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Catalyst Leadership Conference + Getting Unstuck
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I thought it was ironic. Of course I'd be ask to speak on a topic I wasn't entirely comfortable with...isn't that how life works? I had the privilege of speaking at the Catalyst Leadership Conference this week and while it was an honor in it and of itself, the opportunity was made sweeter to present alongside Bianca, my twin sister and anti-human trafficking champion for A21.
The premise of our presentation was dealing with how to get unstuck in communication (Bianca) and from a creative perspective (me). As I was preparing for my presentation, I felt like I was talking to myself. I wrestled with questions and put forth what I, truly, believe helped me move past moments of artistic impotency. For sake of brevity, I won't go into all the details, but I was reminded of what I need to do to get creative...even when I feel like I can't create. Yes, there are desperate moments when I feel my camera and I are playing for different teams, or we speak different languages. Days when I sit in front of my computer and lack the words needed to convey my thoughts. Nights spent staring at the ceiling knowing I can't form my dreams, even if they're resting just below the surface of my mind. Moving past moments of creative conundrums--working through being stuck--is best addressed by: 1. Writing down your goals. 2. Setting a due date to make it happen. 3. Practicing your craft. 4. Asking for help. 5. Doing the work. Sure, there are tons of other elements we can dilute the creative process with, but boiled down to the necessities, these five steps aren't just attainable, they give us the permission to believe in our dreams. |
| Just before the presentation, I had the pleasure of being interviewed for Backstage West by Carlos Whittaker...who later confessed he read my blog because HIS MOM MADE HIM DO IT.
Dear Mrs. Whittaker...thanks for having great taste. Love you, boo. I've never given a presentation with Bianca, so it was a cool experience and something I'll cherish...she introduced me to the organizers of Catalyst and it was an honor to collaborate with such a great group of people. |
| The night before our presentation, I invited my sister over for a practice run of our presentation. We argued, laughed, belittled each other, swore we weren't related, yet somehow found a way to make it all come together in the end. I guess our mom was right...no matter how much you wanna punch your sister in the face, there's nothing a hug can't fix. |
| Happy Friday! |
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Dropping Hints
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| You know you have an obsession with cupcakes when all you want to do is dress your dog like a waddling advertisement. This is my not-so-subtle hint for sweets...and I usually ask JD to snag a dog cupcake while he's at Sprinkles because Polo and I work as a team. Obviously. |
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It's About Doing
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W henever you feel uncreative...or stuck...the thing you want to do most is stop. It's not coming so, hey, I'll pick up the remote...or this pantry really does need organizing...or HOW LONG HAVE THESE DORITOS BEEN HIDING HERE?! Next thing you know, hours/days/weeks later you're no where closer to where you wanted to be.
When you feel uninspired, you need to DO, not think about doing. It's about picking up you camera and shooting. Getting on the bike and riding. Starting the non-profit. Studying for the CPA certification. It's about doing. This is a slightly different Random Friday post, but after seeing this tour de creative force, I couldn't help but smile. |
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Everything I Know About Chasing a Dream
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M y eyes fluttered open and I found myself off-kilter. Which is basically the fancy way of saying I woke up grumpy. The house was silent, my boys were sleeping, and the curtain waved from the breeze at the window, but my brows furrowed. This was strange because I'm normally a happy riser (I've been called annoying due to the way I bounce out of bed), yet I found myself in a place of frustration.
I wish I could just move past this point, I muttered under my breath. Then I clamped my hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe I said it. Again. I uttered the same words a few years ago when I started my business, a time in life I wanted to quickly pass to ease the discomfort. It's like I wanted to tell Life, CAN WE SKIP THE VEGGIES AND GO STRAIGHT TO DESSERT?! I later realized those years taught me invaluable lessons...they taught me everything I know about chasing a dream. |
| I swore to never say I wanted to move past a point in life because I'm destined to learn something important.
So, what did I learn my first year in business? It's about working three jobs. It's waking up at 5am. It's asking for help. It's not going out to eat to afford the lens you're saving for. It's asking people to support your dream, even if you hardly believe it'll become a reality yourself. It's standing in line to complete paperwork at City Hall, only to realize you did it wrong...and wait in line all over again. It's admitting you're wrong. It's checking your blog and realizing there isn't a single comment. It's writing on your blog again the day after. It's losing a client, but finding your voice in the process. It's failing. It's about doing the work. It's criticism from anonymous readers. It's failing. Again. It's about the small successes that feel like the greatest victories. The lessons of yesteryear and the lessons I'll learn tomorrow are the most valuable part of the process...I'm slowly learning to take it for all it's worth. |
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Kisses + Disses : Captain EO
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| Last Saturday I celebrated my birthday and the day couldn't have been better. The entire week was devoted to what JD called BIRRRRTHDAAAAAY EXTRAVAGAAAANZA! And he says it just like that. It's rather odd, but I deal with it because it's filled with twists and surprises leading up to my big day. On Saturday, we arrived at Disneyland just before sunset and I squealed like a little girl. It's been years since I've been to the Magic Kingdom, but it was just as special as I remembered as a kid. |
| We spent the evening eating every bad thing in sight (churros! pineapple ice cream! funnel cake! I'm on a sugar high!) and mapped my favorite rides before the fireworks show. On top of my list was seeing Captain EO. Oh, yes, the 3D short film starring Michael Jackson. I dragged JD into the theater donning our yellow glasses and sang the songs before it started. JD tried shushing me, but this only encouraged moon walking to my seat.
It was then I confessed to JD I saw Captain EO eight times when I was a child. In one day. I memorized the choreography and my mom even bought me the Captain EO shirt...which I wore only on the most special occasions. Watching the film years later rekindled the fondest memories...and I was happy to dance along in my seat like I was a kid again. The only thing that would've made the day complete would have been JD joining me for a robot rendition of We Are Here to Change the World, hip thrusts and all. This leads me to another installment of Kisses and Disses... |
| This week's DISSES go to...
*My inability to track down a Captain EO t-shirt (no, really, I'd wear it tomorrow if I could...it's cute...honest). *My lack of will power. Birthday Extravaganza proved to disastrous my dietary regime. *Falling asleep. It takes half an hour at night, half a second in the morning. |
| This week's KISSES go to...
*Breville Juicer. My family gave me a juicer for my birthday and I'm smitten. I feel healthier just looking at it. Tried it for the first time yesterday and the clean up process was pretty awesome and the juice (kale, spinach, apple, beets, ginger, and ginger) was ahhhhmazing. Oh no, I'm starting to talk like JD. *Milani Liquid Eye Pencil. This pencil eyeliner is from Target and perfect for a dramatic evening out. It's creamy, so I set it for a smoky eye and I adore it. *RDIO.com. I love this site and I've downloaded the app. It's like Pandora, but you can stream an entire record...and there's no commercials! Happy Tuesday! |
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| © 2013 Jasmine Star Photography | Blog by infinet design |
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