were making. So I decided that I wanted to try (for the first time in my life) a ‘full-time’ job. I joined a creative staffing agency and got offered a few jobs as art director for some super-random, super-corporate companies. The jobs were all really well-paid but not my vibe at all and so I waited until finally I was offered a job as Communications Director at the Woolly Pocket Garden Company. I took the job and it was awesome but tough. Start-ups are always exciting but challenging and I was not used to the 8-5 (which often turned into 8-7) work hours. I got home from work totally exhausted and basically ate dinner, watched some TV and went to bed. I woke up at 5:30AM every morning so that I could keep up with my blog and went on like this for as long as I could until I decided that the 8-5 life was not for me. The steady pay check was nice, but not everything.
At this time I got more interior design clients and began to take both decor and blogging more seriously. My blog following started to grow (I had already been blogging daily for over two years) and I realized that blogging and decor was really where my heart was. I got to do all of the things I have always been passionate about: fashion, writing, photography, interiors, vintage, thrifting, DIY and handmade–I got to do it on my own schedule, without a boss or a client dictating or imposing their vision on mine. I got to be a writer, a designer, and an editor. So I put all of my focus into these two things: decor and blogging.
Very shortly thereafter I got pregnant with Ida, got married to my L.A. boy, Jason and that’s where I am today. My days are pretty crazy. I blog first thing every morning. I wake up before Ida and Jason and do my post for that day. (If you were wondering if I schedule posts in advance I rarely do). I currently have three interior design clients that I’m working with and so I am often shopping for them, or going over to their homes to supervise, style or bounce off ideas. I have a couple of larger partnerships in the works with companies that are social-media related and that you’ll see here on the blog in the next month or two. I have plans in the pipelines for a small product line. I do styling work as it lands in my inbox. I also have two graphic design projects that I’m working on at the moment–both for friends because I’m not taking on graphic projects in general. I’m picky about the work I take these days–if I have any sense at all that the client is going to be needy, crazy, flaky or wishy-washy, I say no. If the client tries to bargain with my already reasonable prices, I *usually* say no. I’d rather work for free on a project I really love, than work for a little bit of money on something that’s annoying.
I’m always laying a ton of eggs, waiting to see which ones hatch. Sometimes they hatch, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they hatch years after I lay the eggs or when I least expect it.
The tools that I have found to be the most useful in getting where I am today have been:
-The ability to follow my heart
-Teaching myself how to use the Adobe Suite
-Teaching myself web design
-Being genuinely nice to people
-Being open and honest (with myself and others)
-Being open to collaborations, but also open to ending them when need be
-Writing skills
-Verbal Communication skills (I think my early days doing theater really helped with this).
People often ask me if it’s better to just get a job or internship or to get more schooling. I guess my answer is that it really depends on what type of person you are–but if you have a basic degree already, I guess I would just go for the real-world experience. Theory is great but in this world (and economy) having basic skills that others don’t have (like being able to design a website) will always be in-demand. When all else fails one can always lean on computer skills to make extra money on the side.
Some mottos I like to live by:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Be humble.
Also remember that for every success that I’ve had that you see here on the blog, I’ve had twenty failures. For every press mention I get, there were ten outlets that passed on the story. For every book I’ve done, there were five really great proposals that were shot down by the publishers. When I got rejected from Yale, I was working on my UCLA application that afternoon. Persistence is HUGE and always listening and being open to learn from your failures is EVERYTHING. Also, when people ask me what I do for a living, my answer is always directly tied to the type of work I want to be doing MORE of–so some days I’m a stylist, some days I’m an interior designer, some days I’m a blogger, some days I’m all three. This is officially my longest blog post ever. Yeesh. Thanks Ida for sleeping in! And thank you all for listening. I hope this answers some (or all) of your questions. If you have more questions, feel free to chime in below!
Have a great weekend, friends!
So exciting! The fact that you’ve lived abroad and traveled and have seen a bit of the world. I was too afraid to do that in my younger days ;-) and yes this was a loooong post Whew!
you are fearless! this was so inspiring, even for someone in their 40s! Thanks.
