I can remember my first trips to Indianapolis as a child in the back seat of our family’s car. Peering out the window, I was struck by the city’s energetic intensity, a feeling I could sense everywhere we turned. Trips downtown were a rare treat and I cherished each one.
Looking back at my summer interning for PATTERN, I feel just the same. While I now frequent downtown a few days a week, my experience equals the wide-eyed child pointing at Monument Circle. Because whereas then I took in Indianapolis as an awestruck outsider, this summer I was tasked to document the city as a working journalist. I no longer just got to point out of a window – I was to question, analyze and record the inner workings and intricacies of Indianapolis.
My first day at PATTERN I came with a notebook full of pitches, but little to no idea what the summer ahead would look like. I can now confidently say I couldn’t have imagined that my stories would introduce me to the places, people and ideas I have covered.
In the past two months, I’ve watched Indy 500 drivers walk a GQ fashion show from the front row. I’ve sat on a hotel room floor with a former Miss America to learn her best beauty secrets. I’ve pedaled a bike up Mass Ave with 15 drunk strangers to see how people meet each other in the city.
In addition to experiencing these amazing stories, I’ve learned to document them in new and creative ways. I collaborated with Indy Reads Books to curate a summer reading list based on one’s summer style. I turned matches into fireworks for a 4th of July Style Guide video. Even in PATTERN’s upcoming Vol. 10, I’m currently working on an exciting series with other staff members.
This summer has for sure been a learning experience, having me interact with a team of interns, collaborate with Indianapolis brands and get to know the city in a more interesting dynamic. Additionally, I got to see the different roles of a magazine’s staff which has made me more interested in exploring the many jobs of a publication. But outside of these lessons, I most of all feel prepared for a career in fashion journalism and excited to think about the stories ahead.
