I'm no writer...but

Vogue Cover from September 1945, the year the Talent Contest was launched

Another reason to complain a tiny bit about aging but largely to tick off something I meant to do a long time ago.

When flicking through the March issue of Vogue (I’m guessing we now all buy the March and September issues since the documentary) with Lana Del Ray on the cover, I came upon the Vogue Talent Contest page. How have I missed this?! I have a sudden feeling of panic, like when you realise you’ve forgotten your PE kit at home or you’ve left your keys behind. Major but really no bigger in hindsight. But for the last 4 years I had put in my resolution the following: Enter the Vogue Talent Contest for Young Writers. It wasn’t about whether I WIN or had any recognition for it, just that I had had the courage and inspiration to write about something with total belief in myself.

You are to write on the following 3 topics: a personal memory; short feature article (contemporary cultural review or a fashion/beauty trend); and an opinion piece. I started to automatically plan the topics in my head and even imagining the images that I would use as visual aid to get the juices flowing.  And then, right at the end of the text on the page I read it. ‘If you’re 25 and under…’ I realise that it's for Young writers but has it come to this already? I know I’ve pointed out this issue of aging in my past entries, Out of Love... but those were just musings. This was serious business. I’m now apparently too old to enter this competition (and a little late for 2012 mind). Shall I just go back to the bathroom and put on my Superdrug £6.99 super anti-oxidant night cream and go to sleep at a decent hour?!

However, as my last (or first) Virtual Find entry featured THE blogger tip of all, I think there’s something to salvage here.  I may be too old to enter a Vogue competition, and dream about the month long internship at the magazine with crossed fingers under the duvet, but I’m not too old to do anything else! Except perhaps to go back to cutting my own hair.

Better late than never! I’m no writer but I’m going to write about these topics anyway, and give myself a pat on the back for trying.  Please read my Who Needs Vogue?! 3 piece feature in due time, and feel free to comment, criticise and/or praise.