Haha hi! Are you confused? Like in a “this is an oddly lighthearted topic for Serious Soulful Cassie” way? That’s fair. I tend to write hella deep stuff here — but I have some breezy material in my brain too! That I intend to share more of! Because I’m thinking of turning this blog into an online magazine!
Sorry, that was sorta deep. :/ We’ll chat about that some other time …
Are you down for me just like, doing some non-heavy posts though? I envision a future mix of easy-reads, emotional essays, and pieces between and beyond. Think Man Repeller. Think The High Low. Etc. Etc. Yeah? Great.
Today I want to share two article series I’m loving, because if you’re not already into them yourself, I’m pretty sure you will be. They’re both in what I’d call the “my daily routine” category, a genre I totally eat up, which frequently annoys me about myself. For example: I still check in on a few “lifestyle” bloggers I started reading back in college, and though their posts have changed some with the times, it’s still ridiculously mundane day-in-the-life stuff more often than not. I almost always snap out of it halfway through a post and think, what am I doing spending time reading this?! But I always come back. <3 Is this what watching reality TV is like?
I’ve heard other people explain that they enjoy these writings because they’re “just nosey.” Maybe that’s part of it for me, but I don’t think it’s the main driver. In my case, I think I like them because it’s helpful — instructive, perhaps — to hear how other people navigate their days. Sure, sometimes the narratives are inspirational, but for me, and for these series in particular, what they typically inspire me to do is lighten up!
What I mean is: My default life mode is very black and white, very right or wrong, rather inflexible in certain ways. That sounds dreadful, but it isn’t (for me): I just like to be efficient and optimal and prepared. I like to think everything through and make every minute (and movement, and calorie, and conversation, and so on) count. So when I read about folks more casually flowing through life, existing comfortably in gray areas, it kind of opens my brain up to new approaches. It gives me real-life examples of what it would be like to NOT strategize so much, to just go out there in the world and see what happens. Wheeeeeeee!
To be clear, it’s not so much about getting away from my own instincts; as I said, my natural approach is not, to me, unpleasant. And as you’d expect, it’s very effective. And! I do get some ideas on how to be more optimal with my habits and routines from these articles too. It’s more about trying on new lifestyles, which, as previously noted, is a total freaking thrill to me. How many different people can I be in one lifetime? IDK but I’m gonna cycle through a lot of ‘em!
Omigod am I done explaining yet? Yes I think so. This was supposed to be an easy-read, ugh.
So! The series are:
1. The Cut’s “How I Get It Done”
Each of these articles is a profile of an accomplished, zeitgeist-y woman — writers, news anchors, politicians, fashion models. As the name suggests, it’s a peek into what it takes to create and contribute at the remarkable levels these women are known for. Which is inspirational, yes, but! They don’t just talk about work; they cover the “mundane” stuff too. And it’s cool to hear about how such a rad human goes about such everyday things as breakfast and exercise and school drop-off and skin care. You get to step into her figuratively very-big shoes and experience her day-to-day. L o o o v e.
2. Refinery29’s “Money Diaries”
Before you tell me there’s a book now, I know. I’m not interested. I’m sure many (most?) loyal readers of this series are in it for the financial insights, which the book presumably goes even deeper into; I am not one of them. To explain: The gist of these articles is that each is a one-week account of how an unidentified, regular (as in non-famous) woman spends her money. You learn her city, profession, and salary and get a breakdown of her regular expenses, then she takes you through a week in her life, day by day, diary-style (including noting expenditures). It is “boring.” It is fascinating. My god I love it.
Do you read these? Do you love them? Are there other series out there you’re loving? Tell me!
Off to article-binge, bye.
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