What an amazing read! Being 22 I am at that point right now where I feel I need to figure out a lot of things for myself – having all those possibilities feels great on one side but also scares the shit out of me on the other… I have been like you, pretty much always succesful in everything during my years in school and only now at university I am catching a glimpse of how hard the “real world” out there can be. I try to remind myself to breathe easy, give it my best and be open to everything. Seems it pays off so far: Next summer I will be leaving germany to study in Venice for summer (which is a little crazy, because my italian is… non existent at this point. but challenges make you feel alive, I guess ;) That got kind of long, all I actually wanted to say was: you and your blog are amazing! regards from overseas Xx
Thank you for this post. I am about to take a big leap away from a 8-5 steady paycheck job to go after what I really want in life. To create and design (mostly clothing but I’m an entrepreneur at heart and I just want to do everything and anything as long as it is true to me! My job currently is NOT.) I am a constant self-doubter, and still being young I have a lot to learn, but I feel like these encouraging moments are popping up everywhere in my life right now – this post being the perfect example. I haven’t had even a tenth of the exciting adventures you have had, but it is simply enough to know that it took work and time to get where you are today. It doesn’t just happen, but it is worth it if you are true to yourself. Thank you for the encouragement, for sharing your life and wisdom, and for daily inspiration! -Malorie
Thank you so much for this. I studied abroad in Florence and wanted to stay there so badly but it didn’t work out… I know what you mean about the 8-5 – I have been doing that for a year now and it’s really tiring me out. I don’t even have the energy to blog in my off hours, I don’t know how you did it! I have been thinking a lot about moving on and trying to do my own thing lately, so thanks for the little push – I love hearing about how other ladies made it work.
I’m so glad you shared! Thanks for putting your story out there :)
So inspiring, positive and uplifting! Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I love that you included “some mottos I like to live by”. :)
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve been a fan of your blog and pins for awhile now, and I’ve always wondered how you’ve gotten to where you are today. The advice I found most useful is “when people ask me what I do for a living, my answer is always directly tied to the type of work I want to be doing MORE of”. I just finished grad school for product design and am trying to figure out what direction to go in. Like you, I am in love with decor, styling, graphic design, and DIY. And I also currently live in NY and am finding it expensive and isolating, but I’m moving back to LA next month (yay!). I have also have this mishmash creative experience–I’ve worked as a stylist’s assistant, a set dresser/indie movie art director, a freelance graphic designer, scenic painter, executive assistant in an architecture firm, etc. I’ll be looking for work in LA and I don’t know that I necessarily fit into the mold of the corporate world industrial designer, or really what sort of job I’ll fit into! I guess I’ll just have to lay a lot of eggs, stay inspired about the things I love, and hopefully I’ll wiggle into a niche that works for me too. Thanks again for your advice and for sharing your passions with us!
Justina, you’re a fantastic human! This post, much like the rest, is such an inspiration. I need to get off of my ass!
Justina, this is fantastic! It’s so wonderful and eye-opening to see the organic way your career has evolved. And inspirational, too! I especially appreciate that you emphasize your failures as well as your successes – I learned your ‘Yale lesson’ at the same time and in the same way. As a honors student and top of my class, I just assumed I would get into UCLA and USC (I was out of state). I didn’t, and I had to rethink what I wanted and how to persevere.
Right now I work a full time job (in a field that I love) for a paycheck, blog on the side and promote my own startup by attending farmer’s markets on the weekends. There are so many paths to get where you want to go, but I think you’re spot on that it takes a lot of passion, courage and perseverance. Keep up the great work!
This is so crazy inspiring.
i’ve never commented here, but this post was insanely inspiring. i’m in that iffy 20-something phase of freelancing and working for a company i’m not-so-into, and have been wanting to venture off on my own. thanks for all the advice!
one last question – do you have any recommendations as to how you taught yourself adobe suite? i’m clueless, and wonder if you read books or watched tutorials or just jumped in blindly. hope you can help.
thanks again for the post! t’was wonderful to read.
