The Design Files: Nail Paints at Asos

Asos.com is my darling. Seriously. It’s a website that caters to the high-street desires of my heart. And while at that, I admire the fact that they’re constantly improving, making better and re-inventing every product of theirs. Take for example these nice little paint pots and the little extravagances that maketh them, i.e the little bows. I heart.

The 19 Characteristics of Abraham Maslow’s Self-Actualizer

My favourite Brian Johnson of Philosopher's Notes sent this out today. I love, love, love it. So take a look very briefly, at the 19 Characteristics of Abraham Maslow’s Self-Actualizer:

Perception of Reality
These individuals tend to have a “superior relationship with reality” and are “generally unthreatened and unfrightened by the unknown.” In fact, “They accept it, are comfortable with it, and, often are even more attracted by it than by the known. They not only tolerate the ambiguous and unstructured--they like it.”

Acceptance
“Even the normal member of our culture feels unnecessarily guilty or ashamed about too many things and has anxiety in too many situations. Our healthy individuals find it possible to accept themselves and their own nature without chagrin or complaint or, for that matter, without even thinking about the matter that much.”

Spontaneity
The behavior of the self-actualizing individual is “marked by simplicity and naturalness, and by lack of artificiality or straining for effect.”

Problem Centering
Self-actualizers customarily have some “mission in life.”

Solitude
Self-actualizing individuals “positively like solitude and privacy to a definitely greater degree than the average person.”

Autonomy
“They have become strong enough to be independent of the good opinion of other people, or even of their affection. The honors, the status, the rewards, the popularity, the prestige, and the love they can bestow must have become less important than self-development and inner growth.”

Fresh Appreciation
“Self-actualizing people have the wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may have become to others.”

Peak Experiences
It’s been called “flow” or “being in the zone.” Whatever you want to call it, self-actualizers tend to experience it more often than average.

Human Kinship
“Self-actualizing people have a deep feeling of identification, sympathy, and affection for human beings in general. They feel kinship and connection, as if all people were members of a single family.” “Self-actualizing individuals have a genuine desire to help the human race.”

Humility and Respect
All of Maslow’s subjects “may be said to be democratic people in the deepest sense...they can be friendly with anyone of suitable character, regardless of class, education, political belief, race or color. As a matter of fact it often seems as if they are not aware of these differences, which are for the average person so obvious and so important.”

Interpersonal Relationships
“Self-actualizing people have these especially deep ties with rather few individuals. Their circle of friends is rather small. The ones that they love profoundly are few in number.”

Ethics
“They do right and do not do wrong. Needless to say, their notions of right and wrong and of good and evil are often not the conventional ones.”

Means and Ends
“They are fixed on ends rather than on means, and means are quite definitely subordinated to these ends.”

Humor
“They do not consider funny what the average person considers to be funny. Thus they do not laugh at hostile humor (making people laugh by hurting someone) or superiority humor (laughing at someone else’s inferiority) or authority-rebellion humor (the unfunny, Oedipal, or smutty joke).”

Creativity
“This is a universal characteristic of all the people studied or observed. There is no exception.”

Resistance to Enculturation
“Of all of them it may be said that in a certain profound and meaningful sense they resist enculturation and maintain a certain inner detachment from the culture in which they are immersed.”

Imperfections
Actualizers “show many of the lesser human failings. They too are equipped with silly, wasteful, or thoughtless habits. They can be boring, stubborn, irritating. They are by no means free from a rather superficial vanity, pride, partiality to their own productions, family, friends, and children. Temper outbursts are not rare.”

Values
“A firm foundation for a value system is automatically furnished to self-actualizers by their philosophic acceptance of the nature of self, of human nature, of much of social life, and of nature and physical reality.”

Resolution of Dichotomies
“The dichotomy between selfishness and unselfishness disappears altogether in healthy people because in principle every act is both selfish and unselfish.”

So are you a self-actualizer, darling? Think about it and let me know.

Balancing the Hilton and the Hepburn in you

Things haven’t been too good these days, what with many actress tantrums, beauty shoots and much much more. But what else is keeping me busy you ask? This book, called How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World. Honestly speaking, it made me think a lot on the whys and hows of making a perfect woman.

