recently i decided to start injecting a tiny little bit of modern day feminism into this blog. i figure when my ideology and the subjects of this blog intersect, it’s not just an opportunity to spread positive vibes and support great women in the creative industry, but it also presents an interesting story that might be inspiring to you in other ways, too.

the first of the kick-ass ladies i’d like to introduce to you is patricia goijens. at 26, she’s already accomplished so many great things, but what i love most about her is her sense of humor, her kind nature and her smarts. she does her own thing at NO GLITTER NO GLORY (my favorite posts are the ones about interior design and popular culture) and together with her mom, she runs online fashion boutique LILY AND THE LADY. she’s also working on another secret project behind the scenes that i’m super excited about and can’t wait to share with you. but for now, i asked her to answer a few questions that might shed a light on how she approaches life, love and business.

w h o   h a s   b e e n   a   m e n t o r   i n   y o u r   l i f e   a n d   h o w ?

i wouldn’t be who i am today without my boyfriend, parents and my yoga teacher. my parents have always been so great to me, they gave me every opportunity they could while i was growing up. i’ve always had a good bond with them and never felt the need to rebel… it’s even resulted in being in business with my mum, which i think is something really special. when it comes to my career, my boyfriend has been my biggest influence. he’s such a smart, confident and talented guy. i always joke that he’s a golden boy – whatever he does, succeeds. but the truth is he works really hard and deserves everything that’s coming to him. he always pushes me to go further and aim higher, and the fact that he believes in me means a lot. i also feel like i’ve changed a lot (for the better) in the past year and the person i have to thank for it is my YOGA TEACHER RACHEL. she is such a great and positive person and i’ve learned so much already from the way she looks at life and yoga practice in general. starting with yoga was one of the best decisions of my life.

w h a t ‘ s   t h e   m o s t   i m p o r t a n t   t h i n g   y o u ‘ v e   l e a r n e d   i n   y o u r   l i f e   s o   f a r ?

positive thinking gives positive results. this is a hard one sometimes, but i try to remember when i’m down that the energy i’m investing in worrying can be used much better to solve the problem. tackling a problem head on is often a lot less stressful than obsessing over all the things that can go wrong. this is something i’ve really learned since i started my own business. sure, it’s hard, harder than i ever imagined, but looking on the bright side changes everything from a burden to a challenge. that being said, don’t beat yourself up when you do have an off day from time to time, just don’t get stuck in negative thinking.

w h a t   a r e   y o u   t r y i n g   t o   t e a c h   y o u r s e l f   r i g h t   n o w ?

in the last year or so i’ve started to teach myself to care less about people’s opinions about me. i used to try and anticipate what others would think of me or something i’d do. i’m a real people pleaser and a perfectionist by nature, which often becomes a real burden. logical as it may sound, realizing that when people need or want something they should just ask, or if they disagree with me they should say so has been the epiphany of 2013. this works the other way around too and has made me much more carefree. whenever i want or need something, i ask for it. and the answer can be yes or no. i’m trying to build further on this in 2014, and i’m also trying to let go of certain things i’m a nostalgic and i have a tendency to hoard) and be more orderly and consistent to create some peace of mind for myself. for my professional life i’m also working on my photography skills and exploring adobe photoshop lightroom. fun!

w h a t   i s   y o u r   f a v o r i t e   m e m o r y   a n d   w h a t   d o e s   i t   s a y   a b o u t   y o u ?

my favorite memory is from when i was living in barcelona. i spent my erasmus there in 2008-2009 and it was the first big city that i fell truly, madly, deeply in love with. i remember that one day, after class, i was walking around in raval on my own and it was the sweetest sensation. with the sun on my face and the hustle and bustle of the city around me, there was no place i’d rather be. i was just really happy in the moment, exploring on my own. there are two things this memory says about me: sometimes i’m a bit of a loner and i prefer to do my own thing, which doesn’t surprise me at all since i’m an only child. i think it’s also a great example of  one of my favorite hobbies: citytripping. there’s nothing better than getting to know a city as well as i possibly can in the amount of time that i have. i mostly leave the big touristy things behind and try to discover what likeminded locals are up to – that way you can really get to know the vibe of a city.

i f   y o u   c o u l d   g i v e   o n l y   o n e   p i e c e   o f   a d v i c e   t o   a n y o n e ,   w h a t   w o u l d   i t   b e ?

the best advice i have ever gotten comes from my mother, and i think it pretty much sums up the essence of, well, life (or at least for people who were born in this part of the world). the only person responsible for your happiness is you. you are in charge of your own life, and in most situations, you have a choice.

w h a t ‘ s   t h e   b i g g e s t   a c c o m p l i s h m e n t   y o u   w i s h   f o r   y o u r s e l f   i n   t h e   f u t u r e ?

i hope my shop will grow and i can carry out my dream project when it does. i hope that next to fashion, i can explore my other interests like movies and television, travel and interior design. and i hope i can keep doing everything independently, because i’ve learned that the feeling of freedom makes me very, very happy.

patricia’s BLOG< // and her ONLINE SHOP
photos by stephanie duval // taken at KORSAKOV in antwerp