Hey Nicole. I taught myself by playing around with it for hours and hours and when I got stuck I’d do video tutorials on Youtube. There are free tutorials out there for EVERYTHING. It’s insane. My advice is to explore and experiment and to have fun. If you start to get frustrated, take a pause and come back to it when you’re in the right mood. Good Luck!!
I loved this post Justina, thanks for sharing your story- I am trying to pluck up the courage to quit the 9-5 and steady pay cheque, and plunge into the world of blogging and social media. Your story has inspired me to follow all my ideas through , instead of trying to simplify it….just try it all, and work it out as i go along….im looking forward to seeing your product line by the way
. . . have to say, I was introduced to “you” by one of my best friends – The Tweak Goddess (as I call her) . . . the very talented designer of the Roots Collar necklace you’re wearing in the pictures above (have to say, sooo very beautiful) . . .and I was immediately grabbed by your style, vibe and plain old everything, and understood why I started following you on Pinterest and reading your blog . . . but this post, has made my day here on the island that much more inspirational, enriching and soulful . . . thanks for this, it’s real encouragement to creative talents across the board.
Justina! This is so great. Really helpful for me to read right now as I get closer and closer to the kind of work I really want to do. I was debating going back to school, but definitely balking at the time and monetary commitment and wondering if I could sort of make my own grad school by taking just a few classes and just doing, doing, doing. So it’s wonderful to get reassurance from you about real world experience vs. grad school. I feel as though I’m only now (after a long and draining stint in marketing) starting to build the kind of life I want, and I’m psyched to see where it all leads! Trusting my instincts and being more fearless, as you seem to have a knack for doing, has been hugely rewarding thus far.
I absolutely love what you do and adore your aesthetic – and very much enjoyed this personal peek into how you made it all happen.
It’s so nice to hear your story. I’ve been intensely curious too..I’m not surprised I wasn’t the only one. I am a blogger too however, not daily. So learning how early you rise to make it happen was totally noteworthy. So many thanks for sharing yourself and your joys!
As someone who knows you, it’s immensely inspiring to read your complete story. It’s true… there is no specific road but what will always lead you to success is your heart. Such a joy to know you lady!
thank you!
Such a great post. I always love reading about how people started, and how far they’ve come! It’s inspiring hearing that you’ve had both failures and successes over the years — sometimes it’s easy for us to give up, but it’s people like you that motivate me not to.
This is such an inspirational post, just what a lot of us needed to hear, I think. I’m actually glad to hear that you work hard to achieve what you do, it makes it more real and even more impressive.
I’ve been following you for a couple of months now and what keeps me coming back for more is the imagery and the sense of joyfulness in your life that comes across. Really lovely.
Hi Justina, that was a great post! I really admire your drive and work ethic, just writing this post before the baby wakes up is impressive!
You mentioned before that you lived in Italy, but I didn’t know it was for so long! I am curious to know about that phase: what did you like/dislike about the country and its people? Did it change you as a person?
I am asking this because I had a similar experience. I lived abroad from my early twenties to my early thirties, in London mainly, with my now husband most of the time. What I can say about living abroad is that it teaches you about yourself more than about the country you are in, as you find yourself out of your comfort zone, without any familiar reference, and forcing you to use all your resources to handle new social and cultural environments.
In our case, we got back to our hometown in the north of Spain as we decided it was the best place to have our child(ren).
The thing is, once you lived abroad for a certain period, you feel a foreigner back home too. Al least that’s what I feel in this homogeneus, traditional and small town. Who knows, maybe one day we will pack our suitcases and leave again, we don’t rule it out, but know we have our son to consider too. Arggh, life can be complicated!
Anyway, next time Ida sleeps in, you could tell us about your italian experience in more detail?
Thanks!
LOVED (and needed) this post! Your blog has gotten me through many terrible days of law school and bar exam study. I love you and the content that you always provide.
Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration :)
So good Justina! The world needs more bloggers willing to be this open and honest about how they got where they are! Thank you.
I’ve been pondering how to start getting more interior styling projects, and though I know I have a long way to go, this was really inspiring and sobering at the same time.
XO
Whoa, Justina, what a post! I love your honesty and that you clearly made your own way, DIY’d it, actually:)
Your bond with your sister is amazing and inspiring (I hope C and his one-day future sibling will have that kind of a connection) and you really gave me a lot of hope, because I can identify with wanting to do my own thing but also needing that paycheck…
So great to hear this story. Even though I’m more like you at heart with all of those interests and passions, I found working at a corporation for the last 12 years to be more “safe.” Good to see that all things you worked on led you to this spot!
And, as someone who has been staying/traveling in Europe for the past month (1 more month to go and it’s the most fun I’ve had in my 34 years of life!), it’s comforting to see in all people that the desire to come “home” is usually there.
I love your personal style and taste on your Pinterest page – keep on keepin’ on! :)
Best,
Pau
THANK YOU for that! :)
Awesome blog post. Sharing this with some friends who need the inspiration. Thanks Justina – you are COURAGEOUS!
Oy Tina! I adore you! You have always been and continue to be an inspiration to me. I enjoyed this post so very much. Big hug
Brilliant post, what amazing days you’ve had, even the not so great ones! Very inspiring, thank you x
You are an amazing talent, a delicious spirit. Sharing your journey has touched and inspired mine, and my heart is full. I’ll check in with you soon…
Thank you , beauty!
Blessings
f
yay what a wonderful story … can’t wait to hear what’s coming up ;-))))))
Thanks for sharing this! I’m so fascinated by how people get to where they are, career-wise, and your detailed honesty is both refreshing and inspiring! (and as a former intern, I *love* reading about your projects in Italy!) Your “voice” as well as your “eye” is one of the things I enjoy most about your blog!
Balancing a 9-5 job with creative projects on the side is SO hard to do (but I’ve always felt like I needed the stability of a steady paycheck and as much as I want to break away, I’ve haven’t yet…), but thanks for reminding us that with some persistence it IS indeed possible to support yourself doing what you truly love. Hopefully I’ll get there one day myself!
Thanks again for the inspiration!
xo
Christine
Justina, you always do really amazing inspiring posts. Thank you for speaking so honestly about the evolution of your career and the ups and downs. Persistence has also been my best trait and the one I find often means more than any measure of talent.
xoxo,
jessica
Thank you so much for posting this. I find people’s career paths to be the most interesting aspect (especially when they follow their heart). xx
LOVELY! This was such a great post, thanks for opening up and telling your story…I so admire your humility and willingness to share your successes and stories with your readers. Especially the bits at the end, we often just see the pretty, put together world of popular bloggers, and forget to take the moment to realize we are all human, and as you said, for every success there are lists of “no’s” that came before. I just found your blog and look forward to reading more and more! Aloha~
thanks so much, Justina! this gives me hope! :)
Wow. I’m just now getting caught up on my favorite blogs and came across this great post of yours. Thanks so much for sharing your story.
A lot of what you mentioned really resonates with me, and although our paths have been quite different, I really do see the common threads. Maybe it’s why I’m so drawn to your blog in the first place!
And what a small world… I had a short stint working for Sherry & Miguel as Venue Director at SmogShoppe. Sounds like I may’ve just missed you at Woolly Pocket! :)
Congrats on all your success, Justina. It seems well-deserved. And as always, thanks for the inspiration!
Cheers~
I don’t have any questions, but I love hearing people’s stories – thank you!
Great post, great story!
Seriously… Thank you! Hard work persistence creativity! Need to lay more eggs plant more seeds!!!!! Connect!
Hi Justina,
Thank you for this blog post. I studied to become a teacher, and like you, learned that the 8 am – 7 pm life is not for me. Instead, I took a leap and got an adjunct professor position. It is going to be a lot of work and not many paid hours (compared to the consistent office work I do now), but I’m excited to inspire future teachers.
