Missing In Action

Hello Lovely! It’s been a little quiet here on The Patranila Project for the last few weeks and I’ve missed you! The final weeks of the year were hectic for me in a variety of ways. Some good and some, not so much. I suppose we can all lay claim to a hectic existence at some point in life so I won’t bore you with all the details but suffice it to say, things are back on the slow road to normal.

Take time to relate and release

There’s a tendency, at the beginning of a new year, to rush headlong into new projects, new ventures, new everything. Resolutions swirl and promises are made. This is counter-intuitive for me. If I had my druthers, January would be spent alone in the foothills of Mount Tibidabo pondering the meaning of life and recovering from all that forced festivity. I hibernate in winter and make no apologies for it. I also don’t make resolutions. I don’t need the extra pressure or disappointment.

I usually spend my winter months gearing up for spring/summer and this year will be no exception. I am an introvert, after all, and my recovery time is sacred. This year, even more so. And I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Last year was a doozy!

That said, I am really excited about the new year and about sharing more fun stuff with you. In the midst of the crazy, I created my first course, Easy Everyday Makeup That Lasts All Day, and I’m totally stoked (do people still say stoked?) to create more courses where I can share more in-depth beauty knowledge with you. If there’s something you’d specifically like to learn in the new year, don’t be shy. Drop a comment or send me an email and let me know!

Winter can be fun when you’re at the beach!

 

I also spent a few glorious weeks on the left coast stretching my creative muscles, making new friends, and getting some much-needed distance from the daily endurance challenge that is life in New York. Bi-coastal living has long been the dream and I’m getting closer to it!

Here’s a quick video from my first few days in California. I was/am in the midst of a 100 Days of Visibility/Vulnerability Challenge (which lives on Facebook) and this video is an entry from Day Something or Other.

Word For The Year: Visibility

Which brings me to my new Word For The Year. VISIBILITY. I usually do a whole post on my Word For The Year but this year, I’m tucking it into this catch-up post because it seems fitting. I started a #100DaysOfVisibility Challenge in October and though I’ve not been as visible as the challenge suggests, I found it to be both terrifying and exhilarating.

Showing myself to the world is not a natural state for me. I know what you’re thinking. Aren’t you a beauty blogger and an actress to boot?! Why yes, but my introversion is hardcore and I have to work really hard to overcome my secret, loner, there’s-nothing-to-see-here lifestyle. The struggle is real.

So I’m using the 100 Days Challenge as a primer for greater visibility this year with one caveat: meaningful visibility. A lot of folks are flooding our channels with tons of useless drivel so, of course, I endeavor to not be one of those folks. We’ll see!

Happy New Year my lovelies! Take care of you.