Scout Sixteen - #TeamInternet

Team Internet

Scout Sixteen - #TeamInternet

With the exception of moving to New York City, few moments have changed the course of my life quite like starting my blog. I spent years jumping from one job to the next eagerly awaiting an environment that could foster the wild creativity growing inside of me. It wasn’t until my friend Christina suggested I start a blog that I noticed the pieces of my life puzzle start to come together.

My blog has always been a passion project – a platform where I could illustrate and annotate the chaos in my head. I spent the majority of my life searching for acceptance. As a Type A “People Pleaser”, I was constantly altering myself to fit the expectations of others. With Scout Sixteen, I was given a platform to be myself, and the funniest part was people liked that Justin so much better.

While I make a decent living off my blog, I’ve never done it for the money or “blog fame” (both of which are terrible reasons to start a blog, by the way); I’ve stayed focused on creating a community of like-minded creators/readers and nurturing those relationships. Over the last two and half years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of fashion and web’s brightest stars – spectacular people with out-of-this-world imaginations and hearts of gold; they’ve each found success in their fields by holding on to one singular credo: do everything for and with passion. I’ve tried to remember this on the days that test my patience or break my will… because if I’m not doing it with passion, why do it? Surrounding myself with people who truly adore their craft puts a smile on my face daily. We are and always will be a team – a team of internet nerds who found our voices online. And on any given day, my money is on #TeamInternet.

Don’t let anyone else determine the path for your life. Be the writer of your story, not the reader. Stop taming that creativity and rediscover the things that make you smile. And whatever you choose to do, do it with sheer, unparalleled passion. Because who are we without passion? Normal. And normal is for boring people…

//READ MY TIPS ON STARTING A BLOG HERE//

District Lines Raglan T-Shirt * / Express Joggers / Warby Parker Glasses

* Shirt via my pal Tyler Oakley, who continues to impress, amaze, and dazzle me daily. Get the shirt here!

Scout Sixteen is a lifestyle blog from Justin Livingston. Justin grew up in Mississippi but relocated to New York City in 2008. On Scout Sixteen, Justin shares his passion in fashion, travel, food and drink, and mental wellness.