It was hardly four months ago when I was asked during an interview for the announcement of my new role at Buro.: ‘how would you describe the platform in a word?’ Before I could even cognisantly reconcile my own thoughts, my subconscious kicked in and I confidently said: ‘Bold’. 

And bold it’s seemed to me ever since.

There’s something so nebulous about the word ‘bold’. When I close my eyes and imagine it visually, I see patterns of multi-coloured circles dancing in kaleidoscopic formations against endless streaks of vivid neon lights. It’s bright, it’s confident, it’s present and mostly — it’s unabashed.

But where bold can be often be construed as loud and unassuming, at other times, it’s embedded in a sense of quiet determination that requires breaking barriers and delving into the realms of courage. After all, it takes a certain tenacity and resolution to be bold enough to chase your dreams or challenge the status quo in society. When we recollect lists of such icons through history, we often think of civil rights activists, technological pioneers, fashion mavericks, pop legends and visionary artists, to name a few. But does being bold simply mean being able to break down barriers and influence tangible social change? Or does it go well beyond that? 

Lately, I’m a believer of the latter and I’m slowly discovering, for me, true boldness is rooted in mindset. It’s the mindset that your trepidations don’t define you more ardently than your accomplishments. That the risks you sometimes choose to take, are often far greater than the regrets you may live with, by not doing so. Or, that real confidence and courage can only come from listening to your heart and not being afraid to put your true self on the line — be it at work, in life or relationships and friendships.

Being bold for me, suddenly, isn’t about reaching a destination of ultimate self-confidence and assurance, but rather, it’s about embracing the journey of getting there — on your own terms and without the fear of having to hide or bury who you truly are. If you can embody inner authenticity, you can always be bold.

That’s why this month, we’re all about lauding those who aren’t afraid of being themselves and never dimming their shine. From spotlighting the immense bravery it takes to open a pop-up of a world No.1 ranking restaurant in Asia in the midst of a pandemic, to paying homage to the viral maximalist make-up movements created originally through drag culture, to embracing the confidence of unconventional fashion and shattering traditional gender roles through clothes, this month we’ll be bringing you into the best that bold can offer.

You can look forward to 31 days of interesting, authentic stories that show you the bright lights and neon streaks I mentioned above, just bigger, better and of course, more Buro. than ever before.

Happy July!

Rahat