Foyin Og Online
Beauty, Life + Style

read | beginner blogger tips

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Before I get started, I just wanted to make it clear that I am in no way claiming to be a blog-savant, or to have completely mastered the art of blogging itself (I’ll leave that to the professionals like Aimee Song & Nicole Warne), but surprisingly, I have received quite a few emails from people who want to start a blog but have no clue where to start, so I thought that I should do a post on it and impart most of my knowledge and the things that i’ve learnt in one go! Feel free to add on in the comments below on anything you think I’ve missed – these are just my observations and things I wish I knew before I started.

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read | tips for when you’re feeling creatively stifled…

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as someone who wishes to be able to call themselves a writer, i am often plagued with writer’s block. there is a story within me, sure, and it’s waiting to burst forth… and maybe that is the issue in itself. it’s waiting… and waiting… and waiting… and waiting. therefore i have to wait… and wait… and wait… and wait. i often tell people that my book/novel is a book/novel that i just am not ready to write, so i’ll just wait until i have more life experience, or until my vocabulary is more eloquent and mellifluous and my grammar is without fault, or until i go to university, when i’ll have time to write and take a class in writing – yeah, that’s it! i have to take a class in writing. but all of these are just excuses, and thinly veiled ones at that.

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a young revelation

a young revelation

alternatively titled ‘who needs pretense: you already know i am a loser’

i was thinking the other day about my blog – a blogsistential crisis, if you will – mostly revolving around the phrase, ‘what can i do to it? how can i make it more genuine?’ and moreover, ‘what do i post??’ and although those questions seem to be spiraling in my head on a never ending cycle, i thought it best to practice my favourite song’s (and by favourite, i mean, i have literally been playing this song on repeat for three days straight) lyrics: it’s a new art form showing people how little we care – tennis court by lorde.

and that is literally what i am doing. if you follow me on any of my various social media platforms, like twitter, tumblr or instagram (shameless plug, as you do), you’ll know that i seldom use capital letters. so then why, for the life of me, do i incessantly use them here? who am i trying to fool? hence the pretense: i put up a facade of punctuation and impeccable grammar (who am i kidding? my grammar is impeccable everywhere) on this blog and then wonder why i keep having blogsistential crises over how inauthentic my blog is. a blog is supposed to be an extension of self, right? so then why, oh why do i change a part of myself for the purpose of this website? i am such a silly little thing.

a silly little thing, indeed, who spends all her life on the internet, reading the words she hasn’t the brains to write and listening to the songs she hasn’t the guts to sing, in between taking multiple self portraits and abusing autocorrect for when her mind supersedes her fingers. i am nothing but the humblest of losers and i don’t deny it in the slightest 🙂

and in my many nights of tumblr ridden stupor, i stumbled upon an interesting truth: i am at peace in my mind. or at least, i am at more peace than i have found in the last nine months or so, and i know for a fact that this peace is divine, because i have spent nine months aching over something i wished no longer to ache over, and the moment i finally resigned my lethargy to God, i became at peace. why? because time, and recent events, have shown me that He never forgets. ever. so i can keep living and all the indiscrepancies that caused traumatic experiences can very well be forgotten. because they are no longer my problem. i no longer have to worry myself over how other people are succeeding when they have caused nothing but pain, because i believe, no, i know that their time is coming. what a lovely peace that brings.

yet, i digress. actually, i don’t. how can one digress when they have no clear path in front of them? all i have is a train of thoughts next to an overzealous platform seeking solace in the carriages with unknown destinations. what a lovely picture.

i prefer my alternative title, actually.

(and i am about to digress again. another reason why i am proud of my heritage is because my country birthed this great woman: chimamanda ngozi adichie. instead of blogging about her myself, read someone else’s here.)

anywho, after a tissue ridden week and a sinutab induced daze, i wish you all a great weekend. and to my lovely Jewish friends, a happy fast and Yom Kippur.

Throwback Thursday: My Week At Seventeen

Throwback Thursday: My Week At Seventeen

Like most people my age, I had to do job shadowing for a school project, because I’m reaching that age when every adult keeps asking you what you want to do with the rest of your life and how you wish to get there. So, having previously worked with Seventeen Magazine on the Style Counsel, I thought about how great it would be to take a look behind the scenes and job shadow the editor, Janine Jellars, seeing as I’ve always shown interest in magazines and other forms of media for a career. Here’s my summary – that is not particularly short (taken from my actual project, which I got 100% for *claps twice*) – on my three days of job shadowing at Seventeen from the 2-4th April 2013.

