Cara | Couture Portrait

It's been a busy couple of weeks, Maddi's napping has not been the usual 2-3 hours and I've been tired at the end of the day to work after Maddi's bedtime. So I have a bit of a back log of work as well as personal stuff that needs to get done.

Yesterday, Maddi finally had a 3 hour nap, and I wasn't too tired to need a bit of a snooze while she napped as well. So, I had some time to finally get a bit of a catch-up in. I went to work editing a set from Cara's session two weekends ago and posted a couple of sneak peek images on the Red Alchemy Facebook page. This afternoon, I finally got the rest of the images done.
 

I met Cara several months ago, when she started working at our chiropractor's office. From day one, I've admired her sense of style.

I was excited to shoot this session, although this was definitely a bit out of my usual style. I am much more comfortable with the urban look, but given Cara's personality... she was better suited to a natural setting. Also, the night before the session, I had this nagging thought to do the session in Stanley Park. I know the voice in my head wouldn't shut up if I didn't go there, so that's where we went.

In post processing, I'm not sure why... possibly inspired by the colours in Cara's wardrobe and makeup, I was in a teen mag sort of mood. So I think there's a bit of that influence in the images.

I hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Bagel Poke

Injury incurred: scratches in two places on my right eyeball.

Inflictor of pain: Madeleine Rhodes McMillen.

Weapon of choice: toasted bagel.

My morning started unexpectedly early, when Maddi decided to wake up at 5am, 2 and a half hours earlier than her usual wake time. I was up til 2am; so I was functioning with 3 hours of sleep. I'm not sure if it's the lack of sleep, but I didn't even see this coming. At breakfast, Maddi accidentally poked me in the eye with a toasted bagel. And because I didn't see it coming, I didn't even try to blink. My eye was wide open. It hurt! I don't know if she realized that she caused my pain, but when she saw that I was hurt, she opened up her arms and gave me a hug - made getting stabbed in the eye totally worth it!

Although it bothered me, I didn't think anything of it and went through my day as usual.

The Nygard VIP shopping event was today, and I got to go for a couple of hours to check it out. It was a definite learning experience.

Three things I learned today; I need to be prepared on how to engage with people when I've been given a golden opportunity (the store manager has been talking me up to her clients), the first thing out of my mouth needs to offer something of value and can't be an obvious sales solicitation (even though people know I'm selling something), engage - because the worst they can say is 'no'.

Considering that it was in the middle of the day, on a week day... the shopping event went pretty well. I was there from 2 to 4pm, and although it wasn't a crowd of shoppers, there was a steady stream of them. In the two hours that I was there, there were at least 6 shoppers that tried on clothes and every one of them bought something. Megan, the store manager, is amazing. She makes sales look so easy and effortless. I have much to learn.

As each of those 6 shoppers walked around, I said hi to them but searched for how else I can engage with them without taking them away from their shopping experience. I couldn't think of anything that sounded suitable so I just remained passive for most of my time there and let them come to me if they were interested. Towards the end, I relaxed and was chatting with one of the last clients as she tried on clothes. When she headed towards the counter to pay, I heard myself say, "don't forget to pick up a gift voucher for my glamour photography sessions at the front." I got her interest and she stopped to ask me more about it. That was my opportunity to engage. I showed her some samples of my work, generated a real interest and a potential client out of her.

I really am quite uneasy with sales, but I knew it can be done without being pushy and in a way that services the potential client. I've heard it a million times, good sales is really just good customer service. You are not there to sell, you sell by meeting a need your potential clients have. I have been on the receiving end of this kind of sales plenty of times. I just need practice on how to be on the offering end of it.

Before I left Nygard, I asked the manager and the other staff what the response has been to the vouchers they gave out. They said people were impressed and thought the images on the cards were really good. I suspect the rest of the VIP shoppers will be going to pick up their gift bags after work hours today and over the weekend. We'll see how this goes as my first marketing campaign. If nothing else, it was a great learning experience and the start to a great partnership with the Nygard store.

By the end of the day, I could barely open my right eye. Luckily, it didn't bother me too much while at the shopping event. I stopped in at the nearby drop-in clinic and found out that I got 2 scratches from the bagel poke and now have to wear a very fashionable eye patch until I go back for a follow up doctor's visit tomorrow. Such a sexy look! Fortunately, no permanent damage and it won't affect my vision. Thank goodness, because vision would be important for a photographer.

