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TCM GUEST EDITOR

sophia bush guest editor the chalkboard

Say hello to our June Guest Editor, the lovely Sophia Bush! Get ready for a hilarious, thought-provoking start to your summer...

Summer is magical and ripe with the sense of possibility. That about describes our June Guest Editor, Sophia Bush, as well, who, with little pretension and endless energy, seems to keep every room she enters lit up and stirred up. We’ve run into Sophia time and again this year in all our Chalkboard wanderings and knew she’d be a pitch perfect guest for you, our readers. Her down-to-earth, but sky’s-the-limit attitude is one hundred percent our jam.

Although most of us know Sophia from her years of blazing stardom, most recently as one cute cop on NBC’s breakout hit, Chicago PD, she’s truly caught our eye these past few years because of her committed work with so many of the charities we love. Pencils of Promise, I Am That Girl and Invisible Children – all of which we’ll be featuring this month – are causes close to Sophia’s heart. There are going to be a whole lot of good Chalkboardy vibes this June as we join together with Sophia to start our summer right!

Enjoy her Guest Editor letter below and then join us all month as we chat with Sophia about her favorite things, her keys to balanced living and so much more. We’ve even got a Sophia-inspired playlist ready for your listening ears. Here’s to summer!

Dear Chalkboard readers,

Well. I awoke this morning to greet the day with a real reminder of my flawed humanity. Having slept less than five hours before a big day of work, instead of clocking my aspirational eight, it was impossible to roll groggily out of bed without being aware of the acute irony of the situation. Here I am – guest hosting Chalkboard ahhhh! – writing for my favorite website on health and wellness, and I’ve begun the day by breaking a cardinal rule. I haven’t slept enough. I’m probably dehydrated. And not even for a fun reason. It wasn’t a pitcher of spicy margaritas with friends that put me here, it was a late cross-country flight for work that has my lips feeling chapped and my body feeling a little swollen. But you know something? It’s okay. This is the real part, isn’t it?

I’m getting much more passionate about my health – hello yoga! – but I am nowhere near having cracked the code. Are any of us, really? We all have aspirations to live a life worthy of gorgeous Pinterest imagery, with impossibly chic farmer’s market style and refrigerators stocked with oddly delicious yet nutritious snacks ranging from grass-fed meats to vegan and gluten-free delights, but we all have days where we wind up in ratty sweatpants and binge on an entire bag of tortilla chips or a pint of ice cream, standing like a flamingo in front of the fridge. Wait. Is it just me who does the whole standing-in-a-pseudo-yoga-pose-while-snacking thing? Well… that’s my quirk y’all. And to be honest, I sort of like it.

Which brings me to a point. I’m learning to love myself better. The superhero, badass, school-building, TV-show-making, great-advice-giving, yeah, I’ll say it, awesome me! And I am also learning to love the fearful, skips-yoga-even-though-I-know-I-should-go, sometimes-short-tempered, has-made-my-fair-share-of-big-mistakes, goes-for-a-bourbon-over-a-green-juice, and will-always-hit-the-snooze-button-one-more-time-than-I-know-I-should me. And why not? We are, after all, the sum total of our parts, beautyfull readers. Yes, beauty-FULL. Because isn’t that the goal? On this road to becoming our aspirational selves versus our practiced selves (thanks for those wonderful terms, BrenĂ© Brown) we need to start filling up with goodness. Health. Vitality. Kindness. That’s where beauty comes from. A deep well within, full of love. And sometimes delicious cake. We can’t be perfect all the time. But with communities like this one we can embrace the perfection of our messy humanity more and more often. And hopefully, someday love that humanity, yes, all of the time.

Love,
Sophia


Comments


  1. She had me at bourbon over a glass of green juice. Ha.
    Looking forward to her balanced approach!

    Allyn | 06.02.2014 | Reply
  2. A new but committed Sophia Supporter! Love her drawing of her pup on the board and the great letter to start it all off đŸ™‚ looking forward to the rest of the month!

