GOING GRAPHIC
Ever noticed how happy people are in warm weather. Instead of hunched over, grumpy looking folks holding their coffee cups as they walk up the street, you have folks with head held high holding iced teas and smoothies, ambling about. With the change of seasons, the nights become shorter, the days become longer. The mood also changes, people are blessed with sunny dispositions. We start laying out in the sun, making brunch reservations -preferably Al fresco - 45 minute wait for the table, sure no problem. The park is littered with picnic lovers, festivals and concert goers rub their hands in glee, the icecream man lines up his truck with all sorts of cones and creams, it his money making season. John Steinbeck once said what is the good of summer if we do not have the cold of winter to appreciate it. Thank you winter, I do appreciate you indeed.
As we speak, I am on the hunt for a few swim suits. Some nice pastel colors, a hat to cover this bald head, and a few basket bags or two. My toes need to be buried in sand and doses of Vitamin D for my skin.
Spring is upon us and with each new season, it's a time for to reflect on well, new things. New challenges to work on, new perspectives to evaluate, recalculate our plans, and reroute some strategies. Solstice gurus and horoscope folks believe that each new season is also a time for new beginnings in our lives. A time to look at ourselves inwardly and re-kindle our inner fire.
Well, it's lit baby, sun, weather, my outfit, mood!! My inner fire is blazing!!
Layered this gorgeous summer dress with a graphic print shirt I designed. It's been waiting to make a debut. Like the clouds, every outfit has a silver lining, I placed them on my feet.
Dress: Mango
Shirt: Roshie Anne (coming soon)
Shoes: Shoedazzle.com
Rings: Maasai Market
BEST LAID PLANS
Just when we thought winter was beyond us and spring was strolling in, a winter storm shows up unannounced. Ughh! The awe of that first snowfall dissipates so fast leaving me whining every time I hear the word "snow".
Earlier this week before the snow came down on us I had planned on having a beautiful shoot done at an idyllic location of choice. Everything was ready, my clothes, the accesories, location was a go from the management...everyyyyythannnggg!
Then the day I head out to my shoot, the train has major delays, major, then because of the delays, it starts going local. At the back of my mind I knew this local business will make me late.
I dislike being tardy. It gets on my nerves.
I figured I might as well hop on a cab, and I will probably be at my location faster. Time is of the essence here. I do so and a few blocks later, traffic is at a stand still. Construction!!
My goodness, I felt my insides tightening into knots. The traffic had become a parking lot, there I was stuck in the back of a cab, eyes wide like an emoji. I almost wished I had super human powers and fly to my location. The clock was ticking, I sent my photographer a quick text stating that I was running a little behind while my cab driver tried to convince me the traffic was not that bad, it would probably open up in a couple of blocks.
I wanted to wrap his optimism around me like a nice warm cloak but the stand still traffic only made my heart beat faster and my stomach sink deeper than the construction hole they were drilling up ahead. Ughh!!
Then the cars started moving, at a snail's pace. I glanced at my phone and time just kept on. Traffic eventually opened up but the damage had been done. I urged my cab driver to step on it like Vin diesel on Fast and the furious. He tried to be fast, I was getting furious, at myself and the world, wondering why my planned out day was going to shit!
I eventually got to my shoot location, thirty seven minutes later. My photographer was scheduled to be elsewhere so we had reschedule my planned out amazing shoot day. When the cab dropped me off, I stood on the street looking like a lost person.
I could have woken up earlier. Got on the train sooner, could have stayed on the train to avoid the traffic, I could have..... I talked to myself trying not to be mad at myself since sometimes you can not control everything. Things do happen that are outside your control and sometimes you just have to go with the flow. I tend to be extremely hard on myself. It can be draining sometimes. I am learning to take it easy, and take a big breath and shake it off. I called my sister who God Bless her acts as Dr.Phil since she knows me so well. I found myself walking into an art store a block up, going through aisles of brushes, canvas, art books and staring at water colors and acrylic paints just having a mental talk with self. I walked out with a palette knife and gold acrylic paint that I needed for a particular painting. Then walked into a shoe store not to far away. The day was already looking up :)
The best laid plans can sometimes take an unexpected turn. Life is like that, nothing is scripted. Things will happen beyond your control and no matter how frustrated or worried you might be, it would be better if you let it go and enjoy life. Maybe, just maybe, I was meant to buy that paint I had wanted and a pair of pretty shoes.
Ah! Letting go.
Coat: HM
Jeans: Forever 21
Scarf: HM
Hat: Zara
Bag: Zara
Shoes: F21
THE WORK
N O B O D Y
tells this to beginners. I really wish somebody had told me this. All of us who do creative work … we get into it because we have good taste. But there’s a gap. For the first couple years that you’re making stuff, isn’t so good. It’s really not that great.
It has potential.
It has ambition but it’s not quite that good.
But your taste — the thing that got you into the game — is still killer. Your taste is why your work disappoints you.
A lot of people never get past that phase - they quit. Most people I know who do interesting creative work, went through a phase of years where they had really good taste and they could tell what they were making wasn’t as good as they wanted it to be — they knew it fell short, it didn’t have the special thing that we wanted it to have. Everybody goes through that. If you’re going through it right now, if you’re just getting out of that phase — you gotta know it’s totally normal.
The most important thing you can do is do a lot of work — do a huge volume of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week, or every month, you know you’re going to finish one story. Because it’s only by actually going through a volume of work that you are actually going to catch up and close that gap. And the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions.