Family Session with the Saitos

Angela and I have been friends for years and were house mates at one point in our university days. I'm happy that she has also decided to pursue a career in photography; now I have a buddy to share this journey with... as long as she doesn't make me sniff her finger (inside joke).

When it comes to documenting our own family lives, we also share the same challenge. We have a gazillion images of our kids and husbands, but these images make it look like we are never around. Yet we are! We were there to share the moment in all those images, we were just behind the camera.

Yesterday, we made sure Angela was in almost every frame I shot, and we were blessed with the perfect shooting weather - overcast and not too windy.

I hope you enjoy these images, Ange!

 

I'm A Get Shit Done Kind of Mama!

The past week has come and gone with a roar of "get shit done" attitude after feeling largely unproductive on the work front for months. I reclaimed our den as my office last Monday - I tossed, I filed, I cleaned. I have a long ways to go to get it to my ideal work environment, but half an hour spent organizing proved to be a great and worthwhile investment. I love the energy in there, I have spent so much time in that tiny space this week and actually got work done! I would have to say that the one tip I got from a prospective business coach that I met with really worked - put your phone on silent, face down!

It has been a string of late nights; and if I keep this up, I would be headed for burn out. So this next week, I seek to find balance... although I am quite pleased with all the items I got off my to-do list this week, not to mention being able to take advantage of the opportunity to team up with Nygard... which if I hadn't gotten organized, would've been a great opportunity lost.

A couple of months ago, I made a connection with the manager at the Nygard Yaletown store. Last week, she called me. She wanted to help me promote my business to their VIP clients at their shopping event next week! So I came up with a great win-win idea for both myself and the store - I'm giving them vouchers towards a glamour session with me to gift to their VIP clients. I designed the voucher and sent it off to the printers just in the nick of time to get them ready for the event.

Just before I started working so much, I had a couple more days since my last posts where I've enjoyed the great weather with Maddi and Sean, including our early Mother's Day picnic last Saturday, knowing that the rain will come on Sunday.

Enjoying a triple berry smoothie on the library steps. She drank half of it!

Da-da gave Maddi a pretty high fashion 'do

Blowing bubbles after our Mother's Day picnic

Thanks for a wonderful and yummy Mother's Day picnic!

Here's the voucher card I designed for the Nygard VIP shopping event

This is how the back of the cards will look

Mother And Daughter Glamour Session with Sarah & June

On Friday, I had the opportunity of doing a glamour session with Sarah and June. It reminded me of how special the relationship is between a mother and her baby girl, no matter how big the baby has gotten.

It was a fun afternoon of girl time, getting pampered, looking beautiful and celebrating the special bond that a mother and daughter share.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Moving On

I have loved being with Maddi every day for the last eighteen and a half months. No regrets, no wishes for any take backs; although, no doubt there were some very challenging days. However, I think I have been in a bit of a funk in the last few months staying home with her.

Just a couple of months before Maddi turned one, I felt very lucky to have the career option to stay home with her as I watched all the other moms that I have met during maternity leave starting to make adjustments for their return to work - daycare or other child care arrangements in particular. They have expressed feeling anxious, sad and a combination of both as they consider the thought of having to leave their precious babes in the care of someone else after spending every day with them up to that point. Many of the moms I met are also first time moms, not sure if it gets any easier with subsequent children.

Within the last six months, it seems my friends who have returned to work have found a new routine and have adjusted quite well to life back at work and their babes are thriving in whatever childcare they have arranged for them. Me, on the other hand, I feel stuck in maternity leave mode. I miss my mommy friends and their babes who are not as readily available as they were, prior to returning to work. I am supposed to also be "back at work," only my work is at home and I work for myself. Trouble is, it's so easy to blur my time as a mom focused on Maddi as my priority and my work as a photographer and entrepreneur who is preparing to launch her business. I think I'm doing a superb job as a mom (although some days I may not think so), but I've been lousy as an entrepreneur that's starting a business.

I need to be a lot more intentional about being in business. I think some planning, scheduling and organizational changes are in order. Actually, I did have a plan for what I want to do after maternity leave that I was happy about and could work with... I just need to stick with the plan! I am confident that if I do, I will be a lot more efficient and productive during my work hours as well as be more present when I'm with Maddi.

It's time to move on. I don't want to be thinking about work when I'm with Maddi and be inefficient at work, wondering about Maddi when I'm supposed to be working and being productive.

