idgaf summer

Hello <3

She’s back; she’s had two weeks mostly out of reception, and now she won’t shut up about the healing powers of an analogue existence.

This is the idgaf summer.

It is the summer of strangers and simplicity and chasing pleasure while we all wrestle with the confirmation that the world truly is on fire. I saw Terrence O’Connor (creative director of anything iconic in pop culture in the last two years) unpack this on his most recent cultural digest reel, and I would like to declare it here. Plus, it’s Mars-Uranus "Burn It Down" energy atm. Do with that information what you will.

• Logging on late to work and just not saying anything

• Approaching someone hot or interesting at a bar

• Sitting at bars alone and chatting to the bartender like they used to do on films

• Matching on a dating app and going on a date that evening

• Not remembering when you last cooked a proper meal

• A Diet Coke and three seconds of spiritual ascension in the afternoon

• Skipping gym classes and feeling like walking around makes up for it

• Getting into the World Cup even though you don’t really like sports

• Texting back with a nonchalant demeanour like ‘sure’

• Opting for short-term pleasure instead of trying to solve longer-term existentialisms

• Understyling. A few favourite pieces that you have on heavy rotation. Nothing that looks like it’s come from a fashion Instagram reel

• Leaving your phone in your bag all evening, calm with the knowledge that the news headlines will be gnarly and wherever you are is where you want to be and whoever is trying to contact you will eventually reach you

• Not trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing / not knowing people’s plans

• Microdosing mushrooms instead of having a bender

• Small things that are expensive, like incense or good sunscreen

• New friends you might only hang out with for the season, which is fine by both of you

• Staying really late at the beach

• Oversharing to your barista but in a way that energises your friendship instead of tmi

• Asking a stranger where she got her shoes from

• Tasteful nudes to keep on file

• Absolutely no ties to anyone you were formally romantically involved with

I’m wondering whether this has something to do with recently interviewing Emma-Louise Boynton about her new book Pleasure at Salted Books. She spoke a lot about self-inquiry and how often people live in this feeling that everyone is experiencing levels of pleasure they’re not able to access. Pleasure fomo? Maybe. I can’t help but feel that summer is the best time to investigate that.

I know how annoying it is if you’re in the southern hemisphere watching the Euro summer unfold from under your hoodie. But if it’s any consolation, Lisbon was apparently 45 degrees on Sunday, and this is the first time in my life I’ve started dreading summer. Reading Sarah Wilson’s i eat the stars has helped me get my head around this.

Someone recently asked me to share my advice/story about how I became a copywriter and creative director. The wonderful Emily Ash Powell does an amazing series interviewing writers in the industry, which I’ve included below:

Wishes,
Bel

Xo