OCTOBER ESCAPE

Photograph by SIIM

Often, people watching me work will say, she's a workaholic, slave driver... and so many other less flattering things. My favorite is miserable brownin' wid di bleach hair and tattoos. But what they don't know is that, yes, mi a wrerk ha'ad [I'm working hard], but I'm doing what I love, to a standard that pleases me. I escape daily into my passion. And I go to bed exhausted and wake (sometimes still exhausted), ready to do it all over again!

My personal theme for October is Escapism. Usually, October is when I take my annual vacation. It's when I like to travel and it's a great time to get away - just after the summer crowds leave, just as the seasons start to change, getting cooler or warmer (depending on your hemisphere) and just before Christmas. If you time it right you actually get two holidays in quick succession right before your annual reset.

(But now that I've let the cat out of the bag, and shared my little secret, am I gonna end up seeing all bagga-bagga people cluttering up my travel destinations? Nah.... I'm not that popular, haha! All good.)

Anyway, these days, we all talk a lot about escapism and getting away—as if getting away from our lives for a time can fix everything. We scroll endlessly through Instagram, binge-watch entire seasons of shows, or book flights to far-off places. And, yes, those things do help, for a bit. But real escapism - the real getaway? It’s more than just a temporary distraction; it’s a mental shift. The real getaway is about stepping back and giving yourself permission to let go of the constant need to be in control.

When I was thirteen, a friend told me, “Time is never wasted.” I didn’t get it at the time. How could time not be wasted if I wasn’t constantly doing something, moving forward, making things happen? But over the years, I’ve come to understand that escapism isn’t about doing nothing—it’s about trusting that even when I’m not actively steering my life-ship, life is still taking me where I need to go. This is what I call cosmic autopilot.

Now, instead of worrying about what I’m not doing, I try to let life’s natural rhythms take over. This isn't always easy because we take ourselves too seriously. But, this is the simplest form of escapism: the knowledge that everything will unfold as it should. And in today’s fast-paced world of constant updates and urgent to-do lists, sometimes, that’s the greatest escape of all.

Often, people watching me work will say, she's a workaholic, slave driver... and so many other less flattering things. My favorite is miserable brownin' wid di bleach hair and tattoos. But what they don't know is that, yes, mi a wrerk ha'ad [I'm working hard], but I'm doing what I love, to a standard that pleases me. I escape daily into my passion. And I go to bed exhausted and wake (sometimes still exhausted), ready to do it all over again!

Whether it’s through travel, fashion, exercise or food, we all have ways to temporarily step away from the pressures of daily life. But it’s not about avoiding responsibility or burying your head in the sand. It’s about creating space to breathe, to let life flow without forcing the current. I somehow have been fortunate enough to be able to let my creative process be one of my escape routes, and for all the other creatives out there, I wish this for you too. You just also have to remember to eat, and drink water.

So if you’re feeling the weight of control, remember that escapism is a mindset as much as a physical act. Whether it’s a mental break from corporate politics, an afternoon spent savouring a meal, a moment of wandering with no plan, or twelve solid hours in that sweet mental flow state, trust that you’re exactly where you need to be.