9 years ago by
I’ve always had role models.
It probably started with Claude from The Famous Five, then it went to Björk, with a brief fixation on the ELLE model, Roberta Chirko and, in between all of that, there were the girls I saw around me at school and in high school, who I thought did everything better than me.
It was pretty superficial, of course.
I looked at how they dressed, how they did their hair, how they stood, how they did their homework. And a little later, as a teenager, I looked at their way of being cool, being rock ‘n roll, seeming like they didn’tcareboutanything, and just being themselves. I didn’t copy them, I wouldn’t have even been able to if I tried. I just got a lot of inspiration from them :)
That’s how I learned how to dress, how to carry myself, how to be less shy, and oddly enough — how to be myself.
I thought that one day this role model thing would pass.
To me, it seemed like a sign that I was lacking in personality. And that I probably lacked confidence in myself. I was very shy when I was a teenager. And plus, no one around me was really a big fan of anything in particular. So I never talked about any of that. It was kind of my own little way of doing things.
Until the day I started my blog and turned my way of finding inspiration in others into…
A job.
In the meantime, the way I looked at people changed a little bit.
I got to know myself better, I learned my limits (I’ll never be a math pro or a fitness addict, even though I’d love to be one of those girls who loves yoga and kale) and I learned what kinds of opportunities were open to me (I have a certain talent for communication and I could easily carry a conversation with a mailbox) and all those things you learn and finally accept about yourself as the years go by — the things that make up your personality.*
And you even end up loving those things.
I didn’t aspire to the impossible dream of being someone else anymore, but thanks to my blog, I was able to take my search for style much further than what I saw around me and in magazines. And that could have been a nice end to the story.
But it continues to this day.
It continues with style, of course (right now, I’m looking for inspiration for what to wear this spring**. It’s fun — I’m making mood boards on my iPad and preparing to spend way too much money at Isabel Marant) but it also happens in a more general way, like I was explaining to you a few weeks ago, with my interest in my lifestyle and the lifestyles of the people around me.
I talk to Laura a lot, my friend who splits her time between her farm Upstate and her job as a stylist in New York. Or my friends Laila and José who host parties where everyone is relaxed and feels at home. Or my friends from Saturdays who came up with a job that fits with their lifestyle and brings together their passion for surfing and fashion. Or Drew Barrymore, who I met the other day, who is so real and simple and cool that you can’t help but love her. Or Richard Branson from Virgin who is always questioning things…
The list is long.
Whether I know them personally or not, these people are all role models for me, even today.
I’m not looking to do everything they do like when I was 10 years old, and I don’t tell myself I’m going to change my way of doing things in one day, but these types of people give me the courage I need to continue to explore who I am, what I want, and all the opportunities available to me. It’s like a mosaic of different interests and influences, and when it comes down to it, all of these things make up who I am.
And I know that not all of us are like that. I think most people I know find their own inspiration within themselves. Sometimes they find inspiration in other people, of course, but their internal compass is a lot clearer than mine.
So, it’s actually really funny when people tell me I’m inspiring ;)
What about you? What category are you in? Have you always had a strong sense of who you were, or do you get your inspiration from the people around you?
—————-
*I often compare myself to a Golden Retriever, for example, because of my happy, affectionate, loyal, faithful, not at all mysterious, and terribly messy side.
** I’ll probably end up wearing the same thing I’ve worn the past 20 springs, but it’s still exciting to imagine reinventing my style. And it’s a good way to forget about the below zero weather today…
Translated by Andrea Perdue
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I am a mix of both. I think it is good to find others who inspire you in some way. You just have to realize that eventually you will love yourself the same way.
http://www.FashionSnag.com
I’m the one that is always in rush for something, most of the time, for somwthing new….I find inspiration from a lot of different kind of people, but I love to embrace something of everyone I admire to finally step into myself.
XOX, Gap
http://www.gaptoothedgirl.com
I think everything and every one inspire us ..there are so many things around us ..but the one that caught our eyes inspire us ..an actress a movie a book..so i believe it’s not something that disappear but something which is all the time around us…and if we are curious about life we will find everyday something new..
xoxo
Yael Guetta
http://www.ftwwl.com
Ah ! j’ai toujours cherché une réponse libératrice à ‘ je suis qui, j’aime quoi, en réalité je copie ou je m’inspire ‘ et je me suis rendue compte que quand on trouve telle personne inspirante, c’est parce qu’elle représente concrètement cette chose qu’on aime déjà. C’est un peu une personne qui a trouvé les mots qu’on veut dire mais qu’on ne trouve pas par nous même.!
Merci pour ce joli post!
Je me retrouve tellement! je me revois observer les autres filles au collège (quand j’étais encore ultra timide!!) et me dire que j’aimerais tellement être à l’aise comme elles…et “emprunter” un peu de leur coolitude, leur façon de bouger, de sourire…pour finalement, bizarrement, devenir moi même…marrant les chemins qu’on prend!
Aujourd’hui, j’ai 30 ans, et je me suis bien trouvée, mais n’empêche, c’est chouette de savoir que Garance, bah elle etait timide pareil! ;)
Magnifique dessin … Le visage ressemble à celui de Fanny Ardant, beaucoup de classe !
oui en effet, on dirait fanny ardant
I think it is beautiful when you can find the right balance between being inspired by yourself and by others around you. However, to be honest I find that quite hard. It’s also a confidence issue I think, because when for example you surprise yourself by realizing e.g. part of a long cherished dream, you suddenly might inspire yourself, followed by a period again where you feel like everyone around you has their sh*t so super together and you just don’t really know what it is you are doing ;-).
I don’t think it’s necessary to copy a whole image of my role models, more like I’m inspired by some of details that seems interesting to me or screams “TOTALLY ME!!!!”. For me it’s the simple choice what’s appealing to me, what I want to be (or what I want to wear) and what I definitely don’t. “Internal compass” always depends on enviroment, it’s not working in vacuum – so we need other people (and objects) to make it clear..
