Let the Branding Begin!

Things have been really quiet on the blogging front for a while. I blame this on perfectionism.  And self-diagnosed selective ADHD moments.

It’s a thing, trust me.

I feel like this whirlwind of work (going to my actual job which unfortunately consumes the most productive hours of my day), building a business & portfolio, working with a designer for my logo/website, figuring out who my target market is, learning about all the ins and outs of the legal issues of owning a business…the list goes on and on. But the branding…I never expected the process of branding a business to be so hard.

My brain is a mixture of color themes, branding words, web design templates and to do  lists. I’ll update the blog with my process as we move along. It’s overwhelming but also extremely exciting!

WPPI

So back in the day when I used to spend my time stalking the blogs of various photographers (because clearly I don’t engage in this behavior anymore), they all seemed to get excited about this mysterious event called WPPI. I had no idea what it was but I was intrigued. After much research (blog stalking) I’ve come to understand it as one thing– a photographicconferencepartynetworkingevent. BAM.

So naturally, it terrified me.

But it also excited me.

Back then, I had no reason to go to this event. Now I do. For the first time since I learned about it, I found myself seriously weighing the pros and cons of attending this year’s WPPI. I looked at the schedule of classes and swooned. Jasmine Star & Jose Villa are going to be speaking!  As excited as I was, I realized that I wasn’t mentally or financially ready to attend this event in March. When I go, I don’t want to be a bumbling newbie without even a clear idea of what my brand is. I want to go with a fully formed business and portfolio.

So I’ve already committed myself to attending next years WPPI and I will hold myself accountable. For now I will continue to stalk–ahem, I mean do research. 

The People Who Surround You

To me there are three groups of people we can surround ourselves with. There are The Negatives, The Indifferent Supporters and The Authentic Supporters.

THE NEGATIVES: They don’t really hide how they feel. Don’t be fooled by the nodding of their head as you explain the multiple reasons why you believe what you believe–in truth they’re not really listening to you, they’re trying to figure out how to show you the error of your ways. When you do well, these people will not come to you and say “gee, i guess I just didn’t have faith in you”…No. They’re probably rather eat their eyeballs. Okay, maybe cannibalism is a bit overboard. Maybe.

THE INDIFFERENT SUPPORTERS: These individuals have the best intentions, they really do. They might not really understand why you’re doing what you’re doing but they stand by you anyways.

THE AUTHENTIC SUPPORTERS: These people. Well they’re as good as gold. They believe in you, they push you and they see greatness in you even before you see it in yourself. They’re excited and cheer with you during your smallest triumphs and give you a warm hug during those bumpy roller coaster days.

Valentines Day

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.” 

― Bob Marley

 EKP, thank you for being everything mentioned above & more. I truly feel blessed because of your presence in my life. To everyone else, I hope you have a wonderful day filled with love. It’s not just a day to shower love unto those you care about but also yourself. So treat yourself, indulge in you .

Tamarind Trees

I love tamarind trees.

Well, to be more accurate. I love tamarind balls which is a sweet made out of tamarinds (a fruit), which are usually found in tamarind trees. Hence, I love tamarind trees. My cousin was using a makeshift stick to reach the high branches of the tree, whilst I was busy hunting for the fallen tamarinds on the ground. I can’t say whether or not I was hit on the head by a few tamarinds during the process…but hey, sacrifices must be made.

I don’t have a picture of the actual sweet, but I did some hunting online and came across this recipe on how to make it. Now all you need is a bucket filled with tamarinds. No biggie. Hurry along, what are you waiting for?

Lessons learned in The City of Brotherly Love

This weekend was filled with new things.

It forced me to scrutinize my thoughts and how I judge people.

It showed me the beauty of teamwork and friendship.

It confirmed my belief that yes, I do have extremely weird shaped feet and will probably be condemned to a life of comfortable granny type footwear for the rest of my life.

However, my favorite part of it was sitting through 3 hours of non-stop dancing.

You might not know this, but I love to dance. When I see people going crazy, throwing themselves into the music, bright smiles on their face and basically giving their all out best to a performance (whether on stage or a dance floor), I fall in love. I love it. I simply love it.

Dancing is love, it’s beauty, it’s magic. It’s the way our bodies let go and celebrate. 

 

“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion.” ― Martha Graham

 

This team actually won first place. Their outfits were amazing and I enjoyed their dance the best so I was happy with the choice ^_^.

All the competing teams on stage waiting to see who won.

On our hunt for food we came across one of the many awesome murals that could be found in Philly.

Where I Go When I need a Pick-Me-Up

So I decided to write this list up for fun. This is by no means a comprehensive list, especially since I suffer from ADD half the time. But it’s a start, right?

1. How To Overcome Failure: “we will face a litany of failures. More failures than you or I could dream of. If you’re afraid of them, I heavily suggest you quit. Just stop right here. This’ll ease the discomfort of dealing with another emotional dilemma tied to your business. If, however, you’re determined to make this dream … a reality, then know one thing: this is the first of many failures. The key is to learn from this experience and get better. Instead of shriveling and falling backward into a puddle of pity, fail forward. What could you have changed from this mediocre photo shoot? Focus on the amendments and get better.”
2. Brene Brown- The Power of Vulnerability: Because she encourages authentic living! Notice my nifty banner to the right of this post there?
3. Self-Care: I am a big, big, big, HUGE believer of self care. You need to sit your butt down and take some time out of your day, to actually be in your own space and reflect.
4. Rainy Mood: Bliss. Turn this on, bundle up in a blanket and I’m set.
5. The Art of Non-Conformity: “To wake in the morning full of life and energy, awaiting the day with anticipation and purpose.”
6. The Pina Colada Song: I had to, had to, put this in here. You understand why, don’t you? No joke, I will start swaying whenever this starts to play. Of course, at times I’m forced to sway in my mind–but it’s all good.