It takes a while, it’s normal to take a while. You just have to fight your way through. - Ira Glass
Once upon a time, when I used to go the clubs as regularly as the post man goes to the post office, with my make-up consisting of baby powder and lip gloss. When no one cared about my eyebrows or whether my face was contoured and my cheekbones highlighted. The days when lipstick was synonymous with matron ladies. I would dance the night away. At this club, the music was good but the execution was horrible. The transition from one song to the next would offend your eardrums, your epiglottis, your capillaries, your elbows, even the new outfit you bought for this party. Your senses would frown in disdain. Your body would stop and freeze because all you heard was noise.
Annoying noise with succinct scratches.
It reminded me of what my cat Dior did every time I went to the bathroom or when the tv channel lost signal. Sometimes it would sound like a loud boom followed by a scratch akin to fork on a pot. It sounded like
Boomclong claaannggpngala.... pang twiffftwaff..... SCreeeeeech!!
My face would scrunch up while my eardrums wailed in agony. The next song would resume but it would take you a minute to find your rhythm.
Rhythm was at the door asking for the coat!
The dj would keep on as if nothing had happened. Smiling. Head nodding, headphones between his head and the right shoulder, eyes directed to the computer screen. His hands going back and forth on the turntables adjusting the knobs and such. He was lost in his own world where his mixing was in perfect harmony.
My friends and I celebrated him, supported him. At one point, I kept on dancing to the scraping as the beat switched to the next. He kept having parties, I kept attending them. Regularly.
Then something happened.
The music started flowing like a river downstream, in constant harmony. It was gradual then slowly discordant and screeching transition stopped. He got confident on the mic. Hyping us to eternity. When he said OH! we said YEAH! OH - YEAH!! OH- YEAH....
The dancing would go on and on and when you wanted to stop and rest or grab a drink to parch your dry mouth, the music would not let you. It had woven its semi quaver like vines on your body. Rhythm was helping you dab your forehead. You were the instrument, every beat had your body moving to the sound. It was as if you were paying a debt. To the scrunchy faces you made, the glares you gave, the frustration you had for having your vibe killed while doing the Stanky leg. The dj became the mixmaster. Master is the key word.
----
When I walked into the fabric store a couple months ago, I heard someone yelling my name. It was loud! This random fabric with the most interesting print kept could not stop calling my name. A few minutes later it was being rang up.
When I got home, we stared at each other trying to figure out what to do. The fabric had an aversion to skirts or dresses. I thought it was too loud to become a jacket. Being the master, I went for something big and tent-like. Loud prints love attention. Not a skirt, somehow pants. We settled on culottes.
That is what became of the fabric that yelled my name.
I posted the quote you read in the beginning on my Instagram last night by Ira Glass. He is a radio personality, radio and tv producer who was talking about the creative process back in 2011. I go back to it now and then when I feel like my work is sloppy or when I need to dose of inspo.
In the past, I had done pieces that were never completed. Pieces left of mid process because I foresee the evolution of crap. Some never came to fruition. The creative process is marred with doubts and discontent. It is nerve wracking and painful. Your work will be crappy and so horrible it will make your eyes water, and like the dj, assault your ears.
Then one day, things will start having rhythm, the music will flow like a river down hill, fabrics will yell your name, and eventually rhythm will come to you. Some might not get it, others might not understand it but you LOVE IT. You love your work, that is all that matters. It is what keeps you up at night, what you think of when you wake up. The things you are passionate about are not random. Sing, paint, dance, sketch, paint, sew, photograph, tell stories...whatever your creative work may be.
Please, never stop creating, do not give up.
Cardio session yesterday was a beyond amazing. The mix I was listening to made me think of his my dj buddy. No one was born a pro. Shoutout to dj/mixmasters that keep us dancing. I appreciate you all.
Jacket: F21
Knit Top: HM
Pants: Roshie Anne (Coming soon)
Hat: Zara
Shoes: ALDO
Backpack: Zara
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GOING GREEN
I have been eating everything and anything after my half marathon this past Sunday. Stuffing my face to be exact. I have been telling myself that I deserve it, after all I did ran a half marathon but I tend to take the "i deserve it" part too far. Training for a half marathon requires you to be on a slightly high carb diet. You need the energy to get you fired up for the milage. Now that all that is done, I need a new challenge. I thrive on them. I will be starting a different way of eating which I will touch up on the wellness post later on this week. It will be challenging but very interesting.
For this third month of the year, I will be channeling the color green. Money green, forest green, olive green, mint green...you name it. I am deep into my color story guys and here is a little info on this vibrant color. Color theorists define green as the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, fertility, and freshness. It is calming to the human eye and it suggests stability and endurance. Well, enough said. I am going green for the month of March and furthermore, Spring is right around the corner. Perfect timing.
I was going through my closet the other day and I found some vintage gems I had not worn in quite sometime. For those who have been reading my blog over the years, you do know I have a serious obsession to vintage anything. This dress was stuck in between another dress and when I pulled it out, I gasped. Oh darling!! Where have you been? I remember buying it because of the silk detail, little cute buttons that run up and down the dress. It also reminded me of the 80's show 227 with the big sleeves and high collar. Now that I think about it, the big massive sleeves are back popularly known as the mutton sleeves. Here's an interesting fact, when I bought this dress, I had trouble squeezing in the tiny waist buttons. When I wore it recently, the button and loop came together like long lost friends making me burst out some dance moves. I guess those half marathon training sessions really paid off.