It seems Mother Nature decided to skip Spring and Summer days are here! I want to enjoy these Summer days with Maddi, and the only way I can really enjoy them is if I am fully present when I'm with her... not thinking about work. And if I work when I'm supposed to, I won't have to think about it when I'm with Maddi.

Today, I decided to just enjoy the day with Maddi; not constantly check my emails, left my phone on vibrate, and napped with her next to me. We started the day by going to the dollar store and picked up a pinwheel and a bubble wand, then headed to the park. We made some more friends today and Maddi loved running around in the big open space. She liked the pinwheel when it spun, but then quickly loses interest whenever it stopped and throws it out of her stroller. As for the bubbles, she wasn't quite sure if she liked them at first, but she started to really enjoy them by the end of the day.

Here are some photos from our time at the park. I would've loved to have taken some photos of her with the bubbles, but I couldn't swing the wand and take a picture at the same time. Maybe we'll take some when da-da can come with us next time =)

Cute As Can Bee

Sean and Maddi were quite sick for the week after we got back from our cruise. Caring for two sick babes took it's toll and got really challenging after the 4th day. Maddi was extra clingy, and Sean couldn't help at all. I tried to handle it with as much patience and grace, but I'm afraid I started to crack towards the end. I think what saved me from totally losing it was my dad leaving me with pre-cooked frozen meals that I could just heat up throughout the week before he flew home.

I'm just glad that at least, we had a great trip; and also, that I didn't get sick while caring for both of them - that was freakin' amazing!

Now that they are both feeling so much better and the weather outside is so much nicer, I decided to take Maddi out on our first picnic of the year this afternoon - and she was dressed appropriately, buzzing with cuteness!

Side note: Maddi's hair seemed to have sprouted in the last month... I started giving her pigtails the week after we got back from our cruise to keep it away from her snotty nose.

She started crouching down every time I pull my camera out lately... I hope it's just a phase, I want to be able to take photographs of her!

How did she get so big so fast?!

That's the mischievous smile she gave me before running away from our picnic blanket!

I showed her how to blow on a dandelion

She thought it was interesting

She held it way too close to her mouth, the little bits started sticking to her snotty nose =)

Patience, Perseverance and Drive

It's been a couple of weeks of late nights for me now... I feel like I've got too much on the brain and it's keeping me up! I started out with a lot of excitement from watching the Sue Bryce workshop videos that got me on a high for about a week... then the tiredness set in and rendered me unproductive during my work hours (every night after Maddi goes to bed).

I probably still would have been able to keep watching the videos even if I was tired, but I couldn't continue with them because I haven't done any of the daily challenges. I felt like I couldn't keep going unless I take some action. To add to that, I got word from my designer on the progress of my website design and construction. It reminded me that I need to get going with collecting images to fill my website with, not to mention text for various sections.

Like many artists, I am my worst critic. I look through all the photos I've taken recently and I feel like I don't have any that I want on my site. I need better images. Don't get me wrong, there are many that I've taken which I like... I am just being super critical of my own work and I see all the things I would do differently - I guess that's what happens when you keep evolving and growing in your craft. So, the only way to solve this is to go out and create images that I will be a hundred percent happy to put up on my website.

On Saturday, when I saw that the forecast for Sunday said no rain, I scheduled a last minute portfolio session with my dear friend, Anne... so glad she was available at such short notice and happy to help. For this session, I decided to go on location in beautiful Gastown. I just love the character in the area; the characters that roam it, not so much - haha! My trusty assistant Neil was available and ready, too... making the trek all the way from Cloverdale - thanks so much for coming to help out!

Here are some of the images I got from the session... and I love them! Let me know what you think?!

And now, to sort out my price list... and to organize my thoughts and put them down on paper for a business plan! I knew starting a business is a lot of work, but realizing now just how much! Everything seems to take a lot longer than I anticipated, too! A lot of times, when I set out to do something, I discover something else that needs to get done. So far though, although it is a lot of work... it is work I am happy to do and I am learning a lot. Patience, perseverance & drive... please don't run out on me, I can't wait to see where you'll take me!

p.s. a mommy sidenote - Maddi took her first unassisted steps and started walking last Thursday, just 2 days shy of turning 17 months! It was a mix of feeling "OMG, she's growing up way too fast!" and a sense of mama pride on her milestone accomplishment.

