Courage to be who you are

I love the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland. In particular, I like to sing "If I Were King of the Forest" as sung by the Cowardly Lion played by Bert Lahr. It's a sonic adventure duplicating his vibrato and little doggie woof sounds. In the movie, through a series of adventures, the Cowardly Lion eventually finds his courage. He is a role model.

I've had my share of scary adventures since I started Bag and a Beret in early 2012 - auditioning, schmoozing, modeling, using my tripod in public - and each time I do something new, I feel empowered and ask, What's next!? 

But getting to Bag and a Beret was a step-by-step process. Even though I dressed in things I loved, I loathed having my picture taken, and I didn't really understand how/why other women did it.

First, I launched a street style blog, Culture Serf, which focused on other people. A partial photo of me is featured in the masthead and just that freaked me out.

Then I opened a "blog" called Social Hangover, which was really a website that I updated manually, where I put stories, cartoons, and some art. My archives of that are on a USB stick somewhere "safe" (meaning, I can't find it). No photos of me, no way.

And then I opened a blog called Queen of Canada, where I did the same but added sketches of my outfits, pre-Turniphead days, taking me one step closer to actual outfit photos, although I would have denied it at the time. 

I made the initial drawings in pen, then coloured them in with pencil crayons, then scanned them, and then did touch-ups with a digital airbrush. My beret figured prominently. Again, no face.

That's a cartoon from Queen of Canada below. No disrespect intended, I just find it weird that Canada has a queen and I can't work in England even as a Commonwealth-er. I don't see much "common," or wealth for that matter, heh. 

I also did a series of paintings of the Queen living in the Canadian wilds, as a wandering pioneer, guarding her Corgis from wolves (so sorry to hear that her final Corgi passed recently), rinsing her gown outside her cabin.

At last I included my head but with a blurred face. Rarely would I include my face face. And I rarely wore any makeup at that time - didn't want it/didn't feel I need it - but that might be lipstick in the right photo. And I carried my camera at all times for the street style blog. These were in the sketches.

Social Hangover and Queen of Canada each lasted less than a year. During that time I got a better handle on my camera and tripod photographing my art. But what I was really doing was working up to join Patti's Visible Monday at her blog Not Dead Yet Style and all the other fabulous over-40 women who were having fun with style. 

And then, in early 2012, I was ready. I would soon hit 50 and that whole invisibility thing was really, REALLY PISSING ME OFF! I opened Bag and a Beret.

So here I am. Gimme an audience!! I'll woof, and I'll woof, and I'll roar. 

I've always been a creator/maker and bold in thought and style, but putting myself out in the virtual world required a shift. I mean, once you're out there, you're out there. I'm over it now. Besides, it's too late anyway.

And it's interesting that my current email is actlikeadiva, which, I noticed just now, is clearly an extension of the queen theme. As Cowardly Lion sang, "My regal robes of the forest, would be satin, not cotton, not chintz." Ah, Bert Lahr, he was a brilliant performer.

And next came Instagram. The following video is a fast-forward look at my outfits from my first year there, October 2015/16. I have to thank Sylvia of 40-plus Style and Suzanne Carillo for their encouragement to join. Now Instagram is my most popular social media platform.

So that's my story, my path so far. The key for me these days is unlearning many of the stifling unnecessary rules out there to reduce the clutter on my way forward and translating the scary things into power.

Which leads me to my next point. I have started doing what I call Style Boost Coaching.

Style Boost Coaching

One of the best things to come out of my style blogging has been hearing from a diversity of women about how I have helped them in their own style adventures, not in dressing like me, but adapting some of my ideas into their own style or giving them the courage to make a complete style change. Really, it's the best feeling.

Whether you need a little boost or a big, huge style change, I can give you tips and energy for change learned through my own journeys. It's up to you. But we definitely need to talk in a one-on-one Skype coaching session. Until now I've only done style consulting in real life, sample HERE, but this is a new thing. Come join me. It'll be fun. It may even change your life...?

Click HERE to read more.

And below is my outfit of the week, an orange top $4, Billabong jeans $6 that were custom-dyed by Annie, and a reversible heavy quilted coat/robe $9, all amazing deals from the West Vancouver United Church Spring Flea Market. Again, my personal shopper Yvonne, who found me a cool Moschino suit last time, picked out an Armani dress $18 this time. So good. Can't wait to show you.

AND...
Margaret Manning of Sixty & Me also posted more transcripts of my Skype interviews with her in Sept. about how to boost your style over 50. So far:

1. Vintage Clothing is Back for Women Over 50: Embrace the Past and Create Amazing Style 
2. Fashion Over 50: Forget What Others Think and Express Your Eccentricities!
3. Fashion After 50: The Art of Walking Like a Movie Star 
4. I Love Floral Tights! Why Fashion After 60 is About Wearing What Makes You Happy

Feel free to comment! You can watch the videos at these links too. These were my very first Skype interviews, so scary but oh so fun too. Thank you again, Margaret! My original post from September is HERE.

And one final thing - I went to the Murakami exhibition at Vancouver Art Gallery as the guest of friends blogger Judith and her partner Handsome, whose joyful "May the Fourth Be With You" outfits stopped people in their tracks! You'll know why if you check out the pics on Judith's Instagram, fancified.ca.

That's all for this time. I'll be linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style (thanks for the inspiration all these years) and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb when the time is right. See you there.

Have a great week!!!

This post is long - well done on making it to the end. When I only post once a week, I feel like I have to cram it all in. So question: Do you prefer shorter but more frequent posts or longer less frequent posts? I'd appreciate your thoughts on that.