Business Cards or Stone Tablets?

With people carrying with them an accumulating amount of technology on a daily basis, it is no wonder why the business card attracts the occasional peculiar look.  Is there perhaps a neo-perspective developing in terms of these tried and true slips of convenience?  It may be wise to reevaluate your business circle to determine if they will indeed benefit your growth or inhibit it.  Today, business cards are becoming increasingly outdated by the minute.  But an artist would be unwise to discard the basic pencil, no matter how obsolete the remainder of the world may view it.

There are some that do not believe in the concept of business cards in the least.  This past weekend, I was approached during a music video by a magazine representative.  When I made a comment about passing my business card to the rep before wrap, he replied, “I don’t do business cards; might as well just throw it in the trash ‘cause you’re just going to do the same after you save my number.”  I had previously received this response, so it did not catch me by surprise.  However, when it came time to wrap, the representative again pulled me to the side and asked for my information another time.  I was ill-prepared for such a personal exchange that I had completely forgotten to reapproach him myself.

It is never harmful to carry some with you at all times, however be ready to drop the idea at a moment’s notice and instead save your contact information directly to their cell phone.  Keep in mind that your card should be personable as well as professional, representative, and memorable.  There is nothing worse than someone looking to contact you and not remembering your card, or not remembering who gave them a particular card.  Below is an image of my own business card that I had to compose at the last minute without any templates, so I utilized a promotional deal using basic Vista print.  My card is bright and fashionable, and has ALL of my information on it.  My number is on one half, with all professional information on the other.  It is extremely effortless (and incredibly memorable) to merely tear my card in half and exclusively provide either my number or professional information.  Always ready to leave an impression!

With the risk of being on the frontier of any movement, it may be wise to adopt this new attitude towards business cards in order to appear more personable and available.  This can show the business world a number of things: they will be working DIRECTLY with you, you do not carry pieces of paper to give to just ANYBODY, you are genuinely interested in maintaining a relationship, you do not procrastinate, and if you are saving THEM, not just their information, amoungst other business partnerships (big and little, same league!).  Also, eliminating the card eliminates the possibility of losing their info, so you may let a good connection slip!  Furthermore, being the one to propose the paperless exchange can make an impression of its own.

Just be flexible and feel free to take a glance at my quick assemble below.  Keep in mind that each should design their card to be personable as well as professional, representative, and memorable.  It should fit your style, job, and be visibly modern and pleasant.  You may want to personalize yours a bit more with a picture or something related to your field.  However, you may also want to use a simple, basic template that will work just as well.

Oh, Marilyn!

“Do I Look happy?  I should – for I was a child nobody wanted.  A lonely girl with a dream – who awakened to find that dream come true.  I am Marilyn Monroe.  Read my Cinderella story.”

Jean Harlow.  She was Marilyn’s Marilyn: her inspiration, and the stimulation of her passion for the cinema.  Harlow was the idol of the time and she awed everyone surrounding Monroe.   So Marilyn set her sights early on.  She got married very young so as not to return to foster care, however her spouse enlisted with the war efforts and she divorced him upon his return.  During this time, she was considering having children and becoming a housewife.  Instead, she signed with Blue Book Modeling Agency and bleached her hair blonde.  She began experimenting with countless names, none of which she liked.   A short list of her aliases and married names can be found below.

After being discovered by Twentieth Century-Fox, she started developing the look that would later be known as trademark and adopted the name Marilyn Monroe.  She mainly played as an extra, having only silent background roles.  She then signed with Columbia and her overbite was corrected.  She returned to modeling after acting roles became scarce.

For the only time in her life, Marilyn posed nude for pay.  The release was signed “Mona Monroe” and these pictures later resurfaced; scandal was not far behind.  However, Monroe handled the situation with grace and class, explaining her need as a struggling actress to pay her rent.  She signed again with 20^th Century-Fox for seven more years after being discovered once more.  She then had a slight bump removed from her nose and started making appearances at the Academy Awards (presenter) and magazine covers (in GTech wear supporting women’s rights to enroll and multiple magazines covering her life story in a sympathetic light).  She started dating famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio and overall became very popular in the limelight.  Hugh Hefner used a picture of her in the previously mentioned extremely low-cut dress on Playboys first cover, with a picture inside from her earlier nude shoot in 1949.  (Although Hefner had never met the young starlet, he has reserved the crypt next to Monroe's as his resting place, attributing his magazine's success to its first issue).