Day 1:
I arrived suspiciously early on the chilly Tuesday morning (and having accidentally stayed on the wrong floor of the Absa Building – as it so turns, Seventeen is on floor 19, not 14), having heavily overestimated the traffic that day. I sat down on the now famous Seventeen lips couch and waited for people to arrive. As soon as the editors filed their way into the office, they all went through the motions: ask how each other’s Easter weekend was, and then proceed to turn on their desktops and instinctively open their emails and web browsers to catch up on all they missed that weekend in the world of entertainment and pop culture. 
Interestingly that morning, Taugheedah Abdulla-Jacobs, the fashion editor, was casting girls from the D&A Modeling Agency for an upcoming fashion shoot. They approached her, she looked at their face, then their side profile, took a photo of each, and that was it. This is where I began to learn that TV series such as The Carrie Diaries and movies such as The Devil Wears Prada really dramatized the magazine industry.
The Seventeam also genuinely love Mr Price. Within two hours of being here, I’d seen deliveries of parcels bought online and the ordering of more clothes. They’re ying and yang. New York and hot dogs. Girls and tanning. 

When Janine arrived, best believe she put me to work soon after, with a review/critique or the last three months magazines while she and the other editors did the final sign off on the May issue (I was privileged enough to even see the cover – shock horror!). When that was completed, I paid my internship dues and fetched my boss a coffee (single latte – two sugars) and returned to another assignment: ideas for upcoming articles. As I sat down at my desk to tackle this, I knew, in that moment, that I loved this. The people were kind, the atmosphere was friendly, the bathrooms were beautiful and the hand cream smelt so good that I wanted to eat it – I loved this place. 
Today I also learnt what a copy editor is and how tedious sign off was. Reading through every single word on every single page – checking for the slightest discrepancy… I respect anyone who does this. Truly. 
Praise to the Almighty, the sigh of relief that went around when the May issue was officially signed off was insane. Coincidentally, it was a coworker’s birthday and there was a delicious ice cream cake (containing both ice cream, and cake) that went down all too well. This was something I could get used to.

A flexible lunch hour is also something I could get used to – no strict restraints; no “you can only leave at xx time and have to be back at xx time!” Absolutely lovely. 
Next up was beauty brainstorming for the July/August 2013 issue with GenevieveGoncalves (the beauty editor), Janine and my fellow intern. It was interesting to see how the 12 pages became conceptualized,  featuring ********, ********, ******** and other things I am not at liberty to discuss. 
Thinking of future issues, we had to think of future cover stars. Who’s going to have a big year? Thoughts circled back to Selena Gomez; with Spring Breakers and two other movies, as well as her Wizards Of Waverly Place movie return and her new album, she’s all over.

Day one came to a close and at 5pm, I made my way home.


Day 2:

I was super early. Again. Ah.
When other people arrived, I found that the one thing I really appreciate about this office is the music. Someone, somewhere was always listening to some music, be it Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake or Jessie Ware. Their taste is great.
I got the opportunity to potentially get a magazine credit for the October issue: I had the anxiety-installing task of creating a piece for them. After Janine retreated for a meeting and breakfast, I chatted some more with my fellow intern. Then, as Janine returned for another meeting (this one in her office), I retreated for a late breakfast break while reading a Grazia that is only to be released on the 10th of April (woohoo!). 


I returned from my break to sit in on a production meeting and Woodwind (the new system they have to use for magazine production) discussion. I learnt a lot about something I still have no clue about. 
Now it was time for the school mandated interview, discussing the job, benefits, remuneration, opportunities and so forth. After which, I was gifted with the task of creating piece the magazine.

At the stroke of five o’clock, though, I headed out of the office and straight to Woolworths to buy my lovely mentors a cake. 

Day 3:
I arrived later (but still early) and made myself some tea. I had already sent through the piece but I had to go back and edit it.
I went to buy some milk with Deidre, the production/editorial assistant, and I came back to greet a new fashion intern who would be assisting Taugheedah (fashion editor) in her shoot for the day. Moments after her arrival and departure, a new-new intern was arriving to shadow Jessica Manim (the deputy editor). 