Good luck in your new book deal and all of your endeavors!
Cheers!
Thanks Justina!
I can totally relate to the 20:1 failures:success ratio. It’s so encouraging to hear that from such an inspiration as yourself.
Simply, thank you.
I have just discovered your blog and I love, love, love this post. And your blog, I will be following. One word, fabulous!
I loved how honest this piece is, not to be overly corny but I am very inspired by your journey.I got a degree, and after graduating well over a year ago, life hasn’t exactly gone the way I thought it would. But right now it’s crazy and unpredictable and I am happy and following your words, I will keep plodding on! so thanks
Sophie x
P.S If your ever in London you should do a workshop!! I would definitely go
Your words brought tears to my eyes as I feel as though time is running out for me. All 45 years of my life, I have not lived, only existed. You give so many the courage to keep fighting to be their most authentic selves.
Thank you! You are such an amazingly beautiful spiritual being in human form. You love and your passion for what you do is impressive! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Justina,
Great post! Thanks for sharing all you have done. I am also a multi passionate person so trying to find my way can be a little daunting, it is good to see that somehow it all comes together in the end. One thing I love is home design and am thinking of doing more in that way. What advice do you have about what it takes to make it? Are there any mistakes that could be avoided? Your blog and house being featured seemed like the lift of point for growing your popularity. How did you get people to see your blog and publish your place in the first place?
Really appreciate any insight and advice you could share from experience. Thanks you!
It is so fun to hear about all of the creative ventures you’ve had and you give some great advice. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Awesome journey. I really enjoyed reading your post (stumbeled upon your site since someone pinned a picture of your ottoman cover post).
Greetings from Germany
P.S: So you started / largely contributed to the whole T-Shirt refashion, redo, cutout movement ??
Thanks for sharing your journey. Your story is inspiring me a lot. I love you blog.
Dear Justina,
thank you so much for this post. It was very inspiring!!
I do have one question that I hope you can answer:
when you say that you photograph your posts everyday, does that mean that EVERYTHING on your site/blog is an original picture? Or are most of the pictures featured on your website ones that you’ve search online for?
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
I wish you continued success and happiness:-)
Carolina
Hi Carolina, most of the photos on the site I own the rights to (either I’ve photographed or I’ve hired a photographer to take.) If you go back far enough in the archives you will find inspiration images that I posted with links back to original sources (Images that I didn’t take)–but yes, most all images you find here are original to our brand. Thanks for stopping by!
Justina,
thank you so much for getting back to me! I did read an article on people suing bloggers for use of pictures that weren’t theirs and, because I am launching my blog, it was important for me to know from you!
Thank you and thank you for the inspiration.
THANK YOU !!! This is everything I need at the moment and more.
I’m a bit late to this post. But better late than never. I needed this to give me a bit of confidence to go after what I’ve always wanted. Becoming an interior designer. I’ve been told over and over I need to go back to school and get my degree. I already have a BBA but have been second guessing whether school is for me. I’m 33 with two little girls. To be honest…school isn’t for me. I don’t have the time. In my younger years I traveled to many Caribbean countries running track and field. I lived in Spain for a year. I have family from many of the Caribbean islands and love every bit of it. All these experiences shape us to eventually becoming who we are meant to be and you own it. I admire that in you. From reading your story, I find your drive amazing and very inspiring. I’ve been afraid all this time to start my business because I thought I wasn’t good enough. But if I believe in myself nothing else matters. So what if I’m not a licensed designer. I’ll teach myself how to use the software and tools and keep at it until I can do it in my sleep.
Justina, thank you for being so transparent in your articles. You are perfectly imperfect and that makes you beautiful!
Cheers to seizing each and every moment!
I’m so happy I stumbled upon this post. I love your work and everything you do and this story… your story is very inspiring. It was exactly what I needed to be honest. Looking forward to reading your daily blog :) You’re such a light in this world. Thank you for sharing <3
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