“I’m looking for inspiration for what to wear this spring**. It’s fun — I’m making mood boards on my iPad and preparing to spend way too much money at Isabel Marant” / I wish you share with us one of your mood boards!
First about you Garance, yes you’re now on the model side, inspiring for me and many others! You have a great style, a great smile, the pictures you draw are sweet, the photos you take amazing and you keep it simple, you work hard and you share your aspirations, your doubts on the blog! I was happy to meet you but before that happy to have discovered you online and read what you share (“Une fille come moi”).
Otherwise I don’t have so many models and I do what I like and my husband pushed me and gave me enough confidence to launch my business! I’m not sure I’m a model for others either, maybe for my younger sisters (elles ont maintenant tracé leur voie et réussit ;-)
http://www.mazettemedia.com
Tu me fais rire … car cela fait des années que tu fais des postes qui commence par “Ma copine machin a tellement de style, de chic etc ” et la plupart du temps c’est tellement simple, presque anodin, casual que je me dis mais qu’est-ce qu’elle lui trouve. La fille est sûrement archi sympa, mais tu n’as rien à lui envier. J’ai l’impression que tu es quelqu’un de simple, que ton style tu l’as depuis longtemps, mais vivant là où tu es, faut à tout prix se démarquer et déclencher une sorte de schizophrénie que tu n’assumes pas. Rien de révolutionnaire à aimer le gris, ni de mettre des cuissardes. T’es pas une italienne ni une anglaise, fais simplement confiance à QUI TU ES, c’est cela qui compte ! et les gens t’aiment comme tu es, la preuve, tu te démerdes super bien, alors … take it easy !
Oh c’est drôle, mais je me compare aussi à un Golden Retriever (ce sont mes chiens préférés)! Je suis née l’année du Chien selon l’astrologie chinoise donc j’ai aussi ce côté affectueux, loyal, fidèle et super bordélique. ^^’ Et je fais partie de la même catégorie que toi, j’ai besoin d’être inspirée par quelque chose/quelqu’un pour développer ma propre personnalité. Je ne dirais pas que je copie, mais plus que de voir un autre style de vie, un style original me pousse à avoir confiance en moi et a me créer mon propre chemin. Et maintenant, j’ai aussi appris à accepter mes limites (pareil, je suis définitivement une personne littéraire et créative. arg je déteste les maths! ) et aussi à me dire que finalement je n’ai pas envie d’être quelqu’un d’autre et que mes qualités comme mes défauts font que je suis moi. Je suis une voie totalement différente que les gens de famille et ceux qui m’entourent et c’est OK parce que ça me ressemble, je m’épanouie. Je me rappelle d’un talk de Tavi Gevinson où elle disait que ‘fangirling’ était une réflexion d’elle même et qu’il ne faut pas voir le fait d’être inspirée par d’autres personnes comme un manque de personnalité. C’est vrai que j’ai souvent eu envie d’être cette personne complètement sûr d’elle et qui a une vision clair d’elle-même, mais en fait c’est comme tu dis la mosaïque (et elle est grande) des choses qui m’inspirent qui me définit au final.
PS: Je vais garder ce post dans mes favoris et le relire quand je doute de moi-même. <3
Golden retriever (including the messy part) here, too..! I’ve always admired, if not idolized, people around (or from the movies / music scene etc.), to a point where my mother sometimes could tell with whom I was hanging around just of the way I began to move or speak differently! hmm… But it’s true, with all this admiring and finding inspiration in others, it also develops your own personality. Still today, I can have real crushs on people! and that can still change a lot for me, from style to what I want to do.. and this also means to be true to yourself, to stick with this young-kid attidude of admirations and little crushs, no? xxSol
C est drole garnce car je te suis depuis longtemps et pourtant c est la premiere fois que j ose franchir le pas pour ecrire un commentaire! Je suis tellement comme toi. J ai tjs eu besoin de modele autour de moi et je suis tjs a la recherche de nouveaux modeles. ce qui me coute un peu dans ma vie d aujourd hui c est justement que les modeles ne courent pas les rues ( je vis dans un coin isole en ce momento)!! Du coup moi j adore que tu nous fasses partager tes modeles
Je copie à mort. Et j’ai pourtant une sorte de personnalité. Va savoir
I’d like to think that I am both. I really like seeking inspiration in others, but I am really proud of myself when I can do things my way, and when others really appreciate them/me.
It’s not a bad thing if you look up to others and “take” the best that they can give. This makes up us as social beings, and it’s normal to aspire for more, to look for inspiration elsewhere. It has nothing to do with jealousy.
I see it more as growing and learning from others; when your “inspiration” is truly worthy, why not try to be/do the same?
However, there’s an issue if you put the equal sign between inspiration and copying. Inspiration implies that you keep your personality and you translate what you see in others into what works for you, keeping your values, not compromising in becoming someone else.
Indeed I agree that you are an inspiration. First of all, because of the way of seeing things, because of your optimism and humor, because of your courage of creating your own path, and making your dreams come true, and not forget style.
Thanks for this!!
Kata
Very well said Kata!:)
I’m always always always in search of inspiration! Pinnterest is my friend ;)
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
This is so great. I, too, always take inspiration from those around me, and yet in a changing way as I get older. And I am still in the process of accepting that I am so inevitably blond and bubbly that I will never be cool (even as my blond goes grey!). But oh what fun it all is once you can learn to live with and love all those inner bits. Becoming a mom has been so good for moving this process along, because we are so much less likely to judge our children with the same harshness (or perhaps just lack of value) with which we judge ourselves. Loving them for who they are has taught me to love myself as well.
