Hello again!! I hope your week was amazing!! Let’s get started on this second set of twenty posts!!!
First, the official start of Spring is coming up, for which I am absolutely ecstatic! Whereas, the mercury in thermometers has been unelevated lately, my excitement sure is sky high!!
Spring is wonderful, right? We will have more sunlight than darkness, flowers and trees will begin blooming, and my personal favorite, we can get outside without six hundred layers of clothing!!! Is there a warm equivalent to sweater weather? Tank Top Temps?
Okay, maybe that doesn’t roll off the tongue so well, but I won’t give up!
Regardless of what it’s called, my closet exudes Spring and bright colors; consequently, I do as well! And I love it! I often receive compliments for color selection and clothing choices, which is meaningful for me in particular, since it was only a few years ago when I was NEVER excited about what I wore.
As I was transitioning, primarily before I came out, I was gradually shifting my closet over, though there was no specific attention to my style. Instead, I was in an accumulation phase, while trying out what I liked over time.
Back to the present, or more precisely this past Saturday morning, when I was attending an event I hoped could be a fantastic opportunity to advocate against some anti-trans bills currently in Kansas’ state capital.
Actually hold on, let’s go back to the night before, when I was spending WAY more time than I should have evaluating my outfit. When I say WAY more time, I mean, I would be embarrassed to confess just how long it took! Worst part, I ended up with one of my first options! How did I get to this point?
Sure, I absolutely wanted to look cute for the sake of looking cute, but I also had greater intentions for that day. At a minimum, I hoped to represent well and be noticed for being there, mostly from a trans perspective. Ideally though, I wanted to have my opinion known to everyone in that room.
Reality is, being noticed is a given for me, particularly in certain public spaces, simply because I look different. Looking cute helps give me confidence, when I know eyes will be on me!
Furthermore, I draw from that confidence my ability to be unapologetically myself, spurring conversations with several state senators and representatives, along with an individual whose advocacy efforts can be mutually beneficial with mine, and a county commissioner who wanted to meet me.
All because of my cute outfit!!
Perhaps, that’s a bit of a stretch; although I can see the connection throughout all of it in the image or Brand of how I want to show up!
This concept of Brand has fascinated me for a while, probably starting with this vague memory of a presentation about how to use LinkedIn, dating back 13ish years in my memory archive. I remember contemplating what I wanted my Brand to be, but I was unable to get beyond merely thinking.
Despite this length of time, personal Brand has only become clear to me in recent years; therefore, please do not confuse me with an expert! Instead, I hope to offer insights I have gleaned as I have put more consideration into my own brand.
Overall, it’s been a recursive process, beginning with simply trying something new! Transitioning my look was super empowering for me! Not just clothes but makeup, and more recently I am playing with my hair!
Commencing slowly, setting a foundation to build upon, has allowed me to tweak my style into something tangible I truly love! I actually look forward to experimenting with new ideas!!
On a more intrinsic level, I feel emboldened to do and say what I felt, rather than keep things inside. This runs the gambit from speaking up in contentious situations, such as directly asking my state Senator why he didn’t answer my question about the anti-trans bills, which I did on Saturday without a moment’s hesitation. Then the other side is a softer one, easily complimenting others, such as two representatives I separately told impressed me for various reasons.
These are hardly the first examples, but in these and countless others, I sense a feedback loop that I love about what I do and who I am, encouraging me to keep going!
I left that room exhilarated with what transpired in those couple hours, as well as leaving with several follow ups on my list, all of which reinforce what I set out to do from the beginning. Consequently, for my next opportunity, I will bring a self-assurance strengthened by this last experience.
Hence the recursive process!
Could I draw a parallel to the amount of time I stood in front of my closet? Yes! The reality for me is an inherent connection with how I look now and these other attributes of who I am. I really truly love both parts of me!
I understand this may appear coincidental, or a caveat economists like to use: correlation not causation. I don’t care though!! It works for me!
Next time I have a presentation at work or in the community, you better believe I am working over my closet for that next cute outfit! Oh, yesterday I also stopped by my favorite thrift store, where I found some glorious pieces for constructing another confidence-building outfit when I need it!
Will it work for you? I don’t know! Sorry, I cannot be more helpful. Admittedly, I am not an expert in anything other than being me.
But you are an expert in being you! What gives you confidence to be you? What is the Brand you want to show the world!!
Maybe it’s jeans and a t-shirt? Or not anything about your appearance, instead the situations you put yourself in! Honestly, I put notes down about how my Brand shifted after I started writing, but I ran out of space!
My most adamant suggestion is do not overlook the feedback portion! Recognize how you feel afterwards and draw from that for your next situation!!
That’s the confidence to be marvelously you!!!
Have a wonderful week!!