While Janine was whisked away to a very official meeting with her bosses, I got put to work by Jess to come up with ideas for her sections in the magazine – Health, Love and Life. After pitching my ideas, she chose the one I could do for the day and I got to work on it. The article required research, writing, and a lot of concentration.
After the researching and the compressing, I got to take my lunch break (how did I only just realize there was a McDonalds so close to work?). I returned just as Janine left to take hers, and I continued with my article.


I finished my article and when Janine came back, I sat in on a fashion meeting with Taugheedah. We looked at the new Woolworths online campaigns, online stores as well as pictorials for the upcoming issues. I got to see some of the photos before the rest of the country – excitement much? While looking, I brought out the cake I had bought for the ladies and officially earned my spot in their good graces – who doesn’t love cake?

And after being asked to write one final piece, I headed out with Janine and Genevieve to a meeting with Mac Cosmetics. In short, we were asked out to the beautiful 15 On Orange hotel to discuss not only the fFall Lookbook, but a more aggressive partnership between Seventeen and Mac. It was a wonderful meeting, with some beautiful ladies (I got to meet the Mac Senior Make Up Artist, Michelle-Lee Collins!) and some lovely make up samples (and free food? How could I forget the free food!!) The job may not always be glamorous, it does have its glamour moments.

I went back to the office for the last time (for now) to fetch my bags and I wished the Seventeen HQ adieu. The next morning, by the crack of dawn, I was on a plane back to Joburg. 


So in that incredibly long nutshell, that was my incredibly informative and amazing job shadowing experience at Seventeen Magazine! Much love to that team, they truly are amazing.

Not For The Lack Of Trying

Not For The Lack Of Trying
Webcam picture from 11 May 2012… Just over a year ago… Funny how things change in a year? I should go back to doing my hair like this. Anywho, let’s take a walk through my adolescence.

I’ve been in the blogging game since I was about 12 years old; I had begun my leeetle fashion blog on Blogspot, I can even vividly remember the burgundy and gold colour palette I had, and I mostly reviewed award show fashion and posted the occasional wishlist.

I didn’t know for whom I was blogging or even why, but ever since I was a child, I knew I was destined for my voice to be heard. I had wanted to be a singer since before I had even begun school, but I had been completely taken aback by the necessity of songwriting. In my childhood-naivety, I thought that every singer in the world had to write their own songs. Silly me. Had I known that it is recently more rare for a singer to write their own songs than vice versa, maybe I wouldn’t have discarded my dream of music. Maybe I would be famous now. Who knows?

Either way, I chose a new career path to stardom called acting. Ah, yes. If I cannot sing, I will act – at least I don’t have to write my own scripts, right? Well, ironically so, that’s all I did. By the age of 14 I had grown so tired of the endless reiteration of the poems and plays we had to produce during school, that at any opportunity, I volunteered to reconstruct, or better yet, write my own scripts. I enjoyed being out of the limelight yet I simply adored being in control. Seeing my friends perform work I had written, albeit not the best work I had written, gave me a sense of pride and joy. All throughout my school years, though, I enjoyed being in control. I preferred doing the whole assignment just so that I knew it was done. It gave my life a meaning. It still does.

And speaking of meaning, before I could even write, I wrote. Remember my aforementioned singing dream? I must’ve been five years old and thinking of R’n’B love songs. But of course, I could only keep the lyrics in my head for so long. I will never forget the day that my mother volunteered to help me write them down. Envision this: a five year old girl, in the living room with her mother, notebook in hand. Now, try telling your mom these love songs that you have in your head when you’re very sure you don’t even know what love is. See where it can get awkward? Apparently, so did I, because as I was about to start, I switched lanes and dictated to my mom, a sort of Heal The World/Save the planet-esque song before hurriedly ending it and leaving the room. That was the penultimate straw in my music career. But my writing one? That one set ablaze.

Between the ages of 8-13, I had attempted to write at least six different books. Attempted, being the operative word. I had always gotten to about eight or so pages and gave up, never to write again. Until I had a better idea and tried once more. But being so young, all my ideas were hopelessly the same. All about young girls and friendship and fame and all of the things I had wanted in another life, because as they say, you write what you know. And I only knew what I wanted. A fifth grade task to design your own book and write a few pages was absolute heaven for me. I switched on the computer and copied down my favourite of my failed book attempts and wrote it down in my terrible 11 year old handwriting. My book gave me such joy, even though it was unfinished. I took such pride in it. And reading it now, I realise that book symbolised the culmination of my childhood. Books. Reading. Attempted writing. Even in my young adulthood, I have the same book/story idea, just waiting to be written. And I’ll keep waiting until I can write it.