You do have a beautiful, simply, lovely way of articulating quite complex things. I love the fashion bits of your blog, but I come back for your clear wise spirit shining through. Have a wonderful day!
Je suis un doux mélange des deux je pense (en fait, quand on me demande si je suis plutot ceci ou cela, je me rends compte que je réponds presque toujours que je suis un mélange des deux) . D’un coté, je sais qui je suis, ou qui je ne suis pas, mais de l’autre, les gens autour de moi, internet, ma famille, les films, … tout ca m’influence beaucoup. Je pense que mon environnement façonne un peu chaque jour la base qui est en moi de manière permanente :)
Juliette Latraf (http://madamelatraf.wordpress.com)
I think having role models is very natural thing – a part of growing up, way of finding yourself in all that media/information chaos (today I want to have a coffee bar, tomorrow – a show room, yesterday wanted to quit a job and move some place where sun is shining every single day!). And I don’t believe there are people who doesn’t have theirs – you always get the inspiration from someone.
Role models make you want to improve yourself – in your job, hobby (if it’s dancing for example), diet (she lost 10kg, and I can’t??? Give me one month!), erudition (I will read this book/see movie) etc. The point is to find a balance and not lose yourself.
But if you are a role model it might be annoying. My sis was like mini – me. She did and copied every single thing I did (sometimes I was doing or saying some stupid/crazy/irresponsible things just to check if she’s going to do the same…Guess what – she did ;) ). So – you need to take the part of role model in someone life with a grace and patience. :)
Il serait peut-être lèche cul de le dire mais pourtant c’est la réalité, ma principale inspiration, c’est vous, votre blog. Je passe des heures entières à recopier dans un petit carnet tout ce que vous avez écrit et qui m’inspire. Je classe les photos… Mais rassurez-vous, j’ai d’autres modèles ! Mais c’est vrai que j’ai appris à mieux me connaître à travers les autres. J’ai longtemps cru que c’était dû à un manque de personnalité et puis j’ai remarqué (il y a très peu de temps) qu’en fait c’était toujours un peu la même chose qui m’inspirait et qu’au fond, c’est ce qui me déterminait. Mais je travaille encore, j’aimerais avoir un style plus affirmé mais j’ai encore beaucoup de difficulté à y arriver…
Xoxo
Garance, you’re one of my role models! I not only admire your style and artistic abilities but more importantly your openness and ability to share selflessly with the internet world. Thanks for this post. Now I know my role model’s role models.
J’ai pendant longtemps cherché des modèles! A présent j’en ai un ou deux que j’admire énormément mais je me dis que les modèles sont à la fois très positifs car ils nous inspirent, mais aussi négatifs car ils nous complexent: “je m’en inspire mais je suis incapable de faire pareil”! C’est à double tranchant ;)
Bisous!
Cécile
http://www.maxcebycecilej.com
It has always been both for me. To this day, I still find inspiration in certain women especially the way they carry themselves (Carine Roitfeld, Emmanuelle Alt). At the same time, i’ve been told that I inspire people – comments that often make me go “huh? how?” (don’t get me wrong, I’m very flattered). Apparently, my resilience and never give up attitude is what inspire people. So I guess, in life, you will always take inspirations from others and inspire others. There is always something about you that will motivate others to change or act.
http://pearpenguins.com/
Garance, whenever I read your posts, I always feel like I have a kindred spirit in you. :) Like on today’s post — I, too, had role models growing up, and still continue to find inspiration from others but also finally coming to my own. And I also can having meaningful conversations with anybody (or anything)! And yes to happy faithful golden retrievers! I wonder if it’s the Taurus in us. :)
Et c’est pour ça que j’aime tellement ce que tu fais! Tu te mets à poil comme ça simplement sur ton blog et c’est top et c’est surement une des grandes raisons pour lesquelles ton blog plait…
Avec tous les gens que tu rencontres ça parait normal que tu puises dans ce terreau fertile… tout en adaptant à ta propre personne/style de vie! L’idée est de trouver sa propre balance entre éléments externes et internes – d’où un peu d’introspection, moi j’aime bien ça! Toujours la même histoire trouver son propre équilibre sans trop se la jouer je suis une autre…
Bon ben voila!!!
http://www.blushandbeyond.com/la-peau/creme-dhiver/
Bisous bisous Garance
For me it has always been a struggle depending on my mood and situation: there are times that I felt very secure in my own identity – usually when I was very happy or with someone I love and we were having a good time. But other times, I really do the same thing – look at others and yearn to be just as self-possessed, chic, mature, etc. One person I longed to be as a girl was Monica Belucci! I just thought she was such a woman – I wanted to be like that too. Of course with my skinny ass I think I would have been better off just loving myself as the girlish person that I am – that has its own appeal for sure, but how to appreciate it? That takes real maturity that I’m still working on. Someone who makes me feel secure in my own fragile humanity is Vaclav Havel, because of course he struggled with the same issues in such a forthright way – one realizes when reading his works, that it’s ok to be complex and insecure. To have passion and desires is a part of identity too – and people like him made the most of it, despite his failures.
S’inspirer signifie être curieux et non prétentieux non ? Car sinon, bonjour le nombril, narcisseland quoi !
J’adore regarder “les gens’ dans la rue, qu’ils soient connus ou pas, que ce soit des amis proches ou des inconnus ! Les autres m’aident à (me) comprendre et à “mieux” voir ! :)
http://www.kitschissime.com/
Je suis persuadée que l’on a besoin de modèlels pour puiser l’inspiration qui conduit à l’épanouissement de sa propre personnalité. Brillant article!