She's Beautiful... She Is A Woman

Today, as I walked to and from Gastown to meet with some friends, I noticed that I started seeing women differently. I started seeing how beautiful each of them are, whether they were dressed up with makeup on or in their sweats and not done up at all. Sue Bryce said she can find beauty in every woman because she knows what beauty looks like. I think I'm getting there, too. So exciting!

Now to set up a natural light studio within my townhouse and practice through the daily challenges from the 28-day workshop that I purchased. I'm also looking forward to drier days ahead, so I can head outdoors for some shoots. Again, on my way to meet my friends, I was reminded of how many cool backgrounds there are around town.

I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.
~Hafiz

Peace Out, Recharging My Batteries

I've been having late nights for the past 2 weeks, staying up till at least 1am and sometimes as late as 3.30 in the morning. I've been in such a high from the marathon of Sue Bryce workshop videos that I have been watching at nights after Maddi goes to bed and sometimes also while she naps during the day.

Sue is not only a photography instructor, she is a coach. A couple of days ago, I heard she was awarded the Framed Most Influential Photographer of the Year. It didn't surprise me, because she was exactly that to me. She did not only help and inspire me as a photographer, she has also improved my life on a personal level. She reminded me to be grateful, to choose positivity and happiness over negativity and fear, to value myself and my work, to focus on finding a way to work out of any challenge and not let excuses get in my way.

I purchased the creativeLive 28 Days With Sue Bryce course, where I get a video challenge daily for 28 days. It's day 4 today and I've watched all the videos. However, I haven't actually taken any action; so, I'm feeling a little antsy. This weekend, I have to go and source out the supplies I need so I can start working on the challenges.

Last weekend, before the workshop started, I had a session with my friend Liz. It's my first one with professional hair and makeup artists. I loved the shoot, although I shot with flashes and softboxes. I would love to try shooting in natural light, I do like the flat lighting that Sue shoots in. Shooting in natural light seems to make the image look more soft and dreamy; the light seems more subtle and well, more natural.

Hmmm. I was so busy the last few days and really wanted to blog as I had a bunch of thoughts swirling around in my head that I wanted to get on "paper;" yet somehow... now that I have the time to sit down and write a post, I don't seem to have much to say. All the words that crowded in my mind seemed to have vanished into thin air... and although I stayed up late again last night and tonight... I have not been as productive these two nights. I'm just too tired, and have to get to bed and start getting a bit more sleep to make up for all the late nights I've had. The high can only carry me through so many late nights in a row.

Since I'm blanking out and productivity has been down, it's time to recharge my batteries. Other than watching the daily videos from the course and getting the supplies I need on the weekend (while the hubby is home to help take care of the munchkin), I'm taking tomorrow and the weekend off.

The thoughts are still there, albeit a little hazy in my head. I think a little more sleep will coax them out... I hope.

There's A Fire

It's 1.30 in the morning and I just climbed into bed. And although I am in bed, I lay awake thinking about my photography venture. Just. Can't. Stop!

This reminds me of my dad. He has told me stories about times when he has laid awake thinking, planning, dreaming about how he can expand, what he can achieve, how he can make things better. My brother has had similar experiences too. Although I may kick myself in the morning when I find it hard to wake up or when I am too tired to keep up with Maddi, this encourages me; I'm in good company!

It also makes me excited because according to the law of attraction - what you focus on expands, what you think about becomes your reality, what you visualize shows up in your life... what you're happy about and grateful for, the universe gives you more of! Also, I had already brushed up against something along these lines that felt eerily (in a good way) paranormal to me in the last week.

Tonight, I spent some precious sleep time chatting with a fellow mom & photography enthusiast. We talked about our love of photography, and covered topics from props, marketing, pricing, sales, etc. We are both moms that have demanding young children (she actually trumps me, she's a mom of two!)... why aren't we sleeping? Why are we spending our precious time chatting about this stuff? It's because there's something bubbling within us. Borrowing Adele's words (although not in the same sentiment as how the rest of that song goes), it feels sort of like a fire starting in our hearts - hard to contain, there's a dream that wants to become reality!

If we went to bed, we'd just lay awake thinking to ourselves... so we chatted about it a fair bit (at least we had each other's company for a little while), then we went to bed. Yes, I'm now still laying here awake, thinking; but can you imagine how much longer I'd be laying here if I hadn't released some of it when I was chatting with my friend?!

When you feel tired, but your heart is jumping in excitement and there's a smile on your lips... It's a good thing and a good omen of good things to come =)

Good night, all!

