Build + Bloom Rally LA 2018 Recap

One week ago today, I met these three wonderfully talented humans! Stewart Clementz, Jessica Whitaker, and Jenny Yarmolyuk of the Build + Bloom Facebook Group put on a rally event in Downtown Los Angeles. This group is for all kinds of creatives who want support from other creatives in hopes to grow whether your a hobbyist or a professional, this group is for you. I've been a member for 3 years now and I was SUPER excited to hear about this rally! This group is incredibly inspiring with so many friendly and supportive people who genuinely want to become better at what they do. Being apart of this community I am able to freely ask for constructive criticism on my work, ask for professional advice and have access to an unlimited amount of inspiration. I couldn't be more thankful for this amazing resource!!

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The Universe blessed me big time with this opportunity! Three days before the event I spent some time on YouTube, catching up on my favorite channels. One of those many channels is Jessica Kobeissi. I watched the newest episode of 4 Photographers shoot the same model. The video was evidently recorded in Los Angeles and at a loft looking studio space called FD Photo Studio. Now I had never heard of this place before until Wednesday night when I came home from the gym to see a new post on the Build + Bloom group from Jessica Whitaker. Of course I was excited seeing this!! Immediately intrigued by the venue space I did a Google search and found out that they have four buildings with multiple levels/rooms. How awesome is that?? So I'm not personally familiar with renting studio space but this place looks very promising for local and traveling creatives. I checked out the specific room the event would be in and BAM, it was the very same room in the video.

I think it's obvious that this was a sign that I needed to go to this event and get out of my comfort zone. Sounds super easy but totally isn't for a creative who overthinks situations. Knowing that I would feel nervous and anxious, I still got dressed, put on a fresh face and went downtown. I don't regret this decision. I really REALLY don't!

Jenny talked first about how she started and some of the struggles she experienced on her journey. She also talked about how her and Jessica became friends. Some of the great tips she gave were hire an accountant to do your taxes, keep a planner by your desk to keep organized, and utilize Facebook ads to bring in more clients. Hearing about how she too didn't become a pro for some time and still doesn't believe that she knows it all was really reassuring. I firmly believe that sometimes we all need to hear from an outside perspective that we aren't ever going to be perfect is absolutely necessary for us to grow as people. I greatly appreciate Jenny taking the time from her work to come talk to us about her struggles and her achievements.

Stewart stole the show with his list of tips via his phone. He spoke about how Google Sheets, Trello, Keynote and Squarespace are great tools for us to use to keep organized and on top of weekly tasks. Stew is a master with brand storytelling and has an mind for understanding social media marketing. Most of what he focused on with us was working with brands that will elevate our work. The biggest takeaways for me were reach out to brands with a value packed plan of action, create Client Decks that involved visual inspiration and colors schemes, and utilizing Trello as a way to stay organized with tasks. I am so very thankful and grateful for his time and his expertise.

 
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Meeting Jessica was such an INCREDIBLE experience!! At the end we got to network with each other and get a picture with our speakers. Jessica is so sweet and such a friendly person. It felt so surreal to meet her but I felt like we were instantly friends. This picture of us will always remind me of what I learned that day. The memory is for sure a great one!

Day Trip To Palos Verdes Beach + Tips On Staying Inspired

Just a few weeks ago, my partner and I took a day trip down to Palos Verdes Beach in Southern California. He has been talking about taking me there for some time now so I let him. After we parked the car, we walked down the cliff and ventured over the rock pathway to sit. Watching the huge waves crash over the rocks was therapeutic! It was truly breathtaking. The break away from my current workload was much needed and appreciated. I appreciate my partner even more for giving me a reason to take some time away.

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I snapped a few photos to remember this beautiful place. Lately, I've been making it more of a point to bring my camera with me to more places. There's a good photo around every corner! This is one of the ways I am able to stay inspired most days. Something that most people ask creatives is how to "stay" inspired. I don't believe that I am always inspired. A good portion of the time, yes but certainly not a constant thing. If you came to this blog to learn tips on how to stay inspired then you came to the right blog!

 

Here are three ways I stay inspired...

1. I am a Pinterest Addict

I AM NOT JOKING! Pinterest is such a great place to organize ideas using visuals and links to information. At the moment I have more that 50+ boards. Whoa! That's a lot of inspiration. I spend a few minutes a day browsing through my feed for inspiring images, quotes and articles about stuff I like. Follow me here. You won't be disappointed.

2. I bring my camera EVERYWHERE

So as I stated above, I've been bringing my camera with me to more places. It helps keep me shooting often and continuously growing. I will look for everyday content that I can visually make into something interesting. Lifestyle Photography is a popular style to shoot and in total demand right now. According to Wikipedia "Lifestyle photography is a kind of photography that mainly aims to capture portrait/people in situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of the everyday. The primary goal is to tell stories about people's lives or to inspire people in different times". If you can tell a visual story using photographs with everyday content then you will always stay motivated!

3. I shoot products that I have at home

So, Product Photography can be a great addition to any portfolio even if you don't want to shoot more of it. When I'm experiencing a lack of creativity, I grab my camera and a bunch of items I have laying around. I shoot flat top, close up, and flat lay shots with the items. I place them in different ways, playing around with fun backgrounds to keep the visual interest. There is staging involved which can look great in a portfolio while also keeping you inspired to create new things.

 

 

Check out more of my work on these sites!

Instagram – http://instagram.com/mandeerosephoto

LookBook.nu – http://lookbook.nu/mandeerose