welcome to my wonderland

Hi there :)

I'm Alison. And I'm living the dream in New York City. That looks like a lot of things - sometimes it looks like singing and dancing for a living, sometimes it looks like being on the eternal quest for the best bagel in NYC. And sometimes it looks more like living paycheck to paycheck, navigating the patriarchy, having difficult conversations, and letting out a good cry on the subway.

I embrace and welcome it all. I've found that New York either exhausts people or energizes them. For me, I find it to be completely energizing. While I think much of that comes from being a total extrovert in addition to an aspiring actress, I also think it comes from my chosen perspective.

In 2013 I read a book that changed my life. Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley. His simple mantra is “Thoughts Become Things,” and I’ve tried my best to adapt this for myself. The thoughts you think directly impact the actions you’ll take, and the results you’ll find in your life. When I finally tuned in to my inner monologue with intention and curiosity, I was shocked at how negative it was. I was constantly hating on myself, judging myself, selling myself short, worrying what others might think, and even playing out morbid scenes in my mind of my own death, or the deaths of loved ones. Um. No bueno.

Thus began a total “fake it ’til you make it” phase. Whenever I caught myself in these negative thought patters, I would immediately reverse it—even if I didn’t believe it for one second. If I found myself feeling overweight, I would quickly say to myself, “You’re healthier than you’ve ever been.” If I found myself thinking my friends were judging me, I’d remind myself, “You have an unreal community of people who love you.” And when I’d catch myself envisioning bizarre accidents like falling down a million flights of stairs or running straight into traffic (I call them ‘horrible fantasies’) I’d shake my head and say, “These things will not happen to you, you still have too much to contribute to this world.”

The result? Not only did I start feeling much lighter and clearer, but I summoned so much joy and possibility into my life. I started witnessing beautiful acts of kindness on the subway. I felt compelled to tip my baristas. I’ve begun smiling at strangers.

I truly believe that what you look for is what you’ll find. Here, you’ll get a glimpse at what I look for in my day to day. I hope you like what you find :)

photo: Tay Cooley