XO
Jeanne
http://www.fashionmusingsdiary.com
GARANCE JE SUIS DE TA CATÉGORIE!! Et surtout quand tu dis “Pour moi, ça dénotait un manque de personnalité. Et probablement un grand manque de confiance en moi. ” WOW ça ressemble vraiment à ce que je ressens à chaque jour. J’ai toujours l’impression d’être un peu en arrière, je m’inspire et admire des gens si simple et parfois loin de l’être (Kanye West). Une de mes amies m’a confessé en secret qu’elle admirait ma force et ma détermination. J’étais si surprise!! Je suis très contente de savoir que tu ressens ces choses, à ton âge, là où tu en es dans ton parcours professionnel. Je me sens mieux de savoir ça! Je pensais que c’était un perpétuel mal-être mais en fait ça m’amuse de prendre un petit quelque chose de mon entourage. Bref, je suis très contente de ce blog post, je le mets dans mes favoris!!
YOU are my role model. i still, at close to 40, have trouble accepting and loving myself, but everyday gets better, thanks to my partner, and also thanks to inspiring women like you, who, without judgment, honor other women, their choices and limits… and all with a sense of humor! it’s hard to let go, let go of fear, and embrace ourselves for who we are in this crazy world … merci mille fois pour tout l’inspiration!
Moi je suis comme toi ! (sauf que j’aime les couleurs vives) Et puis tu vas avoir du mal à y croire, mais l’autre jour je notais justement dans mon carnet (avec des stylos de toutes les couleurs donc) les personnes qui m’inspirent dans la vie : DVF (femme cool, audacieuse, entrepreneuse, indépendante, riche), Richard Branson (L’entrepreneur avec un grand L, ne suit pas les tendances), Jenna de Rosnay (belle, fraiche, sportive, nature, mystérieuse) et puis toi (dessinatrice, photographe, entrepreneuse, sincère, joie de vivre, qui ose) ! Voilà :D
moi aussi j’ai adoré Roberta C…. quel bol de nostalgie tiens ! au moins on doit avoir en gros le même âge !
This post reminds me why I love your blog! I agree with you – as I’ve gotten older I’m still inspired by various people. The inspiration now just looks less like emulation and more like admiration. I admire different attributes in different people and that encourages me and inspires me in my own life.
I’ve always admired your authenticity. It is probably the biggest reason why I keep reading your blog over others now that I have minimal reading time. Thank you for inspiring me to stay authentic!
I think I have my own internal compass (not to say I didn’t have periods of following the crowd and when my voice was more muted), but even so, it’s nice to see people who are pursuing their own path in life no matter what. That’s what I find most inspiring, even if their particular vision couldn’t be further from mine. That’s what attracted me to your blog, seeing your journey and how you documented it for us to learn from it and listening to your observations. I also like trying to understand how people think, what makes them tick, the reason behind certain beliefs/actions and in general how they live their lives, just out of plain curiosity. I think it’s so fun to enter someone else’s world if only for a couple of minute. I find that blogs in particular are good at allowing this little hobby of mine, as some times you are able to learn more about a person from their blog than in real life, what is written is more introspective and shows how that person thinks and sees the world more so than from an in person conversation. Our lifestyle seems to be too fast paced to allow very deep introspective conversations between people, maybe I’m wrong I don’t know.
Salut Garance !
Tu es “à fond” en illustration … j’adooore
Bisou
Anne
Je suis complètement d’accord avec toi !
http://navy-marine.blogspot.fr/
Is Ines de la Fressange in the picture? The smile is hers..and the style too!!
She is my role model!
Je relisais justement aujourd’hui ton post sur l’art de vivre, et il partage avec celui-ci ce ton à la fois inspirant et rassurant. Merci pour cette jolie justesse.
I used to be a lot like you, Garance, when I was a child. I remember certain things making big impressions on me, and asking myself, “do I want to be like that” (or some semblance of it). I was also very shy and wouldn’t look people in the eye, would barely talk, but over time watching how the other girls (or sometimes boys) interacted, dressed, strove for attention (or didn’t), I learned to mmic a bit and take those things into myself to make changes. For years (and years and years) my personal mantra was, “fake it until you make it” because I’d do things that didn’t feel comfortable….until they became comfortable to me.
And that journey never stopped…I am still looking inward, checking myself, seeing if there are things I feel that I want (or need) to change. Mostly I’m quite happy with myself and where my journey is / has taken me, but I always look to improve wherever I can, whether that’s my wardrobe, my personality, my life…there’s always something to strive for and I think that if I didn’t strive, I might as well quit. Because if I became stagnant you might as well call my life over. :)
The only time I care for trends anymore is when a trend aligns with something I love. I know my style very well by now, so if emerald green is a hot color, yay! I will stock up. If burnt orange is the hot color….I’ll wait it out. I don’t shop nearly as often as I used to, but when I do, I spend more, because I’m buying what I truly love and what is utterly “me” so I know I’ll love it and wear it for as long as possible.
I always like to see “what’s out there” each season, but I am very selective about what I partake from the offerings. :)
Great post BTW – my favorite postings from you are when you get all introspective and / or share about your life. :)
Moi aussi j’ai toujours aimé regarder les filles autour de moi.
D’ailleurs quand je me balade dans la rue ce sont les filles que je regarde et non les garçons!
J’aime aussi les magazines féminins et les blogs!
Je ne cherche pas à copier mais j’observe, je digère et ensuite je l’intègre ou non avec ma personnalité.
En tout cas pour moi c’est vrai que tu es une source d’inspiration car je me retrouve beaucoup dans tes goûts et ton état d’esprit!
Christine
I am just 21 so this might change in a while but right now I am not exactly looking up to someone. I am secure in the knowledge that I am doing everything I can for the resources and time I have. But yes, when I grow up, I would like to be a more successful and better (well-traveled) version of myself.