Much homework later, I realized that it just released in India and is already making waves. But since no one else will give you the right review (Trust me, I’ve read it online and in a one-page review in Mumbai Mirror), I will take a baton and give you the verdict. First things first, this is a good book, in terms of looks with all it’s nice charming classic black dress and the drapery of pearls. Look closer and you might even applaud the readable fonts, the little tips and the empowering notes. But what you don’t notice is the condescending tone, the 1950s guide to pleasing a man and a whole load of prim and propah-ness that is absolutely unnecessary in this world. It’s basically a whole load of lessons on how to live in a boring-classic-graceful style and that would be embracing the look-alike mentality in my opinion.

I’ve never been a big fan of Audrey Hepburn. All thanks to the lady for having a style of her own and commanding attention, but these days, the reason why we fall for many eccentric idols, is because we understand the meaning of being different. Not just different, but we’re looking for someone whose ideas of expressing themselves are totally unique. Once we identify those who pop our champagne, we will only take up a few of their characteristics and mix-match it with out own to altogether make a new cocktail. But no, this is exactly what the book dissuades you to do. It wants you to be a housewife with decorum, but make sure you do it in classic style, and making sure you’re respectable before your peers. That said, I must compliment the good things I learnt from the book. So, here we go:

Flashing, getting drunk and not knowing how you got a tweety tattoo on your butt is just NOT cool anymore

Self-respect is a much-undervalued gift. Keep it, don’t toss it around for everyone to trample upon it

You cannot, absolutely cannot, derive your value from what others think of you. Period.

Making a smart girl list. Make a list of all things that you want to do for yourself.

Hard work, good ethics and big dreams are non-negotiable.

Choosing friends who bring out the best in you. Not vice-versa.

You gotta stop playing mind games with the boys. Do your thing and he will come.

Dressing your age, it isn’t about other people but you. Dress smartly but choose what suits your bosy.

Less is always more. But sometimes more is also more when it comes to accessorizing.

That aside, Jordan Christy, the author of the book must understand that thongs, dancing on top of the bar table, facebook lives and outrageous behaviour is good as long as it’s not harming anyone.

Picture Courtesy: Manga art by Tamtamchan. I love Manga.

Retro in the Metro: The Design Files

I’ve always been a very colourful person. If it’s not colour, it’s texture. Though design has never been my forte, I’ve always had an opinion on how graphics look like and work on a certain medium. Working in a fashion magazine does to a large extent prepare you for the design element. We are always fighting with the art and design team over where products have to be placed or where we need to make rearrangements. And over the years, I’ve somehow learn to appreciate the normal yet creative things that surround my work. My layouts that are almost fed into my psyche, the little details, the smallest of ideas, the design intrusions and the exuberant colours. Fonts, spaces and kerning is another call altogether. But while we sit here talking about design, I must give in that disclaimer that I’m not a pro when it comes to art and design. If not anything, I am a voyeur, a glimpse, an idea at the most. And today, as I glance upon things, books, magazines, ideas, and posters- anything, I know that they are the sum of a whole and the only thing that ties them closer is perhaps design. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised when Elle came up with this really nice design cover for their supplement. If design is my manna, retro is my flavour. And Elle, as a magazine has the best layouts, the latent design elements and a lot of consistency. And the August Issue with Katrina on the cover is good too, but this small little gift that came with it, is my idea of fun. In India, there are very few magazines that garner such a reputation. And while Elle remains a creative enigma, the supplement is my inspiration for the day. Note the flowy colours, the underlying passion and the pop.

Tell me, What makes your eyes pop these days?

Wishlist for the Week

Picture Courtesy: Miss Dior Cherie L'eau print ad

Old cassettes are used to make iPod gadgets. Good Stuff, mate.

An entire book written without the letter 'e'. Fabulous idea.

DIY: FREE printable Mini File Folder & Labels for a nice party.

Why my 30s are better than my 20s. A fun report by Marie Claire.

