D I Bye Diaries (May 2024)

Dear reader,

This DIY Diary is going to be a little bit different. We all know that financially, many people are struggling to make ends meet and not everyone can afford certain high end products. The DIY Diaries started with a Halloween DIY piece about how to make a costume from clothes at the back of your closet. The idea was that (depending on the character) anyone could recreate a costume with little to no cost, simply because they have clothes that they may not wear so much anymore that can be repurposed. I remember how much I enjoyed writing that piece because I combined my love for fashion with Halloween while also keeping it relevant. But at this point I only did a DIY story for Halloween. I was always interested in fashion. However, I didn’t quite know how to apply that interest to the paper. 

Since The Hillingdon Herald first launched in October of 2021, I (the Features Editor) wanted more fashion journalism incorporated into the paper. This newspaper is run by young adults and when it first launched many of us were interested in fashion journalism but were unsure about how to write about fashion or relate it to our audience. That’s you, reader. The thing with fashion journalism is that because it is such a specific niche, there is less opportunity for it to be taught and while people may be interested in the area, they won’t know how to actually write for it. While I have been the Features Editor for the past three years, I only came up with DIY Diaries this year and while I wish I thought of it sooner, I do hope I helped some people with DIY ideas. I really do believe that DIY is such a useful skill for everyone to learn which is why I hope to continue DIY Diaries on social media.

This DIY Diary entry is my last for the paper and so it is my goodbye as the Features Editor. Four years ago, before The Hillingdon Herald even existed, I would never have dreamed that I would be an Editor or that I would run my own pages and I cannot express enough just how grateful I am to have had the experience with this paper. It started with a few reviews here and there until I had the idea to name the reviews page Netflix and CHillingdon. I was so proud of that name. I thought it had wit and charm with its relation to Hillingdon and the phrase ‘Netflix and chill’. Little did I know how attached I would become to that page. 

The reviews page has become my baby/ my creation and while it is time to move on, it will always be mine. But don’t worry, reader. The Hillingdon Herald will keep the reviews page on and my wonderful colleagues will make sure it is kept on top of every month. The page will of course be taken over by the new Features Editor known as Benedicte Luvuadiokueno and I am certain that she will do great. 

My reviews page was born out of my love for movies and shows. If I have the time, I love finding new things to watch and I especially love when they impress me. The thing is I like a lot of films or series that aren’t actually that great, but I can still critique them. When I found out I could watch films for the newspaper, I jumped on the opportunity. It is very easy to write what you think. What is difficult is critiquing all areas of film. Acting, costume, stage design, music and so much more needs to be considered when making a movie, so why shouldn’t it all be mentioned in a review too? The main point of course, is how convincing the film or show is. Can it transport you to another world? Is it addicting? How enjoyable is it really? After all, this is all for entertainment. But anyway, that is enough about my reviews page which I will dearly miss. 

Being the Features Editor has given me plenty of opportunity to explore these avenues that I enjoy. The creative freedom to decide what I want to put in the paper and how I want to express myself through this form of journalism is unmatched. It has definitely been a blast and the newsroom knows we have shared plenty of memories to last a lifetime. As mentioned earlier, I do intend to continue reviews and DIY Diaries on social media so if you do want to follow along, stay tuned to The Hillingdon Herald’s socials where I hope to share my new account soon.  Dear reader, whatever you choose to do, just make sure you do it with your whole heart. It’s time to Do It Yourself. Happy creating!