A life/book update and my 5 year blog anniversary post

I think we can all agree that this year has been a roll-err-coaster. I feel like I say that every year but nothing could be more true. (Hello, pandemic).

Something occurred to me as I’ve been writing just now. I’ve run The Residents for a whole FIVE YEARS. Wow! I remember when I very first started my blog and dreamed of getting to the five year threshold. It seemed so far away. And yet, here we are.

When I started this blog I was a 26 recent ex-lawyer/newly minted public servant, living with two friends/flatmates, and one year into my relationship with Matt. I hadn’t ever done a long term creative project and I wasn’t a particularly experienced photographer. All I had was my recently acquired iPhone, laptop, and the motivation to start something. I genuinely believed that we needed a website which celebrated not only my city of Wellington, but that expressed what it felt like to be a Wellingtonian.

Five years later, at the ripe old age of 31, I am about to self-publish and self-distribute my first book based off the concept I had all those years ago. I am now married to aforesaid man, have had many wonderful experiences and met some incredible people thanks to this blog. And I am starting a new job next month, launching into a new, elevated phase of my 9-5 career.

I always thought I had to pick a path in life: Creativity or Career. Now I know that you don’t have to pick. Passion will always drive through a project to completion, if you really care about it. It is possible to work really, really hard and build a reputation for being good at something you love - and nowhere more-so than in Wellington. You can be someone who is good at business, law and creative work. And if you are able to be genuine with people, they will want to help you achieve your goals. Being someone who can do many things is a strength, especially when you need to wear many hats in this small country to get sh*t done.

So I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect and see if I can still chat with you, even though I’m a little rusty; let’s grab a cuppa and start chatting.

What’s been going on in 2020 Lucy?

I haven’t really blogged consistently in 2020 and know my posts numbers are waaay down. But the best thing happened in 2020: I did something I’ve wanted to do since I was eight: write a book!!

YES: My first book is coming out in 10 days. Holy cr*p. That is one scary sentence to write. (Please buy it and support me as an artist and author. It means a LOT especially in 2020.)

Next steps are printing at Pivotal Print in Te Aro. I love that I’m printing it locally. It really makes it a community project.

So how are you?

I am good. 2020 has actually been much better for me than 2019. As I’ve spoken about before, last year was a pretty chaotic year for me. I was living out of a suitcase and had some really negative experiences between March and April when I was written about online and in the mainstream news because I posted about donating ad revenue to the Christchurch Give A Little and also I was asked to work with Wellington City Council by making content for them on the blog, my Facebook and Instagram.

I’d always dreamed about working with the council and was quite devastated to see my hard work blow up under me and to be labeled an ‘out of town’ influencer (bleugh - which was RIDICULOUS because I was living with Matt’s parents to save in Greytown for 2 months and commuting in to work every day). A lecturer at Massey even put in an OIA request about me and questioned the motivation behind the work I was doing with the council. I actually (maybe naively) hurt and shocked because I had thought promoting civic participation was fundamentally good. Seems that there was deep suspicion around using an ‘influencer’ to work with the council. So it goes.

I then went on to start talking with a publisher who was keen to print my book, but ultimately let me down. I think I’ve covered off what happened next here.

So in short, I had quite a few disappointing experiences over 2019. It really made me question what on earth I was doing online. But it also made me realise something important. Creatively speaking, I needed to look out for myself, back myself and independently decide on my goal and go for it. Placing myself in others hands was fundamentally not working out for me because our goals did not align.

I one hundred percent advise you to do the same: don’t wait for a break from someone else, break the mould yourself.

And so you crowdfunded - that must have been so much work?

Yes. It really was. But I immediately felt much freer when I took back control of my project. That is why I believe my book crowdfunding was successful: I didn’t expect anyone else to figure it out for me. I worked hard and with a little help from my friends I committed to pushing for success. My goal was to raise $22,000 and I ended up raising $37,000 towards producing it. This is all going to be chewed right up in producing it, but really helped to extend the length and print run of the book. It was going to be 197 pages and is now 270 pages.

The last few months, I’ve been working as hard as I can to make the book the best that it can possibly be. This has taken up many lunchtimes, after work sessions and weekends. There isn’t much interesting stuff I can tell you about this, but I’ve really enjoyed working with others on a project - namely my editor India, my designer Amanda and our printer, JB from Pivotal Print.

And may I say, my book is looking SERIOUSLY GOOD. I really hope you like the result too.

To support me, you can buy the book either from my blog or from Iko Iko, Cranfields, Unity Books, the White Room Gallery or Matt Forsman. These businesses will be stocking it up to Christmas.

What else is going on in your life?

Quite honestly, not a whole lot. My family are much the same. Matt is going better than he ever has been. We bought some seriously nice Bo Concept furniture this year which has delivered much joy. Margaret Hema has retired and David Playle has left Wellington (for now). So in some ways 2020 has been a changing of the guard.

I still have regular catch ups with my best friend in town. I occasionally get my camera out and have a play. But really, I have to admit, most of this year has been about figuring out how to produce a book.

Oh yes! And Matt’s mum and dad have bought a golden retriever puppy!!

How have you changed between 2015 when you started The Residents and 2020?

I care much less about other people’s opinions than I used to. I really feel proud of the track I’ve taken myself down, writing this blog and producing my first book. I feel like I am ‘living my truth’ now, whereas before I was just mooching along without much purpose.

I don’t want to be friends with people who aren’t genuine. I used to want everyone to like me but now I realise that that’s impossible. I’m proud of the mark I’ve made on Wellington and I love that people who do like the things I make tell me so.

I believe that people who are clever and fundamentally kind will know my intentions are always good. It isn’t up to me to change other people’s minds. If they’ve decided that I am a loser or am annoying, it isn’t my responsibility to convince them of anything else. Also, my work speaks for itself. What are you doing to make the world interesting or cool? No, I didn’t think so. Go back to twitter please. I’ll be over here, making stuff.

I look at the people who do believe in me and I know they’re people who have made stuff happen. And I trust that they see something in me they can recognise in themselves: a ballsiness.

I also have faith that when I close this chapter of The Residents, I can trust that the universe will help me find my next project. People won’t forget this work, but I am allowed to end things and start new opportunities.

I also have a sense of faith which I have only really discovered in the last year. It isn’t really the place to go into it too much, but it helps me stay grounded and further realise that there is stuff I can’t control which others do or say, and I am just going to be here feeling grateful for nature and life itself and the wonder of that which exists beyond me as an individual.

Where can I see you next?

Come to one of my two book launches! I am having an official book launch at Unity Books 3rd November at 6pm. There will be wine and food and some speeches and you can buy the book. RSVP here.

Or if you can’t make that, come on 6th November to The Wellington Museum. We’re doing a panel with some of the faces from the book. That also starts at 6pm. I can’t wait to give you a big hug and sign your book. RSVP here.