Anceeta.com
I totally believe in role models, you need some direction sometimes. I have always had role models.
http://hashtagliz.com
Garance!! It’s like you’re always reading my mind! I was just thinking about this whole inspiration things today (wrote a blogpost about it earlier too). Especially now I’m looking at the girls around me – how they dress, how they act, how they wear make-up or stand or whatever. It’s simple things like that, things they don’t notice or maybe don’t even like about themselves, that I find so inspiring. And you’re one of those people for me! Thank you for continuing to inspire me and probably a billion other lads and lassies all over the world with your honesty and charm :) You’re great!
I think finally accepting your personality is a sign of maturity. I also could have a conversation with a mail box! When I was young I wanted to be one of those mysterious subtle quiet girls. Ha! Impossible. I’m an extrovert through and through. Being an extrovert does not mean you can’t be intellectual or think deep thoughts. It does not mean you are a party animal. But it does mean you are confident, enthusiastic, probably talk fast, etc. and it does mean you will never be one of those quiet mysterious women but you can admire them and imitate them just a bit for fun. I tend to admire people with qualities I don’t possess. A kind of envy but actually more like an appreciation of differences
Tes vrais posts me manquaient !! C’est surement à cause où grâce à tout ça que tu as accompli de belles choses ! Pour ma part j’ai le sentiment, que comme je n’ai jamais eu ce “déficit” (ça peut paraitre péjoratif comme terme mais ça ne l’est pas) de personnalité ça ne m’a pas poussé à m’accomplir réellement. Lorsque l’on sait précisément qui l’on est, on ne ressent pas le besoin d’en faire part au reste du monde. Par exemple, je n’ai pas l’âme d’une fan. Je pense juste que certaines personnes ont du talent dans un certain domaine mais je ne les place pas plus haut que les autres pour autant. Lorsque j’ai bossé dans la mode, je n’ai pas tenu longtemps, car tout ça me paraissait vain et sans grand intérêt. Les gens se prenaient tellement la tête pour rien – les petites batailles d’égo, les jalousies, l’entre soi – c’était beaucoup de bruit pour rien. Au final parfois j’éprouve une certaine frustration mais je ne me suis pas perdue en route, c’est l’essentiel !
Garde cette candeur, c’est ça qui fait ton charme (et ton succès) ! :-)
Je pense avoir plutôt suivi les autres lors de mon adolescence (étant une de tes jeunes lectrices de 20 ans, j’ai encore du chemin à faire, mais…). Avec les années, j’ai changé le regard que j’avais sur la mode, les autres et sur moi-même aussi. Je me sens désormais plus libre de porter ce que je veux, de me coiffer selon mes envies et non la tendance. Depuis mon déménagement à Londres, j’irai même jusqu’à dire que mon comportement a également changé. Plus ouverte aux autres, communicative mais aussi un peu plus festive. Dans une grande ville comme la capitale anglaise, le regard des autres compte peu, on voit de tous les styles et attitudes dans les rues. Alors ce n’est pas ma petite ville de l’est de la France qui va me dicter quoi faire maintenant !
I’ve always had a hard time with the concept of self. I have not known who I am as a person and I’ve looked at others a lot. I’ve tried to do it less, because, you know, small minds talk about other people. But I’m still looking at others to define myself, to understand what I want to be like.
Garance, I’ve said it before, you inspire me so much! Seeing how you have figured yourself out gives me confidence that I will, too. You seem genuinely happy with yourself and I hope you are, too.
Tout ça semble écrit par moi!!! Et ausii tu est mon inspiration à moi, Garance????
Ce post est génial… ça a resonné profondément en moi et ça m’inspire …. Merci!
Well you already know that I have been inspired by you. I find that collaborating with others does not contribute to who I am, I am pretty clear about that but really generate creative ideas and different solutions to problems. But others offer models of what can be and I am always in the process of becoming. I will never be “done” and so I find inspiration in many people, many objects and experiences.
Accidental icon
http://www.accidentalicon.com
Garance, not to sound cheesy, but you are my role model. Your style, your writing, your endless chic and the way your career has given you so much creativity. I cannot get through a day without checking the site. Merci x x
http://www.lapelsandloafers.com
xo – You’re so cute and honest! :) I like to think that we can get inspiration from anywhere but we edit for what really makes us happy, positive, productive and ultimately who we are. It’s like discovering and developing our sense of humor. That is why we all take pleasure to see what you are up to! :) I too feel happy whenever I see your posts and shared inspires. Thank you!
In a somewhat similar way, I have found I am not very good at starting anything from scratch. Ideas don’t come from within for me, beauty is not something I’m able to create. Instead I think what I’m good at is recognising creativity and beauty in other people, who become sources of inspiration and motivation for me.
I am always looking for inspirations from others and myself. but the kind of inspirations I look for has changed overtime. I realize when I was growing up, I was looking for inspiration of other people’s clothes, style, looks, the things that can be seen easily. But as I grow older, I look for more inspirations of how other people live their lives, their thoughts, their spirituality, things you can’t easily see. I guess it’s because now I realize appearances are important but not essential and far from enough of what makes you who you are.
I have not been on your site for a few weeks because my 13 year old son has been having some problems. After months of doctors’ appointments, he was diagnosed tonight with a “mild” form of autism. I was both relieved and sad to finally know. Looking for a diversion, I checked your site……and a miracle happened. Your post, Garance, made me realize that he too has weaknesses but that he also has strengths. Just like you and everyone else. He doesn’t need to emulate someone, he needs a role model that will help him develop his best self – because he has a best self and that is enough. Thank you !!!!!!