Nikhil from work introduced me to this fabulous shit. Hail fun stuff in Wonderland magazine.

My editor mailed this to me. Still fearless at Vogue?

Plug-o-rama. Mission meets profession. Journalism dilemmas.

Polaroid Street Art. I love, I love.

Brad Pitts Make-It-Right foundation and the homes they are building. I like hot men doing good stuff.

Daily Good is an inspiring quote or a bundle of goodness that you get for free in your mailbox. Pass me some of that goodness.

Specially for those working in Fashion magazines. References galore. Courtesy Nikhil.

A series of screaming pictures from World Famous Design Junkies.

I love crochet. Though, outmoded and outdated, I still think it has old world charm.

Food Art by Nouar. Things that I could actually frame up in my home.

I like printable free stuff. I'm freeloader like that, but hey, these are printable Thank You cards.

Orange is the new Black. I want to include in every way in my wardrobe. My inspiration: Carolina Herrera's 2010 Resort Collection. Good, Ahoy!

MJ, MJ, How can we ever forget you? Agyness Deyn, my idol, does the ever fashionable Michael Jackson. Awesomeness.

Marie Claire finally starts their own Style.com. Lots of good pictures, good shopping and excellent fashion. Go, invade.

Linda Evangelista in a Galliano ad. Super retro stuff.

Beauty and the Balloon. See and enjoy!

Lastly but not leastly, I am more and more getting inspired to write my book. And once the right kind of encouragement comes your way, you are set. Here's my little gyan on the way.

It makes more sense to write one big book—a novel or nonfiction narrative—than to write many stories or essays. Into a long, ambitious project you can fit or pour all you possess and learn. A project that takes five years will accumulate those years’ inventions and richnesses. Much of those years’ reading will feed the work. Further, writing sentences is difficult whatever their subject. It is no less difficult to write sentences in a recipe than sentences in Moby-Dick. So you might as well write Moby-Dick.

ANNIE DILLARD

Al Pacino's Inch By Inch speech from Any Given Sunday

I don't know what to say really.
Three minutes
to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play
till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.

Now I can't do it for you.
I'm too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh....
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off
anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately,
I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life
things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But,
you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game
life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean
one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch.
Cause we know
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know
if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy
who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?

Freelancing for Magazines in India: Identifying the Route

Working for a fashion/features women’s magazine for almost four years taught me a few things. Never to take anything for granted and always back your work and the magazine with articles from freelancers. Freelancing is a viable career nowadays as most magazines give out editorial work. The reason why we give out freelance work is because, we need a new voice or variety in our writing and help on certain articles we may never have time for, considering that we are busy with the features that are already sitting prettily on our plates. Sometimes it’s also about getting someone to do a full story of the topic that they most invariably specialize in, rather than get a regular features writer to write out a mediocre copy. More or less like expert opinion. Whatever it is, at times like these, a freelancer is a like a shining beacon of hope to a magazine, someone who will be regularly on the magazines radar if he/she delivers exceptionally. I get a sizeable amount of mails, queries and doubts from friends and strangers on writing for a fashion/features magazine and I've decided to post my views and thoughts here. Unadulterated,simple, easy and 'something from inside the industry'.

But first things first. The pressing questions about freelancing always linger in the background. Do magazines really need freelance? And I have to say, yes we do. At least a good 30% of the magazine can be given out for freelance. Let no one ever tell you that they don’t take any. But on the other hand, if the magazine editors don’t get back to you, it would mean that you need to work on your appeal, both work-wise and otherwise. I have worked with a few freelancers and I realize that there are many myths that comprise a worried freelancer. While their services are freelancers range from exceptional to mediocre, it’s important to know what makes a good bet for a national magazine that’s looking for quality work. And here are my rules for an ideal freelance writer. The things you should do, and the things you ought to do. And the myths that explode.

How do you choose the magazine you want to write for?

