Instagram is great for connecting with people all over the world, I never thought I would meet so many inspiring women in the short 4 months I am online with &Bloom. Surely I was on Instagram before, mainly posting some personal pictures but never with the purpose of what I am posting now.
Recently I met Sam on Instagram, we connected because of our mutual goal to empower women. Sam is a creative soul that loves to work with women who have dreams that make their heart sing. She’s the owner of Shine Media, a digital design agency, based in Capetown. She helps ambitious women to present the best version of their ideas to the world. Women who are inspired and talented but feel overwhelmed and stuck. You should really check out her visual identities and her photography.
Tell Us About Yourself?
I live on the tip of Africa in Cape Town. I studied History of Art at University and love creativity and visual images. My passion is photography. I love to travel (I’m currently writing this in Vietnam) cats and being in nature. I love second hand book shops, vintage children’s books and getting lost reading.
I’m Pisces and that makes me compassionate, sensitive, prone to nostalgia, melancholy and daydreaming. I admire people who are very courageous and challenge themselves.
In another life I would like to be a Zen Buddhist monk, a professional footballer, a famous social documentary photographer and (just for one day) a Victoria Secret runway model ha ha. ☺
What Do You Do for Work?
I have a digital design studio with my husband and a pop up brand called Shine Media that works exclusively with women entrepreneurs. I do digital design and writing and photography and help women present the best version of their ideas to the world.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
There isn’t one monumental thing. I guess I have 100% record of getting through the hardest days of my life, so probably that.
What are you Most Proud Of?
I wish I felt proud of myself more often, but if I think about it:
- Becoming (and sticking to) being vegan when I was addicted to cheese. ☺
- Starting a life in a new country with nothing.
- Travelling by myself for the first time – to India!!
- Being in a TV commercial whilst suffering from and hiding a terrible rash on my body.
- Surviving in and then quitting a toxic, corporate job.
- Paying my own way in life.
What Do you Regret Most?
Not feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
If You Had a Warning Label, What Would It Be?
Prone to moodiness. Keep well fed!
What’s the Biggest Risk You’ve Ever Taken?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. Moving several times to new countries and cities and starting over from scratch probably. And bizarrely to some, recently getting married!
What’s on your nightstand?
The books I’m reading, framed photographs of my parents, a scented candle I fell in love with in San Francisco (Honey Tobacco) meaningful objects such as crystals, a hand made glass angel from my mother, an antique rose quartz mala (necklace) from Turkey and love letters.
If you could tweet something to your younger self, what would you say?
It goes by fast. Don’t drift through life. Savour it, be kind, be present, because this isn’t going to happen again.
How do you feel about aging?
Honestly, I am yet to embrace it 100%. I embrace the wisdom, the experience and the confidence ageing brings but I struggle a lot with the physical side of it. I’ve always looked much younger than I am. At 40 people thought I was 30, but I’ve seen the greatest ageing happening from about 42 until now. (I’m 46) I see the time and money it takes to simply look like I used to look (I need to dye my hair to cover the grey, tint my eyebrows to keep them their original dark colour, have facials to have the same skin as when I was younger, train at the gym, have spray tans if I want to be tanned as my skin can no longer tolerate the sun without getting blemishes (I was also a tanned beach girl growing up in South Africa).
And then there are the small things that seem to happen overnight – the wrinkles appear, the face starts to sag, the body succumbs to gravity and a different shape, the skin has sunspots and freckles, the hands start to age… Youth is so revered and worshipped in our society. Fifteen year old girls model clothing and jewellery for middle aged women. Every headline is about “anti-ageing.”
And you start to notice that men (and women) don’t look at you as much as they used to. It’s hard to come to terms with. As Bette Davis said, “Ageing is not for sissies.” So far I’ve had no beauty treatments besides facials, but a lot of my friends have Botox and fillers. I never thought I’d ever care enough to consider Botox, but I find my mind thinking about it as I feel my reflection moves further away from what I’m used to. It’s hard to look the way you once did, never mind more beautiful!
I’d love to be one of those women that “age gracefully” or at least claim to have no problem with the physical ageing process. Do they really exist?
What do you do to feel at your best?
Eat healthily (I’m vegan but try to avoid wheat and sugar as it makes me feel bad). Exercise – I feel more positive and energised afterwards, meditate to feel calmer, don’t go to bed too late, don’t binge watch series and be as kind as I can.
Strangest recent middle-of-the-night thought?
Not strange, but the question, “Are the best times of my life over already?”
What’s the one thing you most hope for personally in the coming year?
Financial security for my parents, a change of scenery for myself and the ability to plan for my future are the top ones.
