Hey y’all 👋🏼 I hope you’ve been enjoying Sana’s Notes so far, if there is anything you’d like to hear about from me, just hit the Reply button and let me know! I hope you enjoy this week’s catch-up.

— Sana Tabassum

🍎 food for thought

It’s your favourite time of the week again - getting this email from me of course 😋. This week has had its ups and major downs but I wanted to talk about the beauty of serendipity. If you don’t know what that means I’ve included the dictionary definition below.

First let me talk about the past month. You could even go back and read previous versions of my newsletter to see how there have been slow days, insecure moments and waves of feelings. Since graduating, I’ve been on a very non-traditional path. I’m only just starting to feel like I’ve found my footing, with a few freelance projects (but still open to more) and applying to jobs that fit me rather than the other way around. Most of my time however, has gone into the act of creativity.

I’m actively creating new content, experimenting and going out of my comfort zone. Yes, the numbers are somewhat motivating me to just keep trying till something changes. But I’m also getting comfortable with this new identity. A few weeks ago, I decided to take the plunge on a project I’ve dreamt about for the last few years.

I needed to choose whether to continue with my online cohort course or switch it up for probably the biggest project I’ve attempted so far in this little content creation journey. You might have heard about it. Anyway, the reason why I think Instagram has been my platform of choice is because of the way you get to meet people. I know almost all my creator friends through Instagram or recognising them because of their profile. Serendipitous right?

In the last 2 weeks, I’ve made some incredible connections with architecture schools that I didn’t even think wanted to collaborate with me. It’s validated this idea. But it’s also made me stop and acknowledge the reach of my content. Just a few DMs or friendly comments have turned into fully-fledged workshops that will go on to (hopefully) become THE biggest student programme for architecture. Let’s see where life takes us.

What I’ve learned 👇🏼

• Don’t be afraid to message the people you look up to. Once I was sure that there would be events and workshops taking place, I started thinking about people I knew who might be able to help with photography. And just like that, totally unprompted, out of the blue, I received a message from a fellow architecture student looking for photography work and experience!!

• Doing things alone isn’t half bad. I found myself with a few hours to spare one afternoon in London and decided to take a trip to the Design Museum by myself. It was a tad bit daunting but I really enjoyed taking my time and looking around.

• Effort goes both ways. I know people often have post-graduation blues and can feel quite lonely or like they aren’t progressing as much as their peers or friends. I think the best way to tackle this is to make a concious effort to see people who uplift you and add value to your life without it being forced.

🍗 content nuggets

I haven’t really been watching much content on YouTube lately and I need to figure out a frictionless way to share Instagram and Linkedin posts I love with you guys..

This video was quite nice though, sent to me by my bestie. It’s a breakdown of a creator I’ve shared previously on the newsletter, Kariza, who is part of YouTube’s New Wave of creators who have a passion and skill for filmmaking and storytelling.

As someone who is trying to up their YouTube game, seeing breakdowns and insightful tips like these really does make the process a lot more accessible.

🔥 on the back burner

So, I need your help. If you’re part of an architecture society (preferably in London) please reach out!

I’m working on a new project called Open Studio, a series of in-person workshops run every weekend for architecture students in London.

The goal is to allow students to network across universities and foster an environment within which they can collaborate, access mentoring and co-work.

Right now, I’m looking for the opportunity to collaborate with organisations and architecture societies to hold trial sessions - Studio Hours in the upcoming months.

This may involve a workshop session led by me on the topic of personal branding as an architecture student, learning how to get your foot in the industry or 1:1 feedback sessions where students can get their design projects, essays or CVs reviewed.

It would also be a great opportunity to bring together students from all years to co-work, help each other, bounce ideas and create new connections.

DM me on Instagram or reply to this email if you’re interested. Bonus points if you forward on this email to someone.

— Sana x