Dont Quit Your Day Job.

"Dont quit your day job."
This phrase has new meaning in my newly found settled life here in NJ/NYC. I include NJ because I may live in Brooklyn now, but my jobs are in NJ. A large portion of my time is spent in NJ. I almost look at NJ as a place where I have a bit more room to roam. I can escape the millions of people that are "The City." I guess there is a certain pride that goes with being a resident of the 5 boroughs that everyone knows to be NYC.

Everyone has this glorified image of what NYC is, when you live here its a tough life, not glamourous at all. Some days, all you're left with is the bragging rights, and the ability to say "Yeah, thats right, I live in NYC." I feel like if you aren't working in finance than your life in NYC is a bit of a struggle, at least for people in my age group. Dont get me wrong you can be happy, but it's never easy out here.

I feel like I made a few mistakes since I have been out here. I had my goals intact, I had my plan, my ambition was at its peak, I knew what I had to keep doing. I was actually going in the right direction. Than my focus just crashed! My than partner became my focus. I am not blaming anyone. I am in fact taking responsibility for this with full force. I ended up moving from the bronx, to NJ where my partner lived. I had thoughts about how I didn't want my career to take the front sit. Love matters. Right?? I didn't want to be the woman that had the career, but with no life, and no partner to share it with.

Once I moved to NJ it became so much harder to get work, get my resume out to certain offices, and to keep my freelance PA work flowing in. I had my barista job, but the stress at that work place became so much so that my temper was at an all time high. Mix that with the stress of the said relationship, and I was a mad woman! I landed another barista gig in Hoboken, NJ. From that point I moved from the Bronx, and all ties I had with the city were no more.

Fast forward through the Summer, a break-up, surgery, and than Hurricane Sandy, and you had a broken little girl, so lost, and worried what her life had in store for her. I remember thinking how bad 2012 was and how I thought it was the worst year of my life. Who knows if it really was, but looking back from where I am now, I really feel like it was my year of struggle.



In my last post I mentioned a little bit about my cafe job. Yes, I have stayed in coffee. Like I said before I love it!

I work part time in Coffee, but my "day job" is working for a TV station in NJ. Getting this job meant the world to me. I knew from that point on my life would get better.

The turn around.

Indeed, It really has! I couldn't be more grateful for this job. I was given a chance. The people that work there are great. I adore a lot of them. Anywhere where I can make brown rice for my lunch is okay in my book. hahaha. They have a full kitchen, I should mention that before anyone is like "What the hell is she talking about?"

So, at this point you may be thinking, or who knows maybe you're not thinking anything, but I have two clear paths going on here. My transition from barista/film freelance to cafe manager/TV MC Op has been interesting. There is a stability now that I never had before. I am finding that with that stability comes the restrictions. I cant just take off whenever I want to do a freelance gig. I had another plan that should be a separate post altogether, but trying to transition back to film freelance/some side job is non-existent right now, and very hard to make happen. With all of that too is the fact that things are building for me in other areas. The fine art photography with the Salmagundi club, me moving up with the cafe is a strong force. I've had some job offers that I just didn't take, and the jobs I end up interviewing for that are in production, I interview for them, but it never comes around.

This is starting to sound like I am doubting myself, not at all. I am acknowledging how hard it still is, and how maybe the universal force, energy, or whatever you want to call it, may be pulling me away from the career I thought I wanted for so long. I must remember my thoughts when I am on set. I have had some hard days, and some great days, but challenging. All I do know is I like to lead, be the leader, and control the operations of something. I am actually doing that at the cafe now. I also know I need to be creative. I am also doing that as well.

Sometimes we really want something, and we don't really know why, or know if that is even really what we want. Maybe your day job isn't what you should be getting away from. The day job keeps you going. It gives you the means to make other things happen. It helps you on the way to wherever you need/want to go. My day jobs? I don't know where they are leading me, but I will take the advice and I wont be quitting my day job anytime soon.

My Ultimate Plan is in Motion!

Wow! Its been almost a year since I updated my blog. Shame on me for sure!!

What have I been up to? Well, I have been going through a few life changes. Trying to get my life on track I guess. But it didn't mean that my picture taking stopped!!