Marilyn was one that took risks.  She wore controversial clothing: skintight with plunging necklines.  She posed for nude photos at the beginning of her career.  She bleached her hair in a second and revolutionized the “dumb blonde” persona.  She was a risk-taker that knew the odds before she played the game.  She conquered the industry in a way that granted her a ridiculous amount of power.  For example, when discussing her third (and final) contract with 20^th Century-Fox, she was able to on her terms after Seven Year Itch.  She demanded the right to reject any script, director, or co-star, as well as investments and shares to newly founded Marilyn Monroe Production Company.

Ms. Marilyn Monroe died so young, at the age of 36.  She was just reaching the peak of her career, or at least the highest it had been yet.  She had multiple films lined up, with a 10-year contract overseas.  All deals were again negotiated on her terms; she had become very powerful.  The world lost one of its brightest shining stars.  Monroe never stopped standing up for unity and kinship throughout the diversity in America, and even begged an interviewer to include a closing quote telling her of belief in brotherhood between all people.

After her death, Marilyn Monroe continues to influence the entertainment industry to this day, as many would love to fall into her footsteps and conquer the world as she did.  But it did not come easy to her, and she knew nothing but a life of struggle and loneliness.  Largely unknown, Marilyn (born Norma Jeane) was raised in multiple foster homes, with a mentally ill mother continuously reappearing and trying to kidnap her.  She was harassed and assaulted in multiple familiar homes, and was finally declared a ward of the state and married young so as to not be sent back to foster care.  She conquered more obstacles in her early years than most people come across in a lifetime.  And throughout the remainder of her years, she refused to give up on the entertainment industry.  She sat through bad years along with the good ones, and she never stopped putting her all into her roles.

Monroe is highly regarded as one of America’s most popular sex icons.  She is considered the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute, as well as first in Sexiest Women of All Time.  Her image is still widely distributed (via posters, clothing, make-up, jewelry, collectibles, calendars, Instagram, film, inspirational quotes, etc.) and her look is largely emulated (Anna Nicole, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Williams, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman, Rachel McAdams, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Taylor Swift, Katherine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Kelly Osbourne, Lady Gaga, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively, etc.).  As far as the world is concerned, there is only one true Marilyn Monroe.  This is further proved with every new sexy, fiery, seductive actress that surfaces but never surpasses this Pioneer of Beauty.

Some names and aliases used by Ms. Monroe:

Norma Jeane Mortenson (she never knew her father but was born under his misspelled name)

Norma Jeane Baker (her mother immediately changed Marilyn's legal name to match her own)

Norma Jeane Dougherty (name change after first marriage)

Norma Jeane DiMaggio (name change after second marriage)

Norma Jeane Monroe (she followed Harlow's lead in taking her mother's maiden name Monroe)

Norma Monroe

Jeane Monroe (several varieties using "Monroe" were tried &trashed before she was satisfied)

Marilyn Monroe (the name Marilyn was suggested due to her resemblance to Marilyn Miller)

Mona Monroe (she used this name on the release form when shooting the nude series)

Marilyn Monroe Miller (name change after third/final marriage)

Be the Change

If you want to make the world a better place, then be the change you want to see in it. This is the most simplest of advice that all of us have heard our entire lives.  However, it is the most effective and the more daring of methods, and so not enough of us instill this wisdom in our practices.

It might be that girl, the one you’re looking at.  She’s that model in the magazine and she is everything a girl would want to be.  But the world doesn’t know that she might have an eating disorder or be addicted to any kind of drug.  She is such a good actress that no one suspects a thing, and she makes both vices look cool to everyone around her.  However, the perfume in the ad smells even sweeter because she is selling it.  You’d never guess that your fantasy girl might have problems herself.  One day it’ll be too late, because everyone around her refuses to notice or intervene.

Or maybe it’s the actor on the big screen.  He can’t distinguish real relationships from fake ones and so he is depressed.  He abuses alcohol on a regular basis.  But it makes everything better for him, and he is able to smile on camera.  Perhaps he suffers from a recent accident, or perhaps a parasitic cancer is consuming his body.  But he finds a way to numb the pain and do what he loves.  It puts pep in his step and a twinkle in his eye.  And people idolize him.  He keeps it a secret until he can’t conceal it anymore.