Below is me with my Maddi Boo... whom I should be so fortunate to be blessed with! My love, my inspiration, my muse; the one that has ignited the fire, whose face I would do everything to keep a smile on... the major WHY to pursuing my dreams.

p.s. Every dreamer needs a strong WHY(s) to keep them in the running, especially when times get tough and when doubts and discouragements set in.

Enthusiastically Yours, Red Alchemy

In my humble experience of the last 16 months, life as a mama is demanding. It's not rocket science, any person with a good head on their shoulders could do a good job. However, it is a constant relegation of your needs and agenda to the 2nd tier (or 3rd, or 4th...). Time to yourself or to chores and other things you need to get done is usually scarce and a lot of the time, unpredictable. When you finally get those golden opportunities, sometimes you need it to recoup and rest instead of tackle the items that have been lingering on your to-do lists. When I try to do something while Maddi is not napping, what used to take 15 minutes now takes 45 minutes or longer. There is no "dashing out for a bit;" a lot of the time, getting out of the house means changing a diaper, packing food, bundling her up and securing her in the carrier or the stroller. That would take at least 10 minutes before I can even step out of the door. And if I have to drive, add another 10 minutes. Having been the kind of person that had multiple things on the go, validated by every time I crossed an item on my to-do lists (which I used to make and update on a daily basis)... this was something I had to get used to. It has definitely been frustrating at times, but it has also taught me to slow down.

Although I didn't go back to work after maternity leave, I have been preparing to launch my photography business. There is a lot of work to be done when starting a business; at least, if you want to build properly. Without the luxury of long periods of uninterrupted time, everything takes a lot longer and requires better organization. I know I am leaving a lot of loose ends, I need to get my butt in gear and get organized! I'm not complaining, I LOVE my time with my babe and it's a compromise I'm willing to make. Although I'm not able to devote full days to this endeavor, I sometimes get 2-3 hour stretches during the day while Maddi naps, and usually another 2-3 hours after her bedtime.

Last night was the 3rd night in a row that I stayed up till 3~3.30am. Apparently, it was a full moon on the first night and a full moon affects sleep (who knew?)... I guess the last two nights were after effects?

The good thing is, I spent that awake time productively. I watched all the videos from a Sue Bryce workshop that I purchased last year, and my brain just couldn't stop working, thinking about products and services that I want to offer, conjuring up the value that I want to provide my clients, and just overall big picture stuff.

All that brainstorming and planning has gotten me soooo pumped and excited! Can't wait to see what they all result to!

Embarking on an entrepreneurship journey isn't just about learning to sell and market... a host of personal growth also comes with it. The way I think about a lot of things need to change. I knew that from before, but now I am starting to really know! I'm equally nervous and excited!

There are a lot of things to learn, but Sue Bryce said that if you are enthusiastic about your business and what it is that you do, you will attract people. They will just naturally be drawn to your energy, they would want what you have. She also challenged her students to do one thing everyday to market and promote their business. Since the day I decided to go into business and not put Maddi in daycare, I wanted to make sure Maddi's socialization is not compromised.... which means I have to be sociable myself. I have been talking up strangers on the street, at the cafe, in the elevator, at the play time we go to and yes, even in the parents' room at the mall! But since the day that I got my business cards, I have been putting myself out there and giving them out, telling people about what I do. It definitely takes me out of my comfort zone a bit, but it does get easier the more I do it. And surprisingly, I haven't had a rejection yet! Everyone has been receptive; encouraging and excited for me at best, and at the very least, they take my card. I hope they don't bin it after they've walked a few steps away from me! I don't think so, my cards are gorgeous! =)

So far, the key to maintaining this enthusiasm has been the time I spent dreaming up big picture stuff about my business, breaking it down into small steps and planning the details, and TAKING ACTION! The first one is essential in order to know where to navigate, the second one keeps your goals attainable and lastly, taking action and achieving goals will feed your self-confidence and keep you going and growing!

Something eerie in a good, "The Secret" kind of way happened to me the past couple of days. It's too soon to share, I don't want to jinx it... but I promise to share when things play out, it'll be a better story to tell =)

With all that said, I hope tonight's sleep comes a lot earlier than 3.30 in the morning!

Love Yourself Now!