    Anna C | 06.02.2014 | Reply
  3. Sophia is real talk and has (always will be) my biggest inspiration!
    I’m doing a Childhood Studies degree and hope to work for charities like she has whilst also doing my best to keep myself as healthy and passionate as I can.
    I’m 21 in September and totally agree with learning to love our messy lives. All the naughty substances (alcohol etc) and crazy food binges are what make us unique and different. Pass me the chocolate and then the beer!
    I would hate to live a life in constant fear of judgement. Yoga/Pilates and other exercise release those endorphins and I agree that we should all do as much exercise as we can. But more importantly, look after our mental self and learn to love one another for what we are đŸ™‚

    I love how passionate Sophia is and I’m forever getting mocked for saying things that go a miss in most daily routines. I think we all need to address the world more like Sophia does!

    I’m so happy I found this website! đŸ™‚

    Anna | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • Wow – so well said, Anna! And we’re so thankful to have you in our community. No mocking here!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
    • Anna, you are wise beyond your years. Print or save an image of the words you posted here, and keep it in a safe place. Read it at least once a year (more often is better, but too often will probably diffuse the significance). I can’t even begin to express how right-on you are with your perspective. …and at the age of 20 – wow! Good for you! Allow your words of wisdom to guide you as you walk your path and try-on new adventures, friends, foods, places, hairstyles, jobs, careers, clothes, shoes, loves, hobbies, interests, yoga classes, beers, potato chips, spirituality, books, life… Enjoy every moment. YOU are someone others can look-up to!

      Carrie | 06.25.2014 | Reply
      • Agreed, Carrie. And we love the love on here…we have the best readers!

        The Chalkboard | 06.26.2014 | Reply
  4. I love Sophia… this woman just gets the big picture and is so undeniably inspiring! Stoked to be exposed to a new and positive online community and of course for Soph to be the guest editor for this month! đŸ™‚

    Nikki | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • Thank you for reading, Nikki – so happy to have you as part of our community!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  5. I just love Sophia Bush. Superwoman extraordinaire! Seriously, you should write a book, your writing is so clever and witty!:) Love it! Can’t wait for the rest of the content this month!

    Philippine | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • Isn’t she lovely? Thanks for reading, Philippine!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  6. Great first letter by Sophia! Excited to hear more this month. I so appreciate her passion for being real- being kind- and loving life! I hope June isn’t the last month she’s invited to The Chalkboard:)

    Jessica | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • We love and appreciate her too, Jessica – happy to have her on our team all month long!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  7. Awesome! Inspirational, didn’t want the note end! Really looking forward to what’s coming up! Love love Love Sophia!

    • Never fear, Bee – there’s more where that came from!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  8. “we can embrace the perfection of our messy humanity more and more often.” This post was lovely!

    Betsy | 06.02.2014 | Reply
  9. Sophia Bush is an inspiration, really!! I love her work and this post!! Really looking forward to what’s coming up..Greetings from a small country, far away from yours guys, Greece!!!

    DANAE | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • So thrilled you’re looking forward to more Sophia, Danae! And hello to Greece – always love meeting our international readers!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  10. I absolutely love Sophia Bush. She is so gorgeous and not only is she an amazing actress, she is an even more amazing human being. I am always so inspired and motivated by her. She’s incredible

    Allison | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • Happy you love her as much as we do over here at TCM, Allison!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  11. Well, if Sophia is involved it has to be a classy gig! I recently lost 50 pounds working with a trainer and I became a vegetarian. Now, that I met my goal weight it’s about being fit and staying healthy long term. That requires not only commitment but creativity. I think this second-tier maybe harder than the first. Looking forward to learning some healthy tips and wonderful thoughts from Sophian on the Chalkboardmag.com

    Jennifer | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • Wow – congratulations on your accomplishment, Jennifer!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  12. Glad I’m not the only one doing the pseudo-yoga-pose in front of the fridge! Always fun to learn this little tidbits about Sophia, makes her more relatable and inspires us to love ourselves exactly who we are!

    Christine | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • You’re definitely not alone, Christine! Stay tuned for more Sophia-ness all month long…

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  13. Nice job Sophia đŸ™‚

    Jonathan Sandstrom | 06.02.2014 | Reply
  14. Sophia is a beautiful and extremely inspiration woman who teaches women to love themselves, and they’re learning. Look forward to seeing more from this lovely lady

    Charlotte | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • So true, Charlotte. We’re blessed to have her with us all June!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  15. An awesome first letter! I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for this month!

