Episode 9: These Are a Few of My Favourite Things
If only Julie Andrews could have narrated the audio version of my Blab today.
Hi everyone! This episode is brought to you by Skillshare. No, I’m kidding. I’ve seen so many of my favourite YouTubers start their videos this way, that this is where my mind goes to, when I think about writing an introduction.
Today I want to share three pieces of content I really love. And I haven’t just picked my usual, favourite pieces that I’ve loved for a long time. If that were the case, this article would be analyzing every song on Taylor’s Folklore album. Instead, I’ve picked relatively new content I’ve consumed over the past couple of months, because I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone!
Finally, I’m changing Bala Blabs to be structured into seasons. As Episode 9 of Season 1, this will be the penultimate episode! This season of Bala Blabs was about insecurities, as well as getting started with writing. Now that I’ve built a habit out of it, I want to change what I write about for Season 2. So if you have ideas on what you’d like to read about, let me know in the comments below.
So.. without further ado..
THREE PIECES OF CONTENT I LURRVEEE
I know. But I wanted to spell it this way and we live in a democracy.
Content Piece # 1: Jack Edwards on YouTube
The first video of Jack’s that I watched was his review of Meghan Markle’s ‘The Bench’, which I’ve linked above. The YouTube channel is a great place to discover writing that’s outside your comfort zone. Jack’s great with words, he’s entertaining, and I’ve always left his videos filled with more knowledge than when I arrived. So if you love books, the discussion of ideas from books, and wouldn’t mind the occasional video reviewing books recommended by Taylor Swift or Kendall Jenner, then you should check him out!
Jack’s also a strong believer that Taylor Swift deserves a Nobel Prize and so am I, so I’m biased towards him. But nonetheless, this is a great account to follow, especially if you love reading, but need to get excited about reading your next book, or trying something brand new.
Content Piece # 2: The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller
I spent last Thursday UGLY CRYING 😭 to the last few chapters in this book. I picked up this book after watching one of Jack Edward’s YouTube videos on some of the best books for 2021, and I concur. If you find works like the Iliad or the Odyssey daunting, this book is a lot more accessible. You’re introduced to some of the prominent characters from Homer’s work, so you feel like you have some footing, that gives you the confidence to explore further work in the Classics (is this how you classify this genre, Marina1?). It’s also a great book to read if you like reading period pieces, or stories set in a certain time period. Basically my conclusions from this book are, men can be stupid, pride destroys you, and despite the prejudice and danger women face today, what and how women suffered in the past, as far back as 12th century BC, which is when the Iliad is set, was horrible. It doesn’t mean I don’t acknowledge the fact that we still have a way to go in fostering equality between men and women in society, but I do feel grateful for the advances we have made since then.
Content Piece # 3: The Ultimate Self-Care Playbook, Jonathan Van Ness
Fun story - right before I started this newsletter, I was in a YouTube rabbit hole watching countless Ali Abdaal videos on how to start my blog, my YouTube channel, etc. I was wired and super excited to get started. Ali, of course, is sponsored by Skillshare, and mentioned he had a class on productivity for creative people (moi 💅), which I was really interested in taking, so I signed up for Skillshare, not knowing that I signed up for their annual membership 🙄. I thought I’d have a free trial but I didn’t, and I got really annoyed. But now that I have this yearly membership, I decided to make the most of it, and take other courses on there, like the awesome one on storytelling by Lilly Singh. When I saw that JVN had a course coming up, I was stoked. WHO DOESN’T LOVE HIM? I’ve read his autobiography, I regularly listen to his podcast, and ofcourse, I absolutely love Queer Eye. I’m also probably his number one fan for the coffee dances that he does every morning on IG. Two of my core values are authenticity and self-expression, and I feel Jonathan is an epitome of both! He inspires me because he’s so fearlessly himself, and never shies away (did you know that’s how ‘shy’ is spelt as a verb?! I. did. not.) from speaking about his vulnerabilities & challenges, all while striving to make the world a better place.
I think there is a fundamental difference between self maintenance and self care. When I think of self care, the image of putting on a face mask and doing my nails is engrained in my mind, but to me this is self maintenance. Self care is more than doing these spa like activities, and sometimes self-care doesn’t have to feel warm or fuzzy. As I get older, the smallest changes in my routine affect my day to day, and having a self-care playbook is a great way to make sure I’m taking care of myself regardless of how I’m feeling. It helps me stay attuned to what I really need in a given moment, and make sure I honour whatever it is that I’m craving.
Uh.. so now what?
TRY SOMETHING NEW! It doesn’t have to be super big or dramatic like going kite surfing, but discovering the content I’ve shared above has added to my interests and made me really happy! It’s your turn now, you tell me — what pieces of content do you recommend?
About Bala Blabs
Bala Blabs is how I stay accountable to writing regularly. I've been on the journey of creating a more fulfilling life for myself. And I'd like to write and share ideas with you on everything I find interesting in topics like personal growth, art, hobbies, and much more. I hope you'll benefit a little bit from reading my content. At the very least, you're supporting one person on their mission to realize their true vision for their life.
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Marina’s a friend of mine that majored in Classics at McGill. I became friends with her after making her listen to me rap Iggy Azalea’s Fancy, while she sat across from me looking petrified. Marina - I’m sorry but not sorry for drawing everyone’s attention to you.