There are many great photographers out there; but to date, the one that has inspired and affected me most is Sue Bryce. Her agenda and her passion has resonated with me so much; her talent and the beauty of her work are inspiring, the effectiveness of her tips and tricks so encouraging.

In our media-saturated world today, women are bombarded with all kinds of messages telling them why they aren't good enough. Too fat, too thin, too plain, too dolled-up, too tall, too short, too girly, too sporty, the list goes on. As a photographer, I often tell my clients to relax in front of the camera. Yet pick me up from behind my camera and put me in front of it... I'm just as uneasy and uncomfortable. I'm not beautiful enough, I need to lose 20 pounds, I have an awkward smile... yada yada yada.

One thing I do love about myself... I gobble up ideas and material on how to live better, how to be better and happier. And many of them say although there is always room for improvement, love yourself today! Be grateful because there is good to celebrate! Focus on that and more of it will come.

I've been working on being more confident - in general and as an artist entrepreneur especially with valuing my time and talent, saying/doing what I want and taking less shit from people, being more present and grasping what really matters, weeding through the fluff and being more real, being kind and finding ways to contribute, going after my dreams with passion and decluttering my life of energy-sapping negatives that drag me down, inviting more of what serves me and getting rid of what doesn't in my life. There is much work to be done, I am going to be a constant work in progress. However, I think the first thing I need to tackle is learning to take care of myself first, or I wouldn't be in any position to take care of anybody else.

Self love. Love yourself now. Love your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Love parts of you that need improvement as well as parts of you that you are proud of. Celebrate your beauty today, everyday!

Following in Sue's footsteps, I want to be a champion for women who at any moment have felt not good enough. I am determined to help empower women by finding their beauty and showing it to them through my photographic work. Do something good for yourself, treat yourself to a glamour portrait session and let me show you how beautiful you are. I look forward to working with you!

Blame It On The Genius

Amidst a low and dark time in my life, I happened upon my passion for photography. Almost six years later, I find myself making the nerve-racking leap to not only pursue a career as an artist, but to also forgo the securities of a job and venturing into the world of entrepreneurship.

Some people are really creative, their process almost paranormal. Some people are really smart and have a good hold on how to tread through the rest of their lives. I am neither.

I once took a left-brain vs right-brain test and I registered as 47% left-brained and 53% right-brained. A bit of a right brain dominance, but not by much at all... I would say the test is bang on. Being almost as logical, realistic and analytical as I am creative, fantastical and free-spirited has definitely been a blessing at times; yet it has also been a source of much frustration. It often leaves me feeling like I may be good at many things but not excellent at any one thing.

I have gotten so much support and encouragement from family and friends, even strangers. Yet some days, I am just ridden with self doubt. I know the saying "I am my own worst critic" way too well. The voices in my head can really put a damper on my confidence.

For years, I have let these frustrations and insecurities hold me back from taking the plunge. A full time job, school and the general busy-ness of life competed for time and energy. Fear of failure paralyzed me and what seemed like an irresponsible decision of possibly putting our finances in jeopardy by becoming self-employed laid on the guilt for pursuing my dreams.

Becoming pregnant a couple of years ago was great news in more ways than just the obvious. Right away, I thought that being on maternity leave would be my opportunity to plan for a career switch. However, nine months into the leave, I haven't done anything. I can't believe I was actually considering going back to work! Somehow, that just felt wrong.

I may be really late at starting what I should have months ago, but there really was no other choice... not if I were to be true to myself, and be able to look Maddi in the eye when one day, I tell her to follow her dreams because she can do whatever she sets her mind to.

Taking this leap definitely makes me tremendously excited, but I'm also scared shitless! So how to cope with the negative chatter in my head and the pressure?

I heard Elizabeth Gilbert on a TED Talk shortly after her worldwide bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love came out and propelled her onto the world stage. She shared that prior to the renaissance, people believed that artists had geniuses that lived within their studios and collaborated with them to produce their art.

It is not the most scientific approach for the 21st century, but it does create that safe distance which protects the artist. Artists were protected from an inflated ego because they can't take full credit for brilliant work, since everybody knew they had the help of a genius. On the other hand, producing crappy work wasn't entirely their fault either because everybody knew their genius was a bit lame.

I need to keep reminding myself that I just need to keep showing up for my part of the job. I know it'll take time before my craft catches up to my taste. Until then, just blame it on the genius and keep giving it everything I've got.

‘Ole!’ to you, just for having the sheer human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.”
- Elizabeth Gilbert