This is a sponsored post in partnership with HBO. All opinions are 100% mine.
I haven’t written a blog post in a month. Granted, I had posts pre-written before that, so in reality, I haven’t picked up my laptop or pen/paper to ACTUALLY write or even used Instagram for weeks. Not only has my motivation basically died, but also my inspiration. Nothing in my schooling this year has really made me go out of my comfort zone or even think about finding inspiration in the world around me. I’ve been so focused on school, midterms, grades, my job, and so many other things that I’ve forgotten to take a moment for myself.
On the other hand, I’ve also taken about 5 minutes total to write out my blog goals for the rest of the year. In doing so, I came up with two main points. Create content that makes me happy and only work with brands that I truly use and like. Working with a brand I truly love isn’t easy. Mostly because I have bills to pay and money to save for things like study abroad or a future apartment. I know that in order to remember why I blog and find myself, I have to stick to these rules.
I told myself last weekend that outside of the few posts I have planned along with a few other posts, I’m probably going to take off the remainder of the year, refocus, and rework my content. That way, I can start the new year fresh. One of the campaigns and partnerships that I have right now is with HBO. HBO is a media network that I’ve known since I was a kid, and even as a college student, I find myself watching their shows almost weekly, ranging from Insecure to Game of Thrones to Sex and the City. In different ways, the characters that HBO showcases all give me little tidbits of inspiration, including some that I didn’t even realize until I sat down and came up with concepts for this post.
I haven’t really been excited about a collaboration since Fashion Week. I’ve been pumped for this one since it got confirmed. I want to make something that I’m truly proud of the rest of this year and continuing on. I thought it best to start immediately. This excitement hopefully will show throughout this post. This campaign has reminded me why I love blogging and how I really don’t have to leave my bedroom to find inspiration in the world around me.
The 3 main shows on HBO that I watch are Game of Thrones, Insecure, and Sex & The City (yes, I know it’s not on anymore, but I still watch it through HBO). I have been surrounded by strong women for my entire life. These three shows feature some amazing women and on HBO shows, there’s no shortage of strong women. In particular, I find myself identifying and loving the stories of certain women on their shows in particular: Sansa & Daenerys on Game of Thrones, Charlotte on Sex & the City, and Kelli on Insecure (I know, not Issa or Molly, but there’s a reason)!
For Game of Thrones, I watched Sansa and Danerys come into their own power and strength, especially Sansa. They’ve had tumultuous relationships with the men in their lives. Yet, both risen above to conquer and to become absolute badasses. They have their goals and plans, which come above all else, except family. Moving on to Sex & the City, Charlotte knows exactly what she wants. Her entire motto is when at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. Love is so important to her. It’s like the light at the end of the tunnel when the love scene gets rough. In Insecure, Kelli is secure in her identity and unapologetic about it. She throws shade at her friends, but does it with love (mostly).
Now that I’ve explained it all, here’s why you should use HBO-GO for to check out all of these shows and so many others. So on HBO, there’s unlimited access to all of HBO’s products and literally, you can watch them anywhere! After a long day of class, me and my roommates can sit back and relax. Making time for me to watch and really find my inspiration again. I love that HBO now has a college login, so if you’re at certain schools, you can enjoy HBO too! If you go to HBOGo.com, you’ll be able to see if you’re school’s not on the list, but if it’s not, head over to HBONOW.com/student and you can get a special student offer!
Right now, HBO is working with NEXT for AUTISM to raise money and awareness about autism. HBO is airing the Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism event on November 18th at 8pm. If you want the opportunity to go, go head over to Instagram and Twitter, so you can let HBO your “Too Many” using the hashtags #NightOfTooManyStars and #Contest! I know I have too many tote bags from events and of course, too many hats. You can show us what you have too many of!
With 1 in 68 estimated children currently affected by autism, Jon Stewart is joining with so many other celebrities to help support and celebrate the opening of the NYC Autism Charter School and Center of Autism and the Developing Brain at NY Presbyterian Hospital! Whether it’s assignments for class, bags, or other things, share it with us and you could be coming to NYC! HBO is giving away 2 tickets w/ hotel and airfare, so you’ve got nothing to lose, so head on over and enter the contest before 11/8! No purchase necessary. The contest is open to residents of the 48 contiguous U.S. and D.C., 18 and older. Official rules can be found here: http://notmscontestrules.dja.com/
For me, HBO is so much more than TV. I know that I can always count their shows to blow me away. From the Battle of Bastards on Game of Thrones or the finale for Westworld. I’ve literally cried, laughed, and screamed at my laptop/TV watching HBO and when I’m feeling down, there’s always a show that can make me feel better. I’ve done a lot of TV watching during my hiatus in an attempt to find my inspiration. I really do think HBO has helped me find my inspiration by letting myself take a few moments to myself. Inspiration really can come from everywhere around us. It’s necessary to take time and really find out what inspires you. Once that happens, everything really does seem to fall into place.
Special thanks to HBO and Her Campus with partnering with me on this campaign and making me find my inspiration and motivation again. All opinions are my own and haven’t been influenced from the outside.