It’s probably the song you can’t get enough of on the radio.  Did you know the songwriter committed suicide a month after her song hit the charts?  She found the passion to write after she was recently attacked and raped.  She experimented dangerously with drugs and ODed three times in a week before the fourth attempt took her.  She tried to cry out to the world through another voice, and still no reply came that would save her.  The artist now sings the song with so much emotion and honor, it is hard not to believe it is not her own and no one remembers the pain of the songwriter.

These are popular themes in all types of work, the entertainment industry included.  However if we take Michael’s advice, the world would be better instantly.  For example, I work out instead of eating too little, I prefer to use raw/minimally-edited photos, and I strive to lift others up along with me, rather than isolating myself from inspirational talent.  Be the change you want to see in the world and lead by example.  Make an impression that lasts a lifetime and put your efforts toward that which matters.  How can you make a change?  Go out of your way to throw that energy into the universe and see what you reap.  Maybe it’s eating better, not smoking, saving money, being more considerate or humble, recycling, etc.  Whatever you choose to pass forward, good luck and stay true!

Walking Poetry

You know the girl: the one with hair flowing voluminously in the wind with the perfect bounce corresponding to her walk.  Each foot follows the same straight line as she struts down the cat-side-walk.  Her hourglass frame is complimented perfectly with her catalog-style outfit.  Absolutely glamorous.  It is difficult to determine where her beauty ends and where it is enhanced with make-up; there are no flaws.

When she passes by, the seductive scent of her perfume lingers just enough to consume your thoughts for the next few moments.  Her passing wind seems as if a gust of fresh air, quick and crisp, traveled through the room instead.  The methodic click of her heels is all but too-distinguishable amongst the ordinary population of rubbery soles.  Her rhythm holds the most precise beat and is accompanied by a clean, determined stride that rings true and clear.

She may be out of a magazine, but in essence she is a picture in motion.  When she adds that red flower to her neutral outfit, she gives you the impression she walked off a black-and-white set.  But the next time you see her, color flows from all angles and flares from her features.  It almost overwhelms your sense of beauty, which suddenly became so sensitive.  She is entrancing: the only thing that holds your attention.  She is today’s definition of “siren” and you can’t give her enough of your gaze.

Everyone sees in three dimensions, and everything seen is visual.  However, this girl seems to paint imagery in all places, which immediately seem dull in comparison.  She makes white appear brighter than sun-illuminated snow, and red more lush than the Queen of Heart’s roses.  Black on her shoulders has never looked more Noir and her blue runs louder than the summer sky.  Somehow her gleaming eyes shine through it all with surprising ferocity.

She is that girl.  She sets the precedence for those following her footprints, and raises the standards for those who have walked before her.  She naturally brings out the “gentlemen” in the males surrounding her (why would they let her open her own door if she can help it?).  Even the normally disrespectful men cannot help but be affected by her eloquent presence.

She is silent rhymes and melodic imagery.  This girl is walking poetry.

The Waiting Game: It Should Consume You

Your dream, your passion, your will, and your ethics will all be put on trial.  These are the most valuable things in this superficial industry.  If you leave any one of these four priceless possessions unguarded, then vultures will swoop before the moment's end.  These are the four elements that fuel any individual successfully to the top.  An artist of this caliber does not need much help from other people to progress, and thus is more difficult to be controlled.

Veterans will have plans to handicap these elements before you can label them friend or foe.  It is very important to stay ontop of your game: paint your vision on the back of your eyelids.  This way, you can never forget a detail when your eyes are open, and when the day ends, your aspirations will be clear and crisp at night.

Crave your vision like a diabetic thirsts for water.  The hunger in your soul should cause striking pains.  There should be no other thing on your mind other than what you are waiting for.  At the same time, you should be waiting as an untamed animal ready to vault itself into attack.  Too many people in this world become accustomed to not only waiting, but to waiting to wait, as well.

The perpetual waiting circle may be interrupted by simply and directly seizing your own goals without giving any of your power over the situation away.  Don't even let anyone else have the slightest chance at disrupting your success.  In doing this, you are bypassing all who remain waiting to get discovered, waiting for their turn, waiting to step on the gas.  These people do not realize that after their current waiting period, it will be replaced with another.

