Meet Mariah Stewart of xo dear june in East

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariah Stewart.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started “xo dear june” as a way to combine all of my passions into one pretty place. I have always been deeply driven to write. Whether it was at five years old filling in empty hardcover books with my stories, or at twelve years old creating Microsoft Powerpoint slideshows and feeling like the coolest cat around, or now as a 23-year-old writing blog posts and social media captions. Writing has always been my way to connect with the outside world and I absolutely LOVE connecting. Simultaneously I have always been one to carry around a camera (back then, it was more along the likes of Kodak cameras and point and shoot!). I’ve always loved the idea of documenting a moment (I’m a very nostalgic person) so that I can look back on it later and be taken back to a different time. Entering the world of digital creating has given me the ability to push and grow these passions in ways I never would have thought possible. There are several things I hope to encourage with my work on “xo dear june”. To remain authentic, genuine, and to inspire others. I am all about sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly and reminding others that it’s OKAY to feel what you feel, look how you look, and do what you do. There are plenty of places in the world where you can feel judged. I don’t want “xo dear june” to ever be one of them. Show up as you are, and be loved as you are. I think that that mentality is contagious, wanting to be accepted and loved is something everyone wants, so I accredit where I am today to that. That kind of community radiates inspiration.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but I wouldn’t call it a bumpy one either. I feel like it’s been a road I continue to experience growth on, and for that, I am SO THANKFUL! With any kind of creative endeavor, you have to figure out how to articulate your voice and what you want your legacy to be. How do you want people to feel when they see your art? What emotion are you trying to gauge, if any? It took me a while (and several trials and errors) to figure out how to share my voice with the world. I’ve always known what I want to say and who I am internally, but figuring out *how* to use my voice was a challenge. I spent the first year of “xo dear june” focusing more on what I thought my audience wanted to read and see instead of speaking and creating the way I wanted to. I ended up losing myself and with that my enthusiasm. The voice behind my written words was muted. I had become someone who looked differently, talked differently, and created differently all because I had gotten wrapped up in who I thought I “should” be. Nobody had put that pressure on me, and yet there I was. I took about a month away from social media and my blog and really looked at what had happened and how I had lost my voice. I shed all the layers of BS that I had built on top of who I really am and got back to basics. Back to me. And from that restart, I haven’t looked back! Before I create or write or share anything, I make sure it feels like me. I think that’s the most important thing you can do in this digital world. Make sure you remain intact with who YOU are. The audience that is attracted to that will always follow.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the xo dear june story. Tell us more about it.
“xo dear june” is my blog! I create content for brands and businesses, and I absolutely love it. This includes blog posts, social media posts, and most recently (something I’m really excited about) videos! This career allows me to challenge and push myself each and every day, all while still diving deeper into my passions. I specialize in fashion and lifestyle content, and I’m especially involved in body positivity and inclusivity campaigns. I am a firm believer that all bodies are beautiful, and that our worth is not dictated by what is on the outside. I love working with companies that further encourage those mentalities because it exposes these truths in an even wider faucet. It’s important for people to talk about it, to turn heads, and to realize “wow, maybe I really am okay to look just as I am. Maybe I don’t need to change anything about myself”. If I can play any part in changing the way people think about themselves, I’d be honored. I don’t really look at the blogging community as “this is how I’m different than everyone else”. It’s not about being different, it’s about being you. I think it’s possible to find common ground as well as differences in any two people. So I guess I look at blogging more as everyone has something unique and beautiful and captivating that they’re doing, and here’s what that looks like for me.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not a big believer in luck unless we’re playing Monopoly. I think that creativity and dedication to your passions will always pay off, and not always in the ways that we most expect. There have been so many times where I’ve felt like I’m failing or not doing good enough because of a certain goal I hadn’t reached. Over time I’ve learned that by just taking a step back and realizing how much I’ve truly grown and achieved as a whole helps alleviate the pressure to reach one goal and allows me to see other goals I’ve already reached. Sometimes just taking a step back and looking at your situation from a bird’s eye view allows room for gratitude instead of disappointment. It’s like, hey, this one goal does not define you. You are still kicking butt.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.xodearjune.com
• Email: hello@xodearjune.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/xodearjune
• Other: www.pinterest.com/xodearjune

Image Credit:
xo dear june

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