Now, at the age of around 12, that was the rise of the Disney queens; the do-it-alls: the Miley Cyrus’s, Selena Gomez’s and Demi Lovato’s. Seeing their youth and level of acclaim made me want to get myself together, and like we all have at one stage or another, my friends and I started a band. Mind you, none of us could play any instruments. (I had lessons for piano/recorder/flute/guitar, but I mastered none but the recorder at that time, but in all honesty, how useful is recorder in a band, anyway?) I had many instruments, so we figured we could just wing it. At that stage, I knew, once again, we had to write our own songs. But this time, that was bliss to me. I churned out songs at lightning speed and I had a good album’s worth after a week. But, once again, looking back, they weren’t very good and they were incredibly juvenile. So, for the last time, my legitimate music career fell to dust, but not for the lack of trying. Now, I only sing in church and when required from a friend, and that’s enough for me.

Moving on though, whilst all of this was happening, I discovered a little magical thing called the internet. By the age of 10 and a half, I was fully addicted to Polyvore (an addiction I have recently rekindled after a few years of being dormant.), by 13 I had started and deleted a Blogspot blog, I had at least 2 different Twitter accounts and shortly after that, I tried blogging again, on my beloved Tumblr. The original content blogging lasted a short while, as you can imagine, because I fell into the Reblog-hole and I don’t regret it for a second. That blog got me quite a lot of followers, but in spur of the moment decision, I deleted it and made a new one. Twice. (Indecision is my best friend and worst enemy.) At the age of 15 though, I truly and wholeheartedly wanted to be a blogger, so I started a new Blogspot blog and I really tried. I really did. But the pretense and lack of vision and direction made me stop dead in my tracks, and not shortly after I began my blog did I delete it.

That brings me to a cold winters day in June 2012 when I thought that I am ready to take this seriously, and after a brainstorming session with my sister, I started a blog called The Afrocentric Kid (the name originated from the thought that a white girl and a black girl can wear the exact same hipster outfit, but just by virtue of being black, the look becomes more ‘afrocentric’ than the common label ‘hipster’. My sister basically thought I was a hipster and that’s where the discussion originated.) And like all things, I began with such gusto and excitement… until I felt like I was feigning authenticity in my blog posts and just trying to be like every other blogger – my voice being lost in the midst of faltered excitement about new fashion shows and such and such’s new outfit range… So I stopped. And that went on for approximately six months and in that time, I changed my blog’s name and look and banner and everything. In the midst of exam preparation in 2013, I thought, “Let’s blog again,” and I did, and more so during my exams than while I’ve been on holiday (apologies). This is a true testament of my short attention span. But without IFB, I don’t think I would’ve made it this long in the blogosphere (so a million thanks, truly!).

Now I am at a similar crossroads. I wanted this to be more of a visual diary-blog than ‘just another blog’. And I’m hoping to return it to that. I wish to write more. Sorry (not sorry) that I had to give my entire life’s story in order to get to this point, but I felt like it needed a back story. I am not another blogger searching for fame and notoriety – I tried in my childhood/pubescence and I realised that maybe it’s not for me, especially in that forum. I mean, if it were to happen, then wonderful, but it is not my main goal. I blog for me. I write for me. I take pictures (of me) for me. I’m ecstatic and over the moon when people respond, but that shouldn’t be why I do this. In the words of Macklemore, “Make the money, don’t let the money make you. Change the game, don’t let the game change you.”

I needed a platform, and this is it. Hopefully, people will like what I have to say, or even if they don’t, maybe they will listen and respond anyway. Hopefully I get to write more on this blog, but probably not to this extent – sidenote: I always wondered how people could write so much in a blog post and now, I can see that it is altogether much too easy. Anywho, I hope I don’t feel compelled to ever delete this blog, but instead, keep changing it until I am happy (which if you take note of my format, I do quite often). Maybe I can return to the ecstatic 16 year old with so many ideas and such excitement with her camera and her words, instead of the dismal 17 year old she became. Thank you to the readers – I hope in my soul-searching, and thus irregular posting, I can give both Foyin and DearSolo an identity. Love, peace and light.

Where to next?