It feels like yesterday when I decided to take blogging seriously. After a lot of planning, back and forth with my website designer and hours of conceptualizing, I published my first post on the 6th November 2015, and KeabeMautla.com was born. Over a year in and I feel like I have learned so much, yet still have a lot to learn in the future. As we wind down to the end of 2016 I feel like the timing is perfect for a little reflection. Allow me to share what I’ve learned over the past year. This isn’t a post about blogging tips and tricks (if you’d like to see like that in the future, let me know) but more about what I’ve learned about life in general through my blogging journey.
- Be Authentic. I know this sounds corny but once you truly grasp how much power there is in just being yourself you’ll wonder why you ever wanted to emulate anybody else in the first place. “Be authentic” is an oxymoron if you think about it. You can’t “BE” authentic, authenticity assumes you simply are. You don’t have to force it or even think about it. In order to be authentic you need to not only know who you are, but accept yourself too. Take your time. It’s a process which is more about the journey of self-discovery, rather than the destination. Then, just be.
- Comparison is the thief of joy. Just don’t do it to yourself. It's not worth it. There are bloggers whose following is x100 of mine, who are booking amazing campaigns, who write way better than me and are more photogenic than me. Our journeys are different. I wouldn’t have even started blogging if I constantly compared myself to other bloggers. As soon as I pay attention to what other people are doing with a “Why not me?” attitude then I’m wasting time that I could be using to better my writing, finalize a pitch or anything that could be making my life better. Instead of comparing yourself to people in your field who are doing well, celebrate them. You may not realize it but they are paving the way for you to propel yourself forward quicker and opening doors you may not even know exist.
- Be selective, but also be open minded. Not every opportunity that comes my way is right for me. On the flip side, an opportunity may not look like it’s the right fit for me and my brand, but it may actually be exactly what I need to grow and expand myself. Being able to make the differentiation is especially hard when money is involved. Discernment is something I pray for often because I get it wrong often. Keeping my eye on my vision to calm the noise helps me make sound decisions. I read somewhere “Do not sip from every cup, that is how you get poisoned”. Learning that is a tough lesson.
- Stand for something other than your vanity. Get your cheque and line your bank account, but think bigger than yourself. I want to empower emerging designers (I mean how STUNNING is this top from Matte Nolim?), educate the world on our amazing South African brands and inspire and entertain my readers. What do you stand for?
- Be prepared for people to dislike you. And be okay with it. It’s especially tough when you actually don’t know why they don’t like you. In the greater scheme of things it really doesn’t matter because the reasons are usually silly and nonsensical so I usually just distance myself from it. Negative energy is the one thing I don’t have time for. I am surrounded by people who are positive, who love me and who are rooting for me, so there’s no need to pay attention to the negativity.
- Trust in the timing of your life. Keep your head down, work hard, keep hydrated and keep producing the best quality work you possibly can. Every post I publish needs to be written better than the last and each shoot needs to show growth, otherwise what is the point? You would be surprised at who is watching your work so you always need to be on your A game. Don’t try to take shortcuts or rush the process. Have faith.
If there's one designer I can confidently say get's me, its Matte Nolim. This top is the first thing that stood out in the collection. It has my name written all over it. I decided to add onto the dramatic sleeves, with more drama and paired the top with wide, flared pants.
Top | Matte Nolim
Pants | ZARA
Choker | Lovisa
Photographs | Cedric Nzaka
I like it a lot great post Kiabe 🙂
Author
Thank you so much!
You’ve undoubtedly done a sterling job in one year Keabe, well done
Author
Thank you Princess! I appreciate your support throughout the year. Here’s to a bigger and better 2016!!
Congratulations Keabe! You’ve done so well for yourself, goodluck for the future
Author
Thank you Lebo! There’s still so much more I want to achieve! Thanks for your support! <3
Congratulations, keep on growing the keabemautla brand. Good luck
Author
Thank you Matome