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!