I have been taking pictures of a few projects that I have had in mind. I've also been researching contests, and exhibitions and getting into more of what my next step should be. Starting my own business is still my main goal.

What exactly is my main goal? Funny enough this topic keeps coming up more and more in my daily life. I feel like it's coming together slowly. Like I mentioned before, I definitely want to do the Art Festival circuit. Than down the line to own my own gallery. Some of you remember me talking about this...or not. Even so, I also have goals for owning my own cafe! So what is my ultimate plan??? To do both, and combine the two. As of right now things are in motion for this to happen!!

October of 2012 I took the plunge and applied to become a scholarship member of the NYC art club Salmagundi. I thought to myself this is such a great opportunity to learn from other artists!! And not just other artists, but artists with a ton of experience with the type of things I want to do!! How exciting would this be, right?? It was a long process. I had to fill out paperwork, submit my portfolio. I was eventually called for an interview!!! I was super excited. The interview involved me talking with 4 people at once. Which can be a high pressure situation. In my head I knew I was doing great though. Afterwards they told me that they had to present me and my work/application to the board, and vote whether or not I would be let into the club. I was extremely nervous! I knew it was going to be a long wait. My track record with voting never has been in my favor.

Salmagundi

February 8th, 2013 I got my acceptance letter for my scholarship membership!!!! I was on top of the world. I was so happy I put myself out there and tried. I got in! I knew it was a step in the right direction. I can enter my work into exhibitions now, and network with other artists finally. I must utilize this the best I can to the furthest extent!

The other half of the Ultimate Plan for my Cafe Gallery... is the cafe part. I have been working with coffee for almost two years now, and I love it!! I love the history of coffee, the science of it, how difficult it can be, but also how fun it can be! I work for Aroma Espresso Bar, and I started out as just a barista, now I am a shift manager, and the opportunity for me to move up is also coming into reality. I have been promoted fast. I have really put my best foot forward (as "they" say) and its working out. I'll be running my own cafe soon. I will get the managerial experience I need for my Ultimate Plan of owning my own cafe. I think I may need a small weekly internship at a gallery or something of the sort. I have been thinking a lot about that actually. so, who knows. I'm glad things are in motion!!

My Rose

This featured Photo has to be my favorite that caught me by surprise. I find it funny when I rediscover a photo. I still have several photos to go through that are sort of scattered among hard drives from New Zealand, New Jersey, Sydney, and New York. I get caught up in a bunch of other photo things than I kinda fall behind as far as getting to my newer stock.

I took this in New Zealand while on a wine tour in Napier.

Thats pretty much the big thing to do there in Napier. I loved seeing the vineyards. I remember thinking how I loved the color red these rose bushes had, and how I needed to get a damn good picture of it.

I do love the original, but I find myself playing a lot with my photos, more now and this year than I ever had. I guess I am flowing with creativity. I did a few versions of this picture.

Of course I love Purple. I guess I have this dark side to me that I always am a fan of, the Tim burton style I favor, and connect with. The Nightmare Before Christmas fan in me, ya know. I like dark, contrast-y, blacks and deep, dark purple. It makes me feel happy. It's very pleasing to my eye. I cant really explain it.

I am absolutely connected to this photo!!


I also kept playing, I just wanted to add to it, make some changes. I feel like photoshop is sort of like painting for me. lol. Weirdly enough. I wanted to try some things, and the creativity kept coming. If I had stopped at the black and purple version I wouldn't have felt complete. As if I was really leaving something unfinished.

When I am editing photos, I can only really post one version of it...right? Not really, but I felt that way at this stage. I loved both the original, and the purple version so much that I thought "why not try to display them both in someway?" The above was what I came up with. Than I wasn't quite happy, so I tried a few other things. I than finally got to the last version that made me feel complete, and happy. :-)

I looooove this. It makes me smile. I love the black, the strip, the hint of the original, and the powerful purple! To me its perfect for what I wanted to do.

On my Website I have the final, and the orignal version in the galleries. The original is definitely strong enough to stand on its own so, thats why I have both versions up. And to hell with "rules" it's my business and I do what I feel is right. And you should too with whatever you're doing with your life. Do what feels right!! :-)