However, if you make the tiniest effort to better yourself in the slightest regard everyday, you will soon see your past-self miles back.  Now, imagine who is also miles back keeping your past-self company.  "Let the force be with you" was not referring to anything other than the force inside yourself that drives you to be great and conquer the universe.  Sound familiar?  Its your soul.  Your will, your dream, your passion, and your ethics.  With these anything is possible, and without them nothing is.

And you know what they say about forces/objects in motion!

Make Your Portfolio Scream Who You Are

Been thinking of joining the entertainment industry?  It's extremely simple to try it and get a taste of the life style.  However, like any other job, an abundance of hard work is needed to become a serious contributor in the industry.  The only thing you need to get started is a port.


A portfolio is a basic collection of pictures shot by/of you.  In other areas of the industry, it may be more dynamic to compose an audio clip that showcases other aptitudes.  Your port should be constructed of images that represent who you are and your relevant goals.  For example, a 5'2" hand model's portfolio would include pictures that established what type of work she is looking for.  It would be unwise and an inefficienf use of space for her to include runway or athletic shots.

A portfolio is merely a picture resume: it should be a small series of simple shots that display your talents, interests, and goals.  Start with what you have, a couple headshots, a body shot, and a swimsuit shot.  This is all you need to give anyone a glimpse of who you are so they are able to create concepts to shoot with you.  The more experience you attain and the more skilled you become will speak for itself as your port grows and new captures are added.  Remember that a portfolio is a small composite of your work, so as it grows, you should cycle out less recent or irrelevant shots so that it remains current. In this way, it is possible to control the type of work that presents itself to you because your desired role in the industry will be determined.  

One thing that I have noticed is that when a new artist enters the entertainment industry, they may not have the knowledge to focus their thought, efforts, and energy into one area.  The industry's size can be overwhelming and intimidating.  If you do not dedicate your talents to your prospective specialty, it will be reflected in your port and you will receive an unstructured variety of work.  Make sure you approach every task with intentions and objectives so as to continue gathering relevant experience and wisdom.  Concentrate your efforts and build a base beneath one centralized area so as not to confuse anyone watching you grow.

Being versatile is not a negative thing; one should take some time to explore the industry, as not everyone enters into the best field for them.  However, remember what it is you are centering your port around.  KEEP YOUR VISION CLEAR.  The correlations should make a spider-web pattern that is clean and crisp.  The more serious you are of remaining in the industry, the more effort should go into your port.  If you are enjoying a hobby, perhaps your collection should be one of playful images or one that expresses what draws you to photography.

Finally, your portfolio is your showcase.  Take the time to include quality pictures.  Rushing a shoot is the easiest and quickest way to sabotage it.  Good luck and be beautiful!

Curls: Girls' Best Friend

Many hold the opinion that a beautiful face speaks louder than messy hair or unkempt eyebrows, etc.  But if your face were the Mona Lisa, you would not put it in a rusted, old, two-dollar frame.  A priceless work of art deserves a frame that equates to and enhances the beauty, not subtracts from it.  Maintaining your hair to match your fierce beauty can only produce positive results.  It is sad we live in a world where appearance is judged before demeanor; the only thing that we can do is to advertise our internal beauty on the outside.  Present yourself as a walking business card for what you actually represent.  Sometimes we have to play by the rules in order to change the game.  So, stay stunning and blow them away!  

Some tricks involving curls that require minimal effort:

Curls are no doubt a lady’s best friend.  Whether you have flat, voluminous, kinky, crazy, or boring hair, adding curls will give you another option that does nothing but enhance your look.  Late for a haircut?  Simply use the curling iron to flip your hair inward at the bottom to hide any split ends, and in the opposite direction to freshen up face-framing.  You can shape your hair anyway you want with the right tool, and scissors are not always necessary.    Don’t forget to always try to use a styling gel with wet hair after the shower.  This will help hide the split ends, as well, and helps lock in your curls all day!

From long body wave to a mess of intertwined tight spirals, all is possible with rollers.  This staple comes in all varieties; it is easy to find the right fit for you.  There are rollers you can sleep in, heated rollers, etc.  If I am not using my dual-sided-heated curling iron (quick, efficient, and great with thick hair!), then I am heating up my rollers.  The dual-sided hot curling iron ensures that even the thickest of hair remains curled to the roots all day while the heated rollers take only a moment to warm and less than a half hour to complete the entire process.  Both products are made by Conair and come in less damage-causing ceramic.

