Elouise at the Laundromat

This is the first entry of this blog thing I'm trying, so it is only fitting that I tell you who I am and how I got here.

The beginning of this story actually goes back to when I was 5 or 6 when I discovered how much I love reading and writing and how badly I wanted to become an author one day.

The gist of it is, I had my mind set on this dream my whole life, and when I was 17 and applying for university, I chickened out and chose a course that was more....sensible? Surprise surprise. I completed 2 years of full time study before I realised this was a terrible idea, this was of course nudged a little by the introduction of Covid-19 and the dreaded lock downs. Then I worked full-time in a few different roles in the disability and health care sector to "save money". This also was a terrible idea because lets be honest, I did not save a thing. Now I am twenty three and I have decided that life is too short to live sensibly, and It is time to chase what I have wanted since I was 5 years old.

Fast forward to last week, when I was "enjoying" my Sunday morning at a little laundromat in St Kilda. I walked in praying that it was empty, only to find a lovely lady with bright orange hair and glasses staring pensively at her machine. I ignored her at first, trying to avoid all human contact until she asked me which part of the machine we are supposed to put our detergent in. I politely explained where the detergent goes and what settings to use to get the best wash, and then piled my sheets into my machine before leaving to pass the time at one of the coffee shops around the corner.

On my way out the door, something other worldly took over my body and I turned around and asked this lady if she would like to join me for coffee while we wait for our laundry to finish. The lady agreed, and said "My name is Elouise".

Over coffee, Elouise was very chatty. She asked me all kinds of things about my life whilst nodding her head and gazing out at me with complete interest and intrigue. This woman had the active listening skills of a life coach. I told Elouise about my career ambivalence and that I am an aspiring writer, and this seems to have sparked a light in her because her eyes lit up like diamonds and she smiled. It turns out...Elouise is not only an actress, but she also owns a marketing, branding and publishing company, and knows all about the industry.

Two weeks earlier I was tossing up the idea of whether I should take the leap on this dream of mine, and now I was sitting across the table from a seasoned artist and philanthropist. Elouise gave me all sorts of advise about building a port folio and starting my journey. She said to begin this stage, I need to start a blog.

So that is why I am here, and why I am doing this.

Because Elouise at the laundromat told me to.