When I opened Appia last September I had one goal in mind: to write about the subjects that interest me, as I’d wished to read, and talk to the creatives who inspire me in how they approach life and work in a non-linear way. I wanted to do it all for myself like nobody was reading. And at first, nobody did.
I was at a very low point in my life, feeling stuck in a soul-sucking job, being repeatedly told that having a side project was not in alignment with the company culture because “if we had free time left in a day, it meant that we didn’t have the dedication necessary to do a good job at work”. In those days, which were very dark for my soul, writing brought relief.
I could be myself in front of these blank pages and fill them with my observations. I didn’t have to perform for anyone’s standard of success. I didn't have to focus on analytics, number of likes, reach, and shares. I could write for the sake of my own personal expression and joy because joy at that point was nowhere to be found.
Do you know the saying that things need to get worse before they can get better?
In retrospect, in the midst of it all, I didn’t see how deep I was in those troubled waters because we all know that in our lives, we have to be our own spotters and big wave surfers at the same time.
Appia became my life jacket and with it, I committed to writing one essay per week hoping to find a small community of like-minded people on the way because all I ached for was having someone to relate to. I was done with the perfectly polished experiences portrayed on Instagram or the quickly activated triggers of being sold to, whether new shoes, clothes, or perfect vacations. I was looking for something true, so I started writing about my own ones, resting sure that somewhere out there, someone else was also looking for what I was on the hunt for.
And so here we are, one year later, where I am no longer writing only to myself but to you as well, wishing that my experiences could bring some solace, if not, shared reflections on this crazy journey we are so lucky to be on.
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has followed along the way, to the ones who left comments or reached out via text or DM, I see you. Thank you for reading these silly reflections of mine and for finding them amusing.
What to expect for the year to come? I am convinced that these words will continue reaching ‘my people’ so I’ll continue finding ways to express myself in a way that feels authentic and hopefully bring experiences from the creative people I admire as that’s been a long time in the works.
Now, to the Festivities which is not to be confused with Festivus, although I would welcome your airing of grievances a la Frank Costanza!
To celebrate Appia’s first birthday, I’m giving 20% off on annual subscriptions during this celebratory week (from September 1st to 8th, 2024).
In case you’d like to read a bit more before committing, these are the most-read essays this year:
With love, and kindness,
Ilenia