    Sara | 06.02.2014 | Reply
  16. SO excited that you’re guest editor this month, Soph! Can’t wait to read everything and be inspired. You’re a charmer. Rock it, girl!

    Michelle Teo | 06.02.2014 | Reply
    • So thrilled you’re as excited as we are, Michelle!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  17. I love what you said!
    You wrote so well, i love your sense of humor. It takes time, however we (should) learn to love ourselves!

    Hadar | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  18. Bourbon over green juice? A Brené Brown fan? Will always hit the snooze button? Yep. Simply adding to my list of why I heart Sophia so much.

    “[W]e need to start filling up with goodness. Health. Vitality. Kindness. That’s where beauty comes from. A deep well within, full of love.”

    Stoked for what’s next to come from Soph!

    Lolly | 06.03.2014 | Reply
    • Isn’t she wonderful, Lolly? Stay tuned for more Sophia all month long!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  19. Love it Sophia đŸ™‚ great to see you on here

    Lindsay | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  20. Thank you Sophia for you words… your post is so inspiring, for every woman that struggles every day to reach perfection… a perfection that we already have, as we are… I’m looking for your next post!

    Roxanne | 06.03.2014 | Reply
    • We’re so happy you’re as inspired as we are, Roxanne!

      The Chalkboard | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  21. I am so excited for this month on Chalkboard. Sophia Bush has been my number one role model for as long as I remember, and as an impressionable, still kind of figuring life out, college student it is refreshing to have someone reassuring me that I am not totally screwing everything up. Because I have days that the gym seems like my worst enemy! I can’t wait to read more!

    Lilli-Anne | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  22. I LOVE SOPHIA!!! i’ve been a huge fan since….. one tree hill, yup watched every season from the very first episode and proud of it!! I’ve been a fan of hers for so long, the way she’s grown is incredible đŸ™‚ and her personality seriously just seems awesome haha SO looking forward to June đŸ™‚

    Cristina | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  23. I’ve been a fan of Sophia for over a year now, and i’m so glad y’all are having her because she’s an amazing person and has so many views of everything and I LOVE hearing her perspective on a topic now developing in our society and she’s so fun, so i know all these articles are going to get me all excited to read! Her music, and her fashion taste are 1 of the many reasons why she’s amazing so i cant wait to set my summer music list with her đŸ™‚ Thanks for having her!

    Sanjana | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  24. This is the most relatable letter from the monthly editor I have read yet! I am officially a serious fan of Ms. Bush. BUT I have gotten excited about an editor in the past but it seems that their contribution is really very small. I would love to see something maybe once a week for the month from them?? Or is it all behind the scenes and they are really picking and choosing the content? Just very curious. And I tune in Monday thru Friday, big TCM fan. GO Sophia

    Lindsay | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  25. Simply put, Sophia is brilliant!
    A beautiful person both inside and out. I look forward to reading her articles!
    It is rare to find a person as true as Sophia, who’s also a celebrity that hasn’t let the fame go to their head.
    To me, that person gets my respect because they have earned it, not because they think they deserve it or it’s owed to them.
    You couldn’t have made a better choice for June’s Guest Editor, then Sophia Bush!
    Which by the way, she brought me to your site.

    Jeramiah N. | 06.03.2014 | Reply
  26. I started following Sophia Bush on Instagram on a whim and was quickly (and pleasantly) surprised at just how authentic she is. She provides inspirational doses of female power, self love and killer outfits, all while staying in tune with the bigger picture. I am so happy to see here.

    Erica | 06.04.2014 | Reply
  27. I absolutely love Sophia Bush! As soon as I got the email for the post, I clicked on the link! She is so gorgeous, inside and out. She is truly inspirational and I can’t wait to read her posts! <3

    Andrea | 06.05.2014 | Reply
  28. Thanks for expressing yourself as a real life, authentic, chic lady. You are fabulous, Sofia!