Les faits parlent d’eux-mêmes: eh bien, google… Isabel Marant ;)
<3
This post really resonated with me. I have never had a strong internal compass, as you’ve so eloquently put it, and am still struggling to find my voice. It’s so easy to be distracted by the success and coolness of other people and collapse under the weight of your own insecurity. But this blog has actually been the most inspiring thing of all. I love how you write about women who are unconventional and bold, who go their own way. As cheesy as it sounds, it gives me the courage to be myself and be different. So thank you Garance!
http://thetimberowls.wordpress.com
Je suis comme toi, moi aussi j’ai des modèles mais ils ne sont pas autour de moi. Personne autour de moi ne fait vraiment attention à son style. Moi aussi je vais trop acheter Isabel Marrant. E n vieillissant, j’ai besoin de modèles encore plus :je cherche des femmes qui vieillissent bien comme Inès par exemple. Cela me console et me soutient. Je regarde aussi les filles que tu nous présentes, les plus âgées et les plus lumineuses. On a besoin de modèles pour créer, regarde les artistes et les couturiers, ils ne partent jamais de rien!
Je m’inspire aussi beaucoup des gens autour de moi, une attitude, un style, une démarche.
Ca cache peut-être un manque de confiance…
Cette nouvelle illustration est magnifique !! Bravo : )
Hi Garance,
first: that’s quite a super nice drawing holding my favorite color for these days.
I had same behavior like you in childhood (very shy too…).
In my thirty somethings I slightly changed my way of seeing others. Since that I’m first and foremost attracted by those, who choose with a knowing hand what fit them best in their life. They don’t have to reflect to explain to excuse to proclaim. They are not living under a rock. Certainly they do changes from time to time. But these changes are not explained, proclaimed, excused…
Most but not all of these marvelous people are older ones: they really got to know themselves and don’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore.
S’inspirer ça ne veut pas dire copier! Tout le monde s’inspire que ce soit des grands artistes, des grands écrivants, des compositeurs, etc. ou le comment des mortels. On s’inspire de la nature, de la culture, de la tradition des tout ce qui est autour de nous y compris les autres. C’est normale et naturel. On ne pourrait pas créer sans regarder au tour de nous. On fait sa propre base de données et puis ça resort d’une manière ou d’une autre, à ça propre façon, à sa propre personnalité et en fonction de son originalité, de ça culture, de son éducation, de ça confiance en soi. C’est ça qui et beau et fascinant chez l’humain. Copier par contre c’est une manière irréfléchie de prendre les choses, on ne les passe pas par ses propres filtres, on ne les travail pas, on ne les adapte pas à son propre être et ça c’est dommage!
Garance, ton blog est très originale, très à toi et ta manière de te remettre en question n’est que la preuve de ton intelligence!
Je t’envoie des bisous de quelque part de ce monde sublime et horrible à la fois mais qui nous inspire tellement!
Salut Garance, pareil pour moi, je prends beaucoup exemple sur les autres, sur les blogs, le tien entre autres;-). J’adore Pinterest ou je m’inspire beaucoup que ce soit pour la mode ou pour la déco. Finalement je n’ai pas un modèle mais la toile, les magazines et la rue sont mon inspiration… j’adore ton illustration d’aujourd’hui. maginfique et très inspirante ;-) j’adore ce melange de style masculin – féminin très élégant! Merci ;-). Alex de Berlin
At certain point, each teenager should have his own role model at different age. It is just like a light tower to guide you in the way you wang to be. At the end, when you find the most comfy way you are. You will feel like, Oh Yeah! That’s how I am. I think that’s the moment that you are the role model.
http://swingsnowman.wordpress.com
Ah Claude du club des 5, je n’avais pas pensé à elle depuis des siècles !! Alors je suis bien comme toi toujours poussée plus loin par des figures qui m’inspirent… Longtemps j’ai aussi pensé que c’était par manque de personnalité et en fait quand je me vois aujourd’hui je crois que je me suis quand même trouvée :).. je vais dire un truc sûrement très con et pas du tout schizo mais c’est comme si j’étais une genre d’actrice qui cherche un nouveau rôle tout le temps (et le costume qui va avec) et en fait ça me permet au bout du copte d’en apprendre un peu plus sur moi, ce que j’aime et qui je suis. Donc du coup finalement c’est de la curiosité, de l’interêt pour ce qui m’entoure, un certain goût de l’aventure… Bon ben en fait je suis toujours Claude (le makeup et les talons en plus)
Your blog is very inspirational
Donc merci! Vous m’inspire d’etre originale!
https://thelaststraggler.wordpress.com/
Tout ça semble écrit par moi!!! Et ausii tu est mon inspiration à moi, Garance????
Omg! Roberta Chirko! I haven’t heard that name in years and it brought back memories. I used to watch as many fashion and modeling shows on tv as I could find. I bought every ELLE magazine-those Gilles Bensimon years were very formative for me. We all have people in our lives (real or imagined) that influence us. Thank you for sharing, Garance. I always look forward to reading your blog. I have definitely been inspired by you! xok
Sympa ce post Garance !
C’est marrant, j’ai rarement entendu quelqu’un me parler de Roberta ; comme toi, je la trouvais extra, avec un air mutin tres mignon et je collectionnais ses couv de Elle.
Ca me rappelle, avec une certaine nostalgie, ces années plus légères et baignées d’insouciance.
Merci à toi.
Bisous de Paris
Sophie
Nb : ressemblance avec Fanny Ardant ton dessin
Haha j’adore la comparaison avec le Golden Retriever!! C’est tout à fait moi aussi!! Super affectueuse, pas du tout mystérieuse et complètement bordélique…
J’ai l’impression de me lire dans ton post, la phase adolescente surtout… J’observais beaucoup les filles autour de moi pour essayer de comprendre comment elles faisaient pour être aussi cool (alors que c’étaient des pétasses, et heureusement en grandissant j’ai appris à faire la part des choses!) En toute logique mes capacités d’observation m’ont menée à des études d’art et à un master de sociologie… Je continue d’observer les filles, leurs comportements, leurs fringues, et je m’en inspire vachement! Et ton blog est une super source d’inspiration je dois dire!
