Artist Diary

For as long as I can remember, my vision has always been blurry. It did degrade somewhat as a I got older. But it has  been normal to me. As a teenager, I was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a rare genetic condition that causes my extreme nearsightedness and blurry vision. I’ve always been visually inclined towards doing arts and crafts. I had a natural eye for design and creativity. At some point in my life, I thought that it would be wise to give it up, seeing that my eyesight wasn’t great, perhaps it was the practical thing to do. Go get a safe and secure job, and lead a more conventional life. But safe has never been my thing, because boredom always sinks in. So here in this video, I talk about my challenges and overcoming them as a visually impaired person. I hope you will see that you too can overcome your challenges.

No matter what kind of business you own, there’s one thing that can really help boost the public perception of your brand. It’s an oldie, but a goodie, and that’s press coverage. While social media platforms have become the norm in marketing practices, there’s nothing like press coverage to boost your credibility. Because in the age of social media, anyone can open a Facebook or Instagram account; being featured in a magazine takes more effort, but it can have its long term effects.

However, getting the attention of a journalist isn’t an easy task. They are bombarded by emails everyday. On average journalists write one story per day, but they get over a hundred emails daily from PR firms and companies all competing for attention.

So what’s a new entrepreneur to do? Hire a PR professional? Well, if you have a ton of cash to bankroll this costly approach (a minimum $5000 per month on retainer), maybe. But the truth is, you are the best person to represent your brand because you know all about it.

Sure, maybe you’re thinking, but I want coverage in Oprah or Forbes. You have to work your way to get there. Media loves media. You can’t expect to get on a major mag without having been covered before. So start small.

There are courses on the internet about how to do your own PR. But if you are a decent writer, you can write your own articles and get it published too. There are a ton of independent magazines that are hungry for content to fill their digital pages. All you have to do is to find the ones that are a good fit for your story and pitch them an idea. Sounds simple, but there’s one thing you need to know first.

Regardless of whether you write your own story, get a journalist to write about you, or even if you do hire a PR company. If they say yes to your pitch, you’ll be expected to submit high-resolution photos to match your story. Unless you are dealing with a major magazine with big budgets, they won’t be sending over a photographer to cover your story. So before you pitch a story, make sure you have some magazine-worthy photos to accompany your pitch.

Running a business, you should budget photography as a cost of doing business. Having an image that conveys the essence of you and your company is priceless. So hire a professional who knows what they are doing. Here are 3 types of images you need to get:

Regardless of the kind of business you have, you will need a good headshot. You’ll be using this photo many times over, so getting it right is crucial.

You’ll also want shots to give your story context, to show what kind of business you have. Perhaps a shot of you at your desk. Or in your shop or office. Get some candid shots of you and your company at work.

And of course, if you sell products, get good, clean product shots. Products should be photographed with a pure white background that is editorial-ready. If you sell a service, get shots of your company performing the service.

Once you have these images, you’ll be ready to go and get the press you want!

Want to work with me on creating your VISION? What’s your LEGEND? How do you want to SHOW up in the world? An image is the most POWERFUL way to convey your MESSAGE. I want to share your VISION through photographs. Let’s talk about it. I’m based in Toronto, but I can travel to where you are.

Some time ago, I had my photograph taken by a professional photographer. I had my makeup all done up by an artist and she styled my hair with loads of dry shampoo. Though I looked great and the pictures looked nice., over time I felt like these pictures didn’t reflect me anymore. During the session I was asked to hold a big smile and and do these bizarre poses that are supposed to make me look good.  While it all looks good on paper, my photos didn’t feel authentic.

Now I am a photographer and I don’t do any of the above. I don’t use a make up artist. I don’t ask for smiles or weird poses. I might give a bit of direction or suggestions, but they are done at the client’s free will. Heck, I’ll even admit for my own self-portraits, I’m on third-day hair! Tire’s something about this lack of pretension, of hiding behind hair and make up that FREES the SPIRIT. I shoot from the HEART. It’s a dance we’re doing, just me and you with the camera. And thats when I get YOU at your most BEAUTIFUL and REAL. Check out my portrait portfolio and rate card.

Today I am just f feeling super grateful and blessed. Though Spring so far has been cold, I found these blossoms in Kensington Market the other day. The colour is just so pretty. My thought for today is about Self-Love. Love yourself so that other can love you too. This is important. We talk about self-care a lot and refer to the Oprah’s analogy like if you were on an airplane and the oxygen mask fall out, you need to put on your mark first before you help others. But Self-Love, what is it? It’s a feeling of love and respect towards yourself, accepting yourself for who you are, with its gifts and flaws. Defending yourself when others try to  bring you down. It’s necessary to speak out. If you fear that others will reprimand you for it, there is something missing. You are still looking for the approval of others to be ok with yourself. It is completely possible to speak out and still be nice. You don’t have to be rude or angry if others offend you. Your outer world is a reflection of your reality from within. Your love for yourself will reflect outwardly. The funny part is that by loving yourself, others will love you too and that in turn is what keeps our planet from utter chaos. Because if you love yourself, you will be sharing your gifts with the world, without fear and complete confidence that what you have to offer is outmost value. Because at the end of it all, we are a collective. We are all the same on the most basic level.

Some thoughts I’m having tonight… In the last couple of weeks, I’ve decided to live my life completely in the moment and follow where the wind takes me. I’ve spent much time developing my business life and chasing results that are out of my control. I’ve decided to focus solely on the art itself. It’s why I started it to begin with. The purpose  of my work is expression of myself and something that greater than me. Something calls me to do it because there is a need for it in the world. Which is why I’m here. I’m living spontaneously. I do a shoot because I feel like it. I write a story because there;s something to say. You can’t tell me when to create. Because it’s not me who is creating. I can only do my best work when I’m in the flow. I’m just the vessel for inspiration (in spirit) to be expressed. Anything less is a waste of time. I no longer question my urges anymore. Because I realized these are God-given soul desires that have to be listened to. Everything else will take care of itself because it’s divinely ordained timing.