My Story
ANNEMARIE O'BRIEN
FOUNDER OF HONOR & BLOOM
"Honor thyself to Bloom into the person your meant to be."
I grew up in Inch, Co. Kerry, but my journey of self-discovery began in 2014, while I was living in Boston and feeling unfulfilled. I had no idea who I was and knew I needed to make significant changes in my life.
Looking back, I can see that this disconnect had been with me for a long time, but I had been using unhealthy coping mechanisms to mask it.
In my teens, I struggled with low self-esteem, anxiety, and emotional eating. I lacked confidence and often felt consumed by self-doubt, overthinking everything.
In my twenties and early thirties, I masked these insecurities with partying, extreme dieting, binge eating, and overworking. I created the illusion of confidence, but beneath it all, I was struggling with deep-rooted self-esteem issues, a mind that never shut off, and overwhelming anxiety. Even as I made some positive lifestyle changes, I still carried deep emotional burdens.
My mind raced constantly. I felt overwhelmed, burnt out, and disconnected from my wellbeing. So I started on my wellbeing journey of going inward, which has been a very long journey of learning more about myself and unlearning old patterns and behaviours.
I moved back to Ireland in 2019 and invested in my education by completing a course in media production. In 2022, I pursued a master’s in digital marketing. Despite these achievements, my mind was always racing and I was plagued with feelings of inadequacy. My personal relationships suffered; I was often emotionally overwhelmed and experienced burnout from taking on too much.
In 2023, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Discovering this along with my past experiences, has helped me understand so much about myself.
Now, I’ve learned the importance of self-love and creating daily habits that nourish my mind, body, and soul. I’m not “finished”, this is an ongoing journey. But I’ve reached a place of honesty, resilience, and personal accountability. I understand that real change begins from within, and I am committed to my imperfect journey of growth, learning, unlearning, and becoming a better version of myself each day.
Through my journey and struggles, I have come to realise that only I have the power to change my life.
Now, with Honor & Bloom, I am dedicated to guiding others to see that they are enough and that they too hold the power to make changes in their lives from the inside out.
I created Honor & Bloom in the hopes of making a difference in others’ lives, by using my creativity and insights from my own journey to create something meaningful that I hope will support and guide others on their own journeys.
The Birth of Honor & Bloom
Honor & Bloom was created from a desire to create something meaningful.
Looking back, I wish I had been more aware of my emotions, needs, and patterns in my younger years. I wish I had developed healthier practices like journaling.
Had I discovered journaling earlier, I might have connected with my emotions sooner, developed a deeper understanding of myself, and made more positive, intentional choices, rather than hiding what I felt and relying on unhealthy coping mechanisms.
That’s why I created Honor & Bloom and this Journal, to offer others the tool and insights I didn’t have.
I started journaling in 2015, and it became a way for me to get my thoughts onto paper. It gave me a release and helped me make sense of what I was going through.
Journaling also helped me connect with my emotions and notice patterns in myself I hadn’t seen before. Over time, it led me into writing poetry from a flow state and exploring my creativity more deeply.
That is why the first product from Honor & Bloom, the You Are Enough - Guided Journal is a 12-week structured, guided journey inward designed to help you get to know yourself better and deepen your emotional awareness, self-love, and overall emotional wellbeing.
With thoughtful guidance, daily prompts, and space to reflect, this journal supports you as you begin your journey of self-discovery.
BRAND STORY
Honor & Bloom was created out of a desire to help others by guiding them inward—to get to know themselves better.