    Kristin | 06.05.2014 | Reply
  29. I LOVE this website and now I am even more in love since Sophia is guest editor! She’s such an inspiration to me and her words are incredible. I can’t wait to hear more of what she has to say and some of her tips on style, living and more this month. đŸ™‚

    Katie | 06.07.2014 | Reply
  30. Thanks to Sophia I discovered this AMAZING Website. I have always loved her style, way of living and passion for people and humanity, and its so inspiring to read about “real women” and not perfect women. And you just know that it comes as it is, no need for perfection, just us girls having a fat chat about life, love and aspirations; sharing our way of living with one another. Can’t wait to see what Sohpia, and other inspiring women share on this Website. Thanks for the recommendation Sophia! Ok – gonna carry on browsing through the Website now. Thanks.

    Christelle | 06.08.2014 | Reply
  31. All hail Sophia, my god. I think us mere mortals who aren’t gracing the pages of tabloids (that’s actually in our good graces) need to see that celebrities are real people too. (And not just the type where it shows them getting gas – woah, they DRIVE, how REAL of them.) Really good people, if we’re considering them all as awesomely confident and inspiring as Sophia.

    Cheers to this helluva an article! Looking forward to the rest.

    Miranda | 06.11.2014 | Reply
  32. This was such an inviting article. To venture with imagination of a real person (celeb or not) and not for a second thinking that she was an actress but thinking ‘shoots she should be my new BFF.’ Can’t wait for the next read.

  33. The article was sweet, real, and it just reflects the reasons why your fan namely ME love you so much. You remove the filters that separate you from the fame and you are just this amazing person. I have not been very health conscience and its showing I allowed somethings to gt the best if me I was depressed gained a ton of weight, and felt pretty terrible about that. Everyday I wake up refreashed and renewed working to get back to me in the most productive and healthy way possible. Thanks for being someone to look up too.

    Jasmine Robbins | 06.25.2014 | Reply
    • Thank you so much for your lovely words, Jasmine!

      The Chalkboard | 06.26.2014 | Reply
  34. Getting a late start on reading the Guest Editor letter but SO excited to have found this website! I am a huge fan of Sophia Bush, grew up in the same city, Pasadena! Wooh! But, being from the same city isn’t what draws me to her. She has the ability to make everyone feel special, to make everyone feel like she is talking directly to them. I will continue to read her Guest Letter and try and follow her words throughout my daily adventures. Yes..adventures is what I like to call them! We all are set out to accomplish big things or little things daily. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and be grateful for it all happening. Thank you for this wonderful website!

    Jenna | 06.25.2014 | Reply
    • “Sometimes we just need to take a step back and be grateful for it all happening.” Well said!

      The Chalkboard | 06.26.2014 | Reply
  35. This is my first time on the website and when I came across this letter I found it to be very inspirational. I have heard how great Sophia and how much she strives to help others and that has actually inspired me to do that as well. In three years after graduating college I am planning a trip to somewhere overseas where I will be able to help others that are in need. I have such an easy life and I am very grateful for that but there are some that aren’t as lucky, the smallest act of kindness can make a difference and that is what matters to me, I want to make an impact on someones and let others know that there are people out there that are there for them and want to help.

    Ashlyn | 06.25.2014 | Reply
    • We loved reading this, Ashlyn – best of luck in all your travels, the world needs more heart-filled people like you! xo

      The Chalkboard | 06.26.2014 | Reply
  36. Absolutely adore Sophia! She is a true inspiration and a source of light in this “messy” but lovable world of ours! She introduced me to this website (via Instagram) and it is a new favorite of mine. I admire her strength, compassion, and ability to encourage others on a daily basis- something I hope can be said of myself one day. Thanks for letting her host this month!

    Hailey Allen | 06.27.2014 | Reply
  37. Sophia I saw you grew up in your dad’s successful photography studio, in heart of Hollywood, always being beautiful and brilliant from the inside out. You remain one of the sweetest woman with strong values and deeply
    caring and committed to helping others. Keep your course!

    Rhoni Epstein | 06.29.2014 | Reply
    • Glad you love Sophia as much as we do, Rhoni!

      The Chalkboard | 06.30.2014 | Reply
  38. Oh honey, AMEN.

    Calebinthecity | 04.02.2015 | Reply

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