It's raining EVERYTHING

What is it with fate?! For one week I finally set myself a goal to work towards (business cards, website, copyrights & name) and somehow EVERYTHING ELSE suddenly needs to be done RIGHT NOW.

Texas has always been amazingly boring so when stuff suddenly starts to pop up in one week one tends to become suspicious.

A good thing that happened while I was not reaching my goal was that I finally sat down and figured out my credit. Angels sing. And the results are

*Drumroll Please*

My credit sucks.

I won't go into details but I will say this: that's ok. I had a feeling it would suck and sitting down and confirming that accomplished 2 things:

1. Now I know how much it sucks and
2. I can take that knowledge and start working towards fixing it.

And although this was a slightly overwhelming fork in the road at first, now that it's had time to settle in it's not such a bad thing. It's about time I figure out how to manage my own finances and, if anything, it gives me even more of a reason why I need to start my own business.

Yay taking responsibility!

Note: Another encouraging "start own business" thing is Ale (from work) got a Christmas gift of a one-day "professional" photo shoot. It cost $300 for 5 hours, 3 different "costumes" that she had to bring herself, and the photographer did her makeup and hair. The pics came out really pretty. I asked her what equipment the photographer had and she said none! They shot during the day, mostly in the sunlight, and the "studio" was the lady's garage. She had a lot of bounce boards (reflectors that pick up the sun) instead of lights, and she even used a hairdryer as a windmaker!

I can do that!

Random:
- I told Jared the other day a big secret: I have a HUGE TV crush. I think I'm falling in love with Geof Manthorne from Ace of Cakes. He's scruffy and quiet and works wonders with his hands- such a cutie! I think it might also be because he slightly resembles Jared, but I'm not sure. Jared didn't seem fazed... maybe he doesn't think my TV crush is serious?
- I miss LA. DESPERATELY. It's become a conflict with me, because I love being close to my family and Jared, but I can't stand being in Dallas. What to do?
- Fae (the new kitty) just took a dump. A HARDCORE one. And even though her litter box is far away in a different room, I can smell it so fresh it's almost like she dumped on my arm. G a w d .


Below: 3 Sets of Pics: from the Berdin family annual bi-monthly Wii tournament, Cleo and Fae trying to like each other and the flowers Jared got me for Valentine's Day (with a glimpse of my new apartment in the back). Click on each to make them bigger. :)

Boss DJ

I'm starting my own business!

Mommy and Auntie Luc had mentioned it before. I created a portfolio for a photography job I wanted (which I got, and hated - it was a door to door photo job where I took pics of peoples' babies and tried to make it look like they were happy instead of fussy and crying like they always were. Awful job. I quit it and a few weeks later my resume and that same portfolio got me a job as producer for "Undocumented," the indy documentary.) Mommy and Auntie liked the folio and suggested I start my own business. I played around with the idea but didn't like it too much - I was just starting out in film and this would be digressing from it. Plus I didn't have any equipment besides my D40... it was too much & I was too inexperienced.

So I put the thought behind me. Then 3 things happened.

1. A while back Hazel mentioned her friend was getting married and couldn't afford a photographer so she was looking for an amateur for cheap. I said no. Weddings are "forever memories" and a bad photographer can ruin those memories - Hazel's photographer was awful and she still regrets hiring him. I don't feel right getting paid for something I have no experience in while knowing that any action I make determines someone's wedding memories. So I put it behind me. A few weeks later during Brandi's wedding I inadvertently spent most of my time watching the photographer - checking out his equipment and movements and such. It didn't seem so bad. Then another friend - Louie - proposed to his girlfriend and they requested I be the photographer for their wedding in August. And even though I tried my hardest to convince them that that would be a huge mistake, they still want me.

2. Before I left for my last trip I took pics of Hazel and her family for their Christmas Card. I had taken pics for birthday invites for both Cammie & Tay's birthday parties, so this was natural. Well, while I was away Hazel picked her favorites and sent them out as cards and gifts - and she got replies back from multiple families asking who the photographer was and how much do they cost? I was out of town until after the holidays, so it didn't pan out.

3. All during principal photography of the documentary (we traveled to 24 cities in the U.S in 4 months late last year) while Justin had his camera rolling mine would be rolling as well. And the photos I developed received great acclaim - so much so that Justin will be using them throughout the final film as a way to tell the story.

So I sat down. Looked at my depleted bank account. Looked at my inflated student loans. Looked at the fact that both Justin (director - 24yrs old) and Robert (executive producer - 40's ish) started their own businesses when they were young, and were both very successful at it.

And I said no. Again. And put it behind me.

Do you like watching realty shows? I do - not all, just a few, and I hate, Hate, HATE to admit it, but I do. There's something delicious about a reality show. Kinda like eating ice cream on the couch all day without the fatty substance.

Well, I'm a huge fan of America's Next Top Model & Janice Dickinson's Modeling Agency. Of course I adore the travel shows (love Samantha Brown) and food shows (Ace of Cakes), but they aren't on as often as the above mentioned, so I can't veg as much on them. I was sick a couple days last week and stayed home - and MAN did I veg. I even threw in a few episodes of Kimora Lee's Baby Phat show, just for good measure. I started to think how admirable all 3 of these women were. Personally they have their faults, but professionally they were at the top of their game - and they were WOMEN. And they were doing it ON THEIR OWN. THEY CALLED THE SHOTS.

How awesome, I thought.

I went to the car shop while thinking this. I needed some fresh air and my car needed an oil change. The wait was an hour but I was sick and not working so what's an hour? I sat and picked up the first magazine I could find.

Country Living. March Issue, 2008. The "Female Entrepreneur Issue". Profiling 17 women who started they own businesses and became successful at it.

And I decided to start my own business.

My mind started racing. A photography business! Done - for now - on weekends until the film is released, then done full time from home. In one weekend a good photographer can make tens of thousands of dollars... I'm not there yet but when I get like that it would be enough to pay for bills & pay for loans, on my own time, with my own skills. And I can be my own boss.

So there you have it. I called Mommy, raced home, wrote up a rough business plan, and for the last few days have been doing all the research I can. This week my goal is to start the copyright process for all my photos (shoulda been done years ago), finish up my business card design and figure out a website design.

Oh - and figure out a name.

:)

Not convincing enough

Peter posted this video on myspace. My reply is below.




It seems like the only reason someone would like this is because a snazzy tune and pretty celebrities (who should have nothing to do with world politics) mime harmoniously during the actual speech.

And "Yes we can" is derived from "Si se puede"- a quote by Cesar Chavez who was not a slave but an underprivileged farm worker. It is also the chant used by illegal immigrants across the U.S. and supporters for amnesty which (either unconciously or conciously) diverts the American peoples' attention from the real problem with illegal immigration to more unfocused reasoning towards letting it continue.

Nice song, but I need more facts and less bling. Although immigration is not the only problem America is going through, it is a huge problem - and so far to my knowledge Obama has said nothing about it. A major downer in my opinion.

:) Summer