To create body waves, start with your hair sleek and straight.  Try blow-drying straight using a styling gel.  Once curled, gently shake your hair so the locks fall and merge.  Don’t forget the hairspray and you have gorgeous volume and bounce!  For tons of curls, do not straighten or heat your hair in any way before curling.  Apply a curl enhancer or hot set before-hand and hairspray after.  Let the curls set for 2-5 minutes before shaking them loose into a natural curl.

When curling hair, most often the hair should be curled away from the middle in a manner that reveals and opens your face.  However, to add volume, try curling your hair in layers and switching the direction of each layer.  This discourages the ringlets from joining together and you are left with a full, entangling mess of perfection.  Also, try to stagger where the contradicting directions meet in the back of your head so as not to create the “parting of the red-head.”

Remember that once hair is curled, it has a mind of its own!  Let them fall where they want to, or pin them according to how they naturally lay.  Your hair will look amazing in less time than imaginable!

Be Your Own White Knight

Sometimes we just need a little glamour in our lives.  A beautiful gown and little pumpkin carriage to go with our hard and demanding Cinderella jobs.  A break from reality’s strain and work.  But there won’t always be a fairy godmother to wave the magic wand.  Life moves too quickly for any one person to deliver ambitions on a silver platter, and life is too short to wait on the delivery.  It is much more practical to grab your own vegetable and sculpt it yourself.  Your hands may get a little messy, but at least you will be able to design your own custom Lambo.

The tale of the glamorous life has a long road of yellow bricks and many deceiving, almost enchanting, obstacles.  Not everyone is guaranteed a “happily ever after.”  Some spend eternity waiting for the prince to break their sleeping spell while others decide to ride the white horse and fashion-forward knight armor themselves.

Dreams don’t chase the catcher and nothing ever grew without water.  Opportunities will pass by you regardless, but seeing them does not equate to seizing them.  If you do everything within your power today, then the only battles you face tomorrow belong to that day alone.  The stretch to the top is long, dark, and barren.  The higher you climb, the more the path becomes deserted.  Even after transformed, inspired, and given a vision, Cinderella has to struggle to secure her future.  The prince found her shoe and sought its owner, but it was her initiative and perseverance that broke her out of her step-family’s imprisonment and into his arms.

Our dreams can come knocking on our door and even enter our close proximity, but even then the journey is not finished.  They can come as close as our fingertips, but unless you grab it and hold on tight, it will vanish just as quickly.  The odyssey to wealth and riches has many characteristics of the historical baroque period: ornate with glamour and glitter to distract from the poverty and struggle.  Do not be fooled by what appears in front of you.  This is a very superficial industry and the deeper you swim, the darker the water.  Keep your eyes on your vision, conquer the day and seize the world.  I'll see you up there.

Wake Up & Smell The Runway

Beauty comes in all shapes and colors.  Fashion comes in all prints and cuts.  The combination of the two make for the ideal showcase of fabulous artistry and collection of creative talent.  There is nothing like walking the strip in the hottest new clothes amidst flashing cameras and inspired artists.  The strut, the hair, the glamour, the dress, the music, the atmosphere – all come together to make magic happen.  With the aid of countless supportive hands, of course.  Nothing can happen if everyone is missing a shoe!

And the shoes… hundreds of them!  Heels, surrounding you everywhere!  There is nothing like having only the option of wearing six inch stilettos for the evening.  The perfect excuse to wear the ones still in the box: the ones so fly they don’t belong anywhere but a swag convention.  The room transforms into a living magazine, exclusive to the room’s occupants.

Although the shoes and models get a lot of attention, the main focus of the event would be the clothes.  Yes, the ripe, mouth-watering styles of the season.  Who can stand at the end of a runway for an entire scene and not be in love with the designer by the finale?  The best art is that which inspires one to react in a creative manner.  And who can ignore the luxury of remaining stationary while tomorrow's envy presents to you a mobile showcase?  Effortlessly deciding your wardrobe at a hot social event is phenomenal.  The fashion is so contagious that one is almost seduced by the art on display.

The next must-see show is coming soon!  We Do Fashion will be featuring 8 designers and a variety of vocal performers.  One-half of the model group Variety6 will be featured in the show, including myself as one of the models, a designer fresh from the runways of New York, and the host: an upcoming singer/songwriter.  Look for the We Do Fashion show (an edgy COUTURE fall fashion show) at House of Adrene on Saturday, November 10^th.  264 Peters St. Atlanta, GA 30313.