Last week, an acquaintance was asking me about Magpie, and she observed: “You are so lucky to do what you love on a daily basis.” I roundly agreed. I often feel that I am living a fantasy: how did I get here, to where I am writing for a living? It’s too good. My sister-in-law asked me this week whether I ever find it difficult to “turn off,” and I said: “Yes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It couldn’t be any other way, actually.” Because creating is as natural to me as breathing; it’s subliminal, hard-wired into my way of thinking and being. It has never felt like an onus, or an otherness, or a burden — I honestly couldn’t stop it if I tried. I feel that I cannot process the wilderness of lived experience until it has passed through the filter of language.

All that said: getting to this point in my vocation has not been straight-forward or without effort. It has required risk and commitment and failure and embarrassment and any number of improvised solutions. In short, I wouldn’t say luck carried me here. Or, rather, this is what luck has looked like, while in development, mid-rise in the proofing process, in chrysalis:

Scotch tape

“Square one again, how unusual”

“Let me check with the team” when the team is only you

Just showing up day in and day out

“Well that one failed; let’s begin again”

Menial, manual tasks

Saying yes to things that won’t pencil out financially but will get you in the right rooms

“I wonder if I…” at 2:11 a.m.

Wishing you could say “I’m an accountant” when people ask your job

Stained fingers (literal or figurative)

Versioning

A wide but narrowing berth between your ouput and your expectations

Hundreds of combination of gas and filament (Edison and his lightbulb)

“Sure we can” (you have no idea if you can)

Micro-breaks

Embarrassment and second-guessing

Revision, revision, revision

Sloppy notes to self

“Why not me?”

Of all of these humbling experiences, I think the most powerful have been the seemingly incompatible “revision, revision, revision” and “why not me?” I think you need to hold both — one in each hand — to get to a place that looks like luck kissed it. You need to be humble and open-minded and determined enough to continue to try again, and you also need to carry outsized ambition for yourself.

Onward, Magpies! To “luck” — i.e., the hard work and self belief that make it happen!

Post-Scripts.

+Also, no one else is paying as much attention to your life as you are, so you might as well.

+Advice for disillusioned writers.

+”We ate well and cheaply.”

Shopping Break.

+This dress has been wildly popular among Magpies this week and I predict will sell out — great fall family photo or Thanksgiving dress. If you live somewhere more coastal/warm-weather, Asha has some beautiful fall-hued caftans!

+Eby is running a BOGO free sale. I am obsessed with this bra – I wear it every day. Smoothing, soft, supportive, no-wires, but doesn’t give you that weird monoboob look. You must try!

+Two items I am loving at Julia Amory: this oversized quilted jacket (perfect for over sweaters) and these spectacular silk dupioni trousers. (JEN-15 for 15% off.)

+If you like the vibe of Julia Berolzheimer’s Kilte collection but not the price, try this!

+Boden also has some great pieces in a similar color palette (greens, taupes, pinks) — love this half-zip, this plaid coat, this reversible gilet (!!! in my cart!), and this brushed cotton top.

+Cute inexpensive plaid jacket.

+Our favorite statement top in a fab new fall color. Also love this fall take on another one of our Magpie favorite blouses! (This Madwell blouse nails the look for less.)

+Speaking of Madewell: I’m always drawn to a staple with a little twist, color, stripe, etc, and this chore jacket is SO good! I’m also loving these pieced barrel jeans. The shape and panel down the leg remind me of my favorite Mother jeans.

+I watched too many BeautyToks and bought this viral contour wand and this viral “baking” translucent powder this week. We’ll see if I’m adept enough to apply them…! I love watching those videos.

+Also on the beauty front: I wrote about this over the weekend, but I’ve recently discovered that the trick to undereye moisture/care is not eye cream but eye patches. They work so much better for me. I am now using them almost every morning instead of eye cream and the results are incredible. I LOVE the ones from YSE and Jillian Dempsey but they’re too $$$ for regular use, so I am currently using and loving these (cooling, hydrating), and I also ordered these on the rec of a Magpie — price is right!

+I ordered this cosmetics case after reading so many rave reviews about it – apparently really sturdy and well-designed and carries everything. I typically take two of these Julia Amory cosmetics cases with me (one for skincare/deodorant/hair, the other for cosmetics) but I’m curious whether I’ll prefer having everything in one place.

+This lounge set for a little boy!

+Rechargeable handwarmers for cold mornings.

+PSA that Zara has really cute Halloween costumes for little ones: bat and ghost!

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