Angela Dunn talks about devising a sustainable wardrobe, delivering what her readers want, and the discipline behind the glam
When it comes to the creatives we admire, we’re so busy enjoying their stories, music, or pictures, we don’t often think about the intangibles behind their art.
Angela Dunn, a former corporate communications executive and accomplished storyteller, is keen to highlight the amount of energy and discipline required. The Canadian blogger knows firsthand what it takes – long hours honing skills, years of experience, incredible dedication, a quest for perfection. That’s why she’s confident her ability to charm her audience will never be replaced by AI-powered content creation apps. “I see AI as a supportive tool, but it can never replace me and my way of thinking. I’m giving my readers a glimpse of my soul,” she said during one of our recent chats.
Finding balance
One of her sources of inspiration is Rick Rubin, the legendary music producer who worked with giants like Johnny Cash, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, numerous hip hop artists and many more. Over the years, Rubin thought a lot about where creativity comes from, and he came to the conclusion that being an artist isn’t about your specific output but your relationship to the world. His book ‘The Creative Act’ inspired Angela to think about creativity as an unseen force in a spiritual sense.
“I love Rubin’s definition of talent – it’s the ability to let ideas manifest themselves through you,” said Angela. From an early age she knew writing was intrinsic to her being. “I remember telling my parents I was going to be a writer when I was 10. That resonated with my father who worked for the federal government in Ottawa. He was a prolific writer and historian.”
Angela draws energy from the spirit of the place where you happen to be. It comes from people you know, friendships you nurture, being curious and observant. It’s about countering the negatives in today’s world with bracing, energetic activities like cold water swimming or travelling with her six sisters.
Her blog YOU SAID IT! on Substack is where she shares her reflections on life and her pursuit of beauty, balance and boldness.
“My work is a collection of personal essays where I write about my travels, vintage finds, and sustainable wardrobe tips,” she explained. The blog is aimed at her own peer group: women who share her sense of adventure and admire her taste in fashion and laidback style.
She told me about a former friend from university whom she hasn’t seen since the 1980s, who now lives in a remote corner of Canada. “I was touched when she wrote to tell me she appreciates how I’m enabling others to partake in my journey. She will never visit the places I’ve visited or have this kind of lifestyle, but she loves to read about it.”
Angela is currently in the process of rebranding her blog based on her ideal customer profile. “Now, that’s where I can use a little help from my friend, Claude,” she laughed, referring to the next-gen, conversational AI chatbot that can support content creators with problem-solving and analytical tasks.
Channeling beauty
Attending university in Montreal opened her eyes to fashion and style. As a child her favorite toy was a pair of scissors – to use on fabric or paper. She tore pages out of magazines like Vogue and Mademoiselle to make collages on big poster boards. She was making her own clothes from a very young age, repurposing hand-me-downs from her many siblings and cousins.
“I was the kind of girl who used to embroider my jeans with little flowers around the hems and pockets. I made tops from old embroidered linen tablecloths, and my skirts were a patchwork made from old jeans,” she said. “We didn’t have money when I was a kid, so I had to be resourceful.”
Her idea of fun is going to flea markets and vintage shops. Recently, she went to a shop in London that sells nothing but ribbons and trimmings for hats. She’d been wanting to go there since the 1990s. An avid collector of old and new clothes, she finally realized she had completely lost control of her clothing budget. She regained it through a fundamental shift in her thinking. Now, she’s developing a sustainable wardrobe, tracking every item she owns. Sharing her thoughts on being an ‘intentional consumer’ may help others become more conscious in their choices when it comes to clothing or travel.
Being bold
In 1987 at the age of 26, she went to teach English in Beijing. She wrote prodigiously at the time, filling notebooks and composing travel essays about the cities she visited and people she met. Looking back on the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989 that advocated political and economic reform in China, she throws a spotlight on the need for greater awareness and more focused resistance today.
In 1991, she published an op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen. Reviewing it reminded her of the current political landscape in Germany where she has been living since the 1990s. Voting for the first time as a German citizen in the recent elections, she reflected on the dramatic rise of the far right in a nation where a “culture of remembrance” is enshrined in the national psyche and a central part of the history curriculum. Will history repeat itself?
Angela’s tendency to reexamine events that shaped her life decades ago for their relevance today is a bold reminder that the past is never dead; it’s not even past. Some of her observations may feel out of place with the wisdom of years, but others reflect the ways historical events continue to shape the present, keeping the past alive. Time will tell.
Read and subscribe to Angela’s essay collection YOU SAID IT! on Substack.