A 16th birthday is a coming of age year, you’re a bit more mature and figuring out who you are. You’re in high school, you can get your license. I can hardly wrap my brain around the fact that I’ve been writing this for so long. And for 400+ consecutive days of a global pandemic. I would love to have had a post written with all kinds of favorite moments in blog history: travel adventures, red carpets, film festivals, tweetups, and events, but that life seems so incredibly far away right now. I didn’t have the energy but now thinking about it, going back in time seems kinda fun.
Looking back, the thing I’m most grateful for is all the people I’ve met through this blog. Nearly everyone I know today is somehow connected to my blog, by way of social media, work, or events. It’s changed my whole life. I changed my whole life.
The thing is, if you want to achieve something, or be something, you have to work at it. You need to do something each day that brings you closer to that goal. You get up early and work on it before your job, you think about it on your run, you stay up late, you work on it. You skip going out with your friends to learn HTML and use what little extra money you have to make stickers and cards with your name on them. You do something each day to bring you closer to your goal. You take a step forward each day.
A couple of things I’m pretty proud of are being recognized by the Canadian Academy of Film & Television as an innovator & pioneer, receiving an Alumni of Distinction award from Conestoga College, and being recognized by Ontario as a nominee for the Premiere’s Award for Creative Arts & Design. I walk past these daily in my room but I don’t think I’ve ever shared them here. It’s important to recognize your success because you can easily get caught up in the hustle of moving forward.
When I started blogging, social media wasn’t invented yet and I made casiestewart.blogspot.com as a way to keep more memories. I was in my 20’s and figured a diary was the best way to keep track of the things I did each day. I kept forgetting details with my 20-something, somewhat reckless lifestyle. I always loved writing and the fact that I could put my thoughts down and publish them FOR FREE was exciting. One of my fav quotes from mum is “Just because you don’t have money doesn’t mean you can’t compete, you just have to be more creative”. So that’s what I did.
If you want to create something YOU CAN. Just start, do it today. Time goes fast and if we have learned anything this year, each day is precious. Don’t hold back. Do the damn thing.
Thank you for reading and following along in this adventure of my life. Here’s to many more years and hopefully a party one day!
Side note: A couple of years ago, I did a 23andMe genetic test to find out that I am at risk for Alzheimer’s, it’s like I can tell the future or something.
