Katrina
Since my last blog, I’ve reached a milestone which is very important to me.
On May 22, I published my 1000th article for CelebMix. Since joining the CM fam in September 2015, the site has become one of the most important things in my life. It gave me a new purpose when I needed it the most, it’s given me a second family and it’s allowing me to gain experience in the field I ultimately want to work in.
I know the old saying, “quality not quantity”, and I 100% agree with the sentiment, but I’d like to think that each one of my 1000 articles have been written with care and passion. I dedicate so much of my time to writing for CelebMix, hence why I pretty much turn in at least one article on a daily basis. I come home from my 9-5 job, switch on my laptop and often type away until the early hours. Sometimes I get up earlier than I should just so that I can write something before going to work. I spend my weekends at home glued to my laptop and I almost always take it with me when I’m away too so that I’m available on the go.
THAT is why I’m proud of reaching this milestone. My 1000 articles aren’t made up of 1000 less-than-100 word pieces – they’re made up of detailed news articles, reviews, listicles, quizzes and more. Over 80 of them are interviews that I’ve either conducted via email, phone or face to face. I’m driven by my love for entertainment and determination to be able to write for a living.
Recently I feel as if I’ve started to believe in myself a little more, and I’ve decided to take more chances when possible. I’ve been invited to events in London on numerous occasions now, but as I live in the depths of West Wales, which is a minimum of four hours away from London, last minute invitations often get turned down. However, last month I was invited to Camila Cabello’s album playback event. After being given a few days notice, I scrambled to sort out two days leave from work and jumped at the chance. I’m SO glad that I did. It was an incredible experience which completely pulled me out of my comfort zone. I managed to network a little with other writers as well as the PR team I’ve been in contact with for over a year, and got to meet Camila in the process (FYI, her album is going to be insane!). I left the event feeling more determined than ever, and 100% confident that this is a career that I want to follow.
There are some opportunities that I’ve had to turn down recently, but getting said opportunities in the first place is a big deal for me. Knowing that someone has reached out to me after reading one of my articles fills me with so much hope. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and whilst I often get frustrated at my situation, part of me knows that continuing to give my everything will enable me to live my dream one day.
I even sent my first application for a job in entertainment journalism the other day. I didn’t hear anything from them, and I doubt I will now, but I feel content knowing that I’ve actually started to put myself out there. It was the first time that I saw a job come up where I truly believed that I could do it, and taking that first step was a big deal for me. When the time’s right, things will work out.
I’m still a long, long way from achieving my dream, but I finally feel as if I AM on my way, and that’s what truly matters. In the words of Walt Disney, you’ve got to think, believe, dream and dare.
Check back next month for another blog!
