wk muse – Taylor Villanueva

Taylor's instagram is my go to for visual story telling. She is able to find beauty anywhere/everywhere and has the most perfectly imperfect way of capturing things. I was a fan before, but my appreciation has grown immensely after reading her answers to the questions below. She's funny, lovely and inspires a very present and aware way of moving through life. Read on to see what I mean...

Your name: 
Taylor Noelle Villanueva

Self-proclaimed profession/raison d’être/what sets you alive/how you define yourself... 
Compulsive photographer, arranger, and trinket collector. I don’t change or alter things, just move them into position. I want to see and realize things as their most beautiful selves.

Where are you from and where are you now? 
I’m from sunny islands and brilliant sunsets. I now live in the land of fog and Blue Bottle coffee. Next move TBD.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning? 
Tap my head with my fingers and feel the covers and pillow to ground me. Blink and wiggle my toes.

Would you say you are more routine or ritual? 
I feel like a ritual person. It is something you feel or even look forward to. For me it’s how things begin- the feeling you get prepping for a bath, a date night, a road trip.

What age did you start shaving? What made you start?
13 or 14 I think. I was suddenly so aware of my body and my femininity and what I was told was feminine. I knew I was brown and different and had a funny name and I just wanted to be “normal” like other girls. 

Why do you shave now?  
It feels good to be a dolphin for a day.

What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty is me! Beauty is all of us. People’s brilliant minds and methods are lovely to me. I have an anthropologist streak in me.

How do you incorporate beauty into your every day?
Doing my eyebrows for sure. Going on a walk and reading something- an article a friend forwarded to me or picking up where I left off in a book. Words are beautiful and stimulating to me.

What’s something you can’t live without? 
My plush robe.

What words do you live by? 
You are here now. Be here.

What are you most proud of?  
The things I don’t tell people about.

What is the best piece of advice you have received? 
Do your own work/research/writing. Not in a controlling way, but instead taking responsibility for your output.

What does the word ‘sustainability’ mean to you? 
We live as the stewards of the earth we were supposed to be.

Easiest sustainable habit you’ve managed to incorporate? 
Composting. I’m grateful San Francisco makes it super easy for us. Toss the proper food/waste in a compostable bag and they pick it up on Friday.

Any unsustainable habits you’re trying to break? (none of us are perfect!)
Not bringing my own utensils with me when I pack a work lunch! If you know of any cool reusable utensils please hmu.

Book/song/movie you’ve recently recommended to someone? 
As a barre teacher I’m always swapping beats with other teachers for our playlists. Graveyard by Halsey - Axwell Remix is that absolute boost your mountain climbers need. As far as movies, The Game with Michael Douglas is a brilliant psychological thriller that I gently bully all my friends into watching with me- and it was filmed in San Francisco! 

Head to Taylor's profile for endless inspiration AND a chance to win a KELP safety razor. Giveaway will run until 4:00pm, Friday October 22nd.