If you’ve been flicking through our humble magazine for a while now, you might have come to recognise a recurring face in our pages… the strikingly beautiful, always fashionable, and extraordinarily talented Kim Cooper… AKA This Hot Mess.
Originally created by Kim back in 2017, This Hot Mess is a blog about life, womanhood, mental health, empowerment and all the messy moments, that aims to soften the heart and sharpen the mind of women who might also consider themselves a hot mess like Kim; to help them understand that it is completely ok to not have everything figured out just yet.
It’s brilliant, it’s virtuous, it’s uplifting, but most of all, it’s authentic and real.
Life is a bit of a hot mess sometimes. Just when we think we’re getting it together something comes along and throws all of our beautifully placed ducks out of the row we’ve meticulously lined them in. You lose a job, someone close to you gets sick, you crash your car… life just happens! And as much as we can try to plan our lives, “life” is simply always going to do its own thing. But it’s not just life that can be a hot mess. We can all be a bit of a hot mess at times.
“I’m by nature not very organised, tidy or good at ‘adulting’,” Kim explains. “That stuff takes major effort and strategy. And on top of that, I suffer from some hectic anxiety that often gets in the way of me living my best life.”
That’s real, and that’s the foundation of This Hot Mess.
Since November, Kim has been sharing pieces from her blog with our readers each fortnight; from tips on managing anxiety, increasing peace, and self-care, navigating phone addiction and masterdating, to more serious matters like donating blood, as well as personal anecdotes about life alongside her good-humored dad, for whom she cares for full-time, all with the purpose of keeping our minds sharp, and heart soft, as we all take on this hot mess of a life together!
“To me, having a sharp mind means continuing to learn about topics we love or don’t know much about, and keeping up with what’s happening globally (more than simply with the Kardashians),” Kim explains. “And a soft heart? Well, it means that although we are all human (flawed and imperfect!), we are learning ways to choose kindness. To be more generous, patient and gracious with others whilst doing our best to make a positive impact on our slice of the world. Throw in some tips on managing anxiety and little quotes to lift up your day and you’ve got @thishotmessau!”
Despite being active in our pages, This Hot Mess has actually experienced some serious R&R for the past few months, so Kim could redefine, refocus and refresh her blog, which now features a new website in addition to an Instagram page. We loved it before, but we love it even more now. It’s a place that feels like a breath of invigorating fresh air as Kim shares inspiring, authentic and most importantly, relatable content.
“It will be full of real talk, “me too” moments, life hacks, book recommendations, conversations with inspiring people and hopefully lots of moments where I can remind people they’re not alone and despite their “hot mess” tendencies, everyone can still change their slice of the world for the better,” Kim smiles.
And what would an exciting relaunch be without a party to give it the love and devotion it deserves?
Officially taking place on Murphys Rooftop on Thursday, September 12, Kim will be celebrating her rejuvenated vision with a few of her closest friends, Geelong locals she admires, and a special few ticket winners attending (keep reading to find out more about this!).
The launch will feature an exciting panel series with a range of empowering women who too also admit to being a hot mess. The panel is set to include Steph Sanzaro, a plant-based eating specialist and mental health advocate from Instagram blog ‘Plant Based Body’, Asti Maree, a sexual energy and female empowerment coach from podcast ‘Sex, Sass and Soul’, Caitlyn Menzel owner of ‘Caitlyn Menzel Coaching’, Huntress Hair/Hunter Barber and Bec Dunifeield, owner of Zero Point Yoga and fully qualified psychotherapist.
“I wanted to throw a launch party that not only reflected the values of the blog, which is why the event will double as a fundraiser for the Give Where You Live Foundation, but one that also leaves the women attending and tuning in online feeling inspired and connected through the atmosphere of authenticity created by our amazing guest panelists.
“I am so glad I trusted my gut and took the time out to relaunch properly because it has ended up better than I could have imagined,” Kim continues. “I couldn’t have found four more perfect women to represent and celebrate this new chapter for This Hot Mess.”
For those of you keen to suss out This Hot Mess, and sneak-a-peak at all the happening of the launch, but maybe would prefer to do it on the couch with a bottle of Dan’s finest vino, Kim’s thought of you too! All you have to do is follow @ThisHotMessau on Instagram, fill your glass, and tune in at 7:30pm on the night for a live stream of the panel.
If your heart skipped a beat when we mentioned a ticket giveaway, keep your keen eyes on our Instagram page over the next week where all you will need to do is tag a bestie who is also a Hot Mess on the post, and share something you adore about them. How easy is that? And it’s a great way to share the love with your pals too.
Follow @thishotmessau on Instagram or visit www.thishotmessau.com.au to join the journey with a bunch of imperfect people, trying to be their best.