I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty rusty when it comes to socializing these days. Launch parties, happy hours, concerts... after two years of varying depths of isolation, the idea of walking into a room full of fabulous fashion people and celebs leaves me feeling just…
Anxious!
I mean really, those rooms can be TOUGH.
Now that I think about it, I’m someone who suffers from the opposite of FOMO. I really like what I do, and who I do it with. And now, after two years of COVID, I’m struggling to just stroll in and pick up conversation with people I’ve never met before.
My biggest - and most consistent fear - is a conversation going quiet and some kind, well-intentioned person turning to me and going..
“[Long pause.] So what do you… do…?”
We all hate that question. We all hate asking that question. It’s almost as bad as, “who do you know here?”
Sigh. I know I’m not alone in this.
In honor of a year with more things to go to, here are the 10 questions I find actually do work in a party setting.
They’re the sort of questions that always lead to more questions, and often to laughter, and eventually, more often than not, they can lead to exchanging numbers.
In other words, they’re questions about who a person really is, and what they care about.
They’ve saved me so many times, in so many countries, with so many different crowds.
You are welcome in advance.
KARLA’S 10 WAYS TO START A CONVERSATION
What have you been reading? What are you watching? What are you listening to?
What life motto do you keep coming back to?
What album will you never get tired of? What album taught you the most?
What love story did you first believe in?
Who did you want to be when you were 12?
What’s your favorite place to escape to?
What restaurant do you love to come home to?
What is the biggest misconception we have, about building a life?
What was your first job?
Did you ever have a ‘Plan B’? If so, what was it?
I have more that I’ll probably share with you at a later date, but those are my first 10, which I think are actually very good.
And remember, if the conversation ever goes quiet, or you just run out of things to say, you can always, always always…
Just go ahead and ask another question.
x Karla