Je pense que je fais partie de ces personnes qui aiment bien observer autour de soi et qui s’inspirent de petites choses par-ci par-là.
En tout cas, j’adore le constat qu’on peut puiser l’inspiration ailleurs, tout en étant soi-même source d’inspiration! ;) D’ailleurs, c’est bien ton cas, en tant que personne et au travers de ce blog où tu nous présentes d’autres personnes inspirantes! Aussi bien du point de vue mode que style de vie, carrière, destinations…
Donc, merci merci pour toutes ces idées :)
Bises
I never had a strong sense of who I was. I was extremely sheltered growing up and all I had to understand my surroundings were my family, the TV, which were basically cartoons (ha), films, and later the internet. So my models of inspiration have always been in other people or fictional characters rather than myself. It was kind of shallow/superficial and was like an escape. I never bothered to explore who I was, let alone accept anything about myself, and that was wrong of me. To continually ignore and substitue anything real about myself for aspects I thought others or the status quo valued or liked. That was my compass since I was a child. Giving up my power to let other people decide for me. I had other people’s ideas rather than my own to entirely shape/guide me and for a while it seemed alright, until it didn’t a few years ago and I shattered. I didn’t have an authentic constant or base to build from to judge ideas/inspirations so everything about myself felt fake and I hated myself for who I became. No one taught me to trust and understand my feelings, to filter my inspirations, to experiment/test what works for me, to accept my limitations, to accept change, or to invoke an evolution of myself and my dreams. And all of that is sooo important…Figuring out what works and what is right for me based on my limitations, my lifestyle and what I want. That what I like and love may not even work for me and that that is OKAY. That vulnerability and failure is okay. It’s different for everyone and learning about those differences and seeing that authenticity is always so inspiring to me–to see the way people have learned and found their own way in this beautiful ugly world. You’re one of those people Garance so thank you. You are a huge inspiration to me. Honest ;) I’m just starting to believe and find inspiration in who I am now. But in the end I’ll still always find every other person’s life and what they’re doing to be much more interesting and inspiring than my own. And that is okay.
I love these columns you are writing and reading the responses which show how much they resonate with your readers. I get a real feeling of community out there and how you and many other people feel just the same way as I do.
I found my role models in books and then films (Charlie Blackwood in Top Gun – cool and an Astro physicist who snared Tom Cruise!). As I’m getting older, I like myself more and offer that I occasionally see myself and my ideals as my role model. I’m almost becoming the amalgamation of the role models I had (although without Tom Cruise).
Style becomes the whole and no longer just fashion. It’s the way of life and living and reacting with grace to life’s challenges.
Je fais complètement partie de cette catégorie de personne qui s’inspirent en permanence des autres et ce qui nous entoure. J’ai 17 ans donc certains diraient probablement que c’est normal, que je suis à une étape de recherche d’identité dans ma vie, mais je pense sincèrement que c’est ma personnalité. J’ai besoin de regarder beaucoup de films, d’observer les gens, de tenir un tumblr où je reblogue les photos et citations des autres pour pouvoir être inspiré tous les jours. J’admire un nombre incalculable de personnes, d’ailleurs j’avais prévu de faire la fameuse “liste des personnes qu’on inviterait pour le diner parfait” mais l’ampleur de la tâche me fais quelque peu repousser ce moment ahah. En tout cas Garance tu serai sur cette liste n’en doute pas ;)
Posts like this one are why I connect with your writing. I feel the same way, inspired by other people with style & swagger with a lack of self consciousness. I look to friends and people for whom joy, curiosity, and an individual aesthetic sensibility are the foundations of lives well lived. In some way we all hope to be like them, and in some way we already are.
Your blog and your voice illustrates the pleasure of appreciating another person’s wit & wisdom. I truly admire how you feature artists, designers, creators & every day style stars in a way that celebrates their individuality helping the rest of us seek it within ourselves. That’s what I think at least.
Thank you for allowing yourself to be a big role model to me.
Cet article a beaucoup résonné en moi, je me suis retrouvée de A à Z dans ce que tu as dit ! J’ai aussi eu des modèles très tôt (oui, oui, le club des 5 était génial !), et en grandissant et évoluant, je m’inspire moins des autres mais puise beaucoup dans leur courage, énergie…
Très très bel article !
http://www.pardonmyobsession.com/
Tu est vraiment inspirante! <3
C’est amusant, je me retrouve beaucoup (vraiment beaucoup) dans la description que tu fais de toi ado, un peu timide toujours à regarder et chercher de l’inspiration chez les autres. J’étais et je suis toujours un peu comme ça, mais tout comme toi ça a évolué avec les années, désormais je suis beaucoup moins timide, je m’assume plus, même si j’ai toujours beaucoup aussi regarder les styles autour de moi pour trouver des petites idées et faire mon mix après. Bref, je ne comprends que trop bien ce que tu exprimes dans cet article :)
A bientôt Garance !
xo CarolineJ
http://www.sleevesandheels.net
Garance, you are actually a HUGE role model to me! I think: this women is an artist, she has created a business world that supports her spirit, and still seems to be so cute and likable. I love what you do and I’ve thought so many times, that you are someone I see my best self as being similar to.
I guess we all look up to someone :)
Haha, but of course you’re an inspiration to us all Garance! Look at what you did with a simple blog- you’ve turned it into a business, and you’ve followed your interests to all sorts of different kinds of jobs (the photography, the fashion, the magazines).