Slogging away on the workings of human rights in India if you’re a firmer believer/lover of those classic vintage necklaces found on Hill Road is futile. Stick to your strengths. Make a list of the ten things that you’re interested in writing about. Look into averages. For example, if there are more than two points on fashion and beauty, then you’re a fashion magazine material. If you’re always working on a good dose of socially relevant stuff, then you’re into the features and social magazines and if you’re heavily fuelled by Kitsch art then, Décor magazines it is. Identify your niche and you’re good to go. Once you identify your inner calling, go to the local newsstand and check out all the magazines that suit your taste and requirements. Never ever say, “I want to freelance” without doing the above. Being planned can get you more work than anything else. And ‘wanting to do ANYTHING’ isn’t a valid freelance request.


Who the Magazine is targeted at?

After you zero in on the magazines you want to write for, take a reality check. What is the magazine all about and who are its readers? I have spoken and written to many who walk in and demand freelance without knowing what the magazine stands for. And who is it for, is another important question. If it’s for college students, what kind of topics will work? Maybe, “What makes sex safe?” Things like that. Marie Claire, for example is a strong feminist magazine with a penchant for light yet relationship-type stories. Hence the story, "Why do single women fall for married men?” Do your homework. Keep a journal in place and just write down ideas and thoughts.


What is the content's value? What is the style?

Is it strong, academic or light and breezy? The style of a magazine is very important before you even look at story ideas. It’s important to be able to write in the way the magazine functions and works.

What can I offer that a regular writer/employee of the magazine cannot provide?

First Person Stories like "My husband slept with his Best Friend" will work. You can even look around and interview a friend and write it in first person. Just make sure it's contemporary and sensational. The unique-ness of this premise is that you, only you can tell the story, only you know the contact and any regular employee cannot. Sometimes, we can take a piece just because it’s written cleverly. A simple topic like “Why do women life about their age?” is unique, funny and isn’t done to death.
Other ideas that should be avoided, but can be written cleverly are in the departments of Fitness, Health and Relationships. Unless you can offer to write things like "My one week of endurance with Muay Thai", no one will give it out because going and checking out a good fitness fad is something the employee can do.

Who should I write to and how should I go about it?

Ask around. Cold call the magazine and try to get the features editors e-mail id. Unless you press for attention people will just keep you on the phone with an outdated Christmas song that goes on and on in between extensions. Another way of looking at it is through the mast head of the magazine and simply put in the first name or the name of the person with the company’s name. For example: vinay@newstoday.com, vinayshukla@newstoday.com. Call and let us know what you have sent us. Call, don’t pester.

In your covering letter to magazines, do write down ideas specific to the magazine and trust me, it will work. For example: "Can I write the ill-effects of Yoga for your Life & Style section?" People will give you work at once.

Narrow it down this way and you can practically write on most things under the sun. Also try to expand to writing on human interest stories, more or less first person stuff like I said. That's something every magazine is looking for and every employee can't provide.

Write an eye-catching subject line. “The workings of a happy marriage in India as seen through a stray man’s eyes” or “The Making of an item number in Bollywood” etc. This will make us open the document and read. And never, ever attach your work,just copy-paste it in the mail. Well, it’s true, am lazy to download. And so are many others in this industry. Write an excellent, funny, witty covering letter. Write your ideas, strengths and your best stories. Keep it super short. No long stories.


Additional Homework:

Check the last ten issues of the magazine before you write them a mail. If you can’t get the back issues, just google and find the website. Read and re-read

Its’ a myth that all mails sent by freelancers are sent straight to the trash bin. Infact, I’ve been looking for freelancers for a premium fashion magazine for years and am still yet to find someone who can write a decent copy.

It’s ok if you’re good at beauty, fashion or even silly relationship stories. Deep doesn’t only mean writing on socially relevant issues.

It’s a myth that big high-end magazines don’t take freelancers. All of us do. We just want better stuff in our inboxes.

Don’t recycle ideas and do a blanket call with every magazine. Just work on ideas that work for each magazine. For example: Cosmopolitan likes pieces like “ How to spot jealousy in a relationship?” and you can tweak it to, “ How jealousy ruined my relationship” and that will work with Femina. And, the “How jealousy can ruin relationships, a report” in Open magazine.

Never mail your exclusive contacts to a magazine. Name the names, but store the numbers and e-mails.