Hello autumn! Summer is officially over and we’re now in the middle of autumn. I’m a few weeks late, but I figured that now would be a great time to reflect on how the summer season went and set intentions for the current fall season.

Sustainability Reflections:

Sustainability is a practice. You can say that something matters to you, but unless your actions align with your intentions, there really is no basis for your words. I believe that in order to live a more sustainable life, we have to take intentional steps towards actually showing up in a way that is reflective of sustainable living.

Summer always coincides with Slow Fashion Season, Plastic Free July, and the front end of Secondhand September. These three sustainability campaigns make it incredibly easy to keep sustainability top of mind. I participated in all three of these this year and here are my reflections.

Slow Fashion Season:

Slow Fashion Season promotes mindful shopping for three months. The campaign encourages that you forgo fast fashion from June 21 - September 21 and instead opt for swapping, shopping secondhand, or supporting small businesses. 

This was my third year participating in Slow Fashion Season so, at this point, I basically have it down on lock. I started it with the intention of purchasing no new items but when a friend decided to auction off her closet, I couldn’t resist. My total purchases for the three months consist of four new-to-me garments from her event.

Plastic Free July:

This was my first time participating in Plastic Free July and boy, was it hard. We were in the heat of the pandemic in Taiwan and everyone was extra cautious about transmission. Furthermore, Taiwan actually has a huge takeout culture and it became apparent just how prevalent plastic was in everyday life.

Plastic Free July made me aware of exactly how much plastic we use in our daily lives; from groceries to bathing essentials, it’s almost impossible to go without it. I did find that preparation and mindfulness were extremely helpful in decreasing single-use plastics though and will take these lessons with me going forward.

Secondhand September:

For me, Slow Fashion Season bled into Secondhand September and interestingly enough, I didn’t purchase a single garment during that month. I think that making those secondhand purchases in August definitely satisfied the shopping itch and I felt like my wardrobe was refreshed again.

Lessons From Summer:

Taiwan was in Level 3 lockdown for the majority of the summer so it feels like I lost a lot of time. Initially, when the lockdown began in May, I was grateful to have the extra time to recenter and get focused on work, but after two months of being indoors, I realized that maybe it was time to start engaging with the outside world again. 

This summer has been one about balance. I didn’t objectively do very much with my time--I didn’t create any extraordinary new memories or relationships, but on the flip side, I did use that time to gain clarity on my financial and life goals.

One of the most freeing things that I realized was that even if I were completely financially independent, I would probably still be spending the majority of my days the same exact way. This recognition alleviated some of the pressure that I was placing on myself to hit ambitious financial goals.

Autumn Intentions:

This autumn, I’m setting three main intentions:

1. To get laser-focused on my vision for the business and creative projects that are on my plate. I plan on restructuring my portfolio for website design and developing additional skills for my career.

2. To continue to recognize my needs outside of work and learn to tend to them without guilt. 

3. To travel and see more of Taiwan. Again, because of Lockdown, I was unable to get the summer traveling experience that I wanted and hope to make up for that lost time this Autumn.

That’s it! Just three simple things to focus on this coming season. Thanks for checking in!