Personally, I tend to get my inspiration from the world around me- yes, from people, but also from nature, the weather, the cities that I’ve lived in, the books that I read and movies that I watch. What I’m interested in and what I discover from new things, are what inspire me :)
Salut garance, j’espère qu’au Studio ça va, j’ai adoré lire cet article et c’est drôle mais tu es ma première source d’inspiration, c’est pas du mimétisme mais c’est juste que j’aime beaucoup ta façon de voir les choses, de porter un œil sur toi, de nous faire part de tes introspections et ton style est génial, puis quand tu t’es coupée ben moi aussi je suis passée au court et j’ai gardé cette coupe car j’aime beaucoup, finalement en regardant les autres ça aide aussi à se construit soi (phrase méga philosophique). En tout cas merci encore pour ces articles où ton humour, ton style d’écriture et tes illustrations sont mis à contributions pour partager avec nous des vérités et des expériences sur la vie <3
Gros bisous de Marseille ou le printemps arrive :)
Comme d’autres, c’est la première fois que je saute le pas du commentaire sur ton site. Si mes visites y sont bien moins régulières qu’avant, je continue d’y venir pour lire avec délices ce type d’articles personnels, que je trouve tu rédiges à merveille. J’ai toujours été comme toi, et c’est en quelque sorte un soulagement de savoir que je ne suis pas la seule. Ce n’est pas de la jalousie, ni même de l’envie envers les autres, mais plutôt une sorte d’admiration contenue qui pousse à se questionner, à se situer. Ca ne veut pas dire que l’on se définit uniquement par rapport aux autres. Quand je n’ai pas le moral, j’adore regarder les sites/vidéos de ces filles incroyables : Ana Kras, Mimi Thorisson, Amy Merrick… Je ne cherche pas à copier ma vie sur la leur, seulement j’aime à me nourrir de leur créativité, de leur sensibilité. On a bien le droit, non?
L
I grown up in Poland behind the iron curtain and here before 1989 everything was very sad and grey. I always spent my summer holidays in polish mountains where I met my older sister from France. She looked ” so french” in my opinion :). I was in primary school and I do loved her style. In those times polish women looked not like Anja Rubik but like peasants from Russian countryside… My french sister was from another planet ! I still love french style and it is because I am reading this blog and You are my inspiration, and also Julie Delpy in ” Two days in Paris” and Juliette Binoche, Fanny Ardant, Sophie Marceau… For some people who are not french is very important to be ” very french person” -sometimes it is funny, sometimes is really great!
you have probably heard a million times already but I really have to repeat again – you are truly inspirational to me!
Lots of love from Shanghai
J’avoue que je ne comprend pas bien le questionnement (sans vouloir offenser)… Je veux dire, à moins de vivre en ermite on ne peut pas échapper à l’influence des autres d’une manière où d’une autre. A mon sens, “se trouver” signifie choisir entre la multitude des sources d’inspiration possibles, lesquelles sont celles qui nous attirent le plus et pourquoi. Peut être que je me trompe mais j’ai du mal à imaginer que quelqu’un puisse prétendre ne trouver son inspiration qu’au fond de lui même. Peut être que c’est plus diffus, qu’il ne s’agit pas forcément “d’idoles”, mais on a tous de l’admiration pour quelqu’un à un moment donné, non ?
Very well written Garance. No I haven’t always had everything sorted out, will never will I think . Like you I draw lots of inspiration from my surroundings but I also strongly hold on to the fact none of us are created to be the same :) x
This might seem an odd comment, but to describe my approach to influence, I’d like to refer to learning a piece of choreography (I’m a dancer). You might start by ‘copying’ some movement, but you do so with some ‘outside’ or detached perspective, and gradually you turn more attention on yourself and how you are completing the movement, how your own body is taking on some blueprint and making something new. Ideally by the time you are performing the movement may feel entirely your own, and you will be ‘convinced’ by it yourself, you have to believe in your own intention in performing the movement, in order for an audience to be enthralled also. Hopefully that makes sense somehow. I think it’s very important to preserve your own independence and go your own way. You might watch, certainly respect, and even admire others, but you have to believe in yourself and your own ability to create. That your own way has it’s own value. And really, if you do one thing and it doesn’t work out, you can usually try something else the next time. I’d rather learn that way, make my own mistakes trying what I think is best, than copy someone else and have no clue whether I was succeeding or not (on my own terms).
tu es ma principale source d’inspiration ! par exemple, ta coupe m’a bien inspirée : je me suis dit “Garance s’est coupé les cheveux, on a la même nature (un peu bouclés, épais etc…) et ça marche ! Elle est splendide (et sa coupe aussi) ! alors moi aussi je vais sauter le pas (ok je me posais déjà bcp de questions)” et misère mes cheveux sont plus que jamais bouclés, épais et… trop courts ! Bisous.
C’est super compliqué de trouver sa personnalité et surtout de l’assumer. Quand j’étais plus jeune (bon au lycée, y’a 6 ans quoi) j’étais entourée de gens pas vraiment intéressants, les “populaires”, qui me mettait sur la touche. Ultra timide aussi. C’est sûr je tapais pas la bise à tous les coins du bahut, mais j’avais un ptit groupe d’amis. C’était compliqué au quotidien de ne pas être vraiment intégrés, on était assez marginaux, dans nos délires et tout. Et au final, maintenant en y repensant, jme dis “tant mieux” ! Ces gens qui nous crachaient dessus n’avaient aucune personnalité, et je suis bien contente de m’être construite de mon côté avec de vrais potes. La confiance en soi ça met du temps à venir. Là j’ai fait mes études, j’ai toujours mes supers amis, je suis la mode de très près à la fac et avec mon blog, ça marche plutôt pas mal et tout ça, ça me fait me dire qu’en fait ya 2 ou 3 trucs à sauver chez moi ^^ Faut surtout pas se forcer à rentrer dans un moule, un truc prédéfini. On est comme on est,on peut bosser sur certains points à améliorer :)
I have been following your blog for a while and the longer I read the more I find myself wondering how many of the people you profile can afford their lifestyles working as stylists, artists, etc.
Question compliquée … mais très intéressant !
I know Roberta, she is lovely!
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