Awakening!

I made that leap
I'm on my path
The brain is off
And the heart is on.
I'm in this world now
And my soul has been turned on.

I feel so alive
The passion burns inside me
Driven onward
Nothing can stop me.
I'm making this world better
My heart is finally singing for me.

I see my life through a different lens now. I'm leaving the past behind me. My foundation has been set. I'm running free!

Awakening a side that's been kept deep inside of me...

~elle

My MUSE Manuscript

Muse - defined as - to gaze meditatively or wonderingly as well as a means to discovering inspiration. Inspiration is the initial stage of the design process. Inspiration is the foundation.

I have been reflecting about my muses, my inspiration. Here is a short list of my MUSE Manuscript:

- ATHENA - goddess of wisdom and art! In Greek mythology Athena was, in essence, the prototype of the contemporary "career woman".
- Edie Sedgwick - 60s fashionista and was considered to be a Muse of Andy Warhol as well. She was the "poor little rich girl" with an inner sunbeam everyone could see and feel.
- Andy Warhol - Mr. "Success is a job in New York" comes from a past that I can also relate to in so many ways, different yet I believe we could share a great deal of the same empathy.
- Marilyn Monroe - immortal icon who has her own Cinderella story.
- A lifeguard stand on Sunset beach on the North Shore in Oahu, Hawaii. This is a place I would consider one of my favorite places on this earth due to the emotional connection and time in my life when I lived on the island.
- 60s Mod and Counter Culture - my design philosophy is working around this concept but adding a definite regentrification by expressing freedom of the soul and social balance.
- Cities - New Orleans, Austin, NYC, San Francisco, DC, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago
- Artists - the aforementioned Andy Warhol, Henri Mattisse, Vincent Van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, El Greco, Roy Lichtenstein.
- Christian Dior - famous fashion designer

This is a short list of what inspires me. I connect emotionally with this list. This in part, expresses a sector of who I am. These muses create a base for my creativity. The list will continue to grow and has many different subcategories, however a start is a start!

FiDM and a Tidbit on Men's Style

Quarter three has now commenced. My classes are now becoming more computer oriented and I even get to apply some math skills. I guess I will be using that finance degree after all (;

I've started doing a little research on men's styling. I feel there is quite an open market here. Menswear is not as complicated as women's wear, but there are definitely must knows for a guy's closet. It's no longer about blending into the "sea of the suits", it's about standing out just a little bit in the right direction. Also after the work shoes come off, there is so much to play with when it comes to the world of sportswear and casual attire.

Two things for the guys to explore: Knits and Wovens - Fabric that is...

Knits are what you wear to the outdoor sporting event; wovens are what you put on when attempting to impress the parents.

First know your body type and find an appropriate fit, then you can apply styles that express your inner self. Fashion can be a fun way to tell the world who you are without even having to move your lips!

Inspiration gives no warnings.

What you chose to wear is an instant reflection of how you present yourself to the world out there. Our human interactions can be so quick. Fashion is a language of instant gratification!

Today my inspiration came from a lady on the street. On my way to the market, I became face to face with what looked like a lady who was going to attack me. She was rough looking wearing beat up clothing and uncombed hair. She got directly in my face to simply ask me a question. I stepped back slightly but then realized all she really wanted was to just ask me a question - "Sweetie, do you know where the Metro is?" she asked. I gave her directions and her response back to me was so surprised that I answered her and that I was nice about it. The way she was dressed was her instant reflection to the world that she might be someone to be careful around even if she may have been harmless. However, due to her shocked reaction to my kindness, showed that her treatment from the general public has obviously not been positive.

Does it make it right for the world to treat others poorly because of the way they dress, absolutely not. However, the truth is, the world does take judgment based upon your outward appearance. So give it a try, one day, dress like complete shit, see how the people outside initially react to you. On another day, rock your business suit to a department store; watch how you are catered to, see how many people smile at you.

Bottom line for fashion is have fun with it. Our world is so serious and fashion is a very serious business, but fashion can be a break from the mundane world and provide a smile. It can also work to your advantage if you can dress to impress the public. It's not about label hoo haa obsession, but about pairing something to express your inner self with a silhouette that works well for your body.

Entourage Party in Hollywood

Last night I attended a very fun industry party for the show Entourage. I met some amazing people from a very prestigious fashion designer to music producers to the next potential governor of California to the original Entourage cast. I had a great night with a couple awesome friends that attended with me.

I love networking and meeting new, fun, fascinating people. You have to have a solid network and good connections to make it any where in the business world.

LA is never dull. There is always always always something exciting going on. Good times LA!

"Why do you try so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out!"

Today I wrote in my creative journal about balance. Feeling balanced and actually being balanced are so important. It may not happen every second of every day, but it's important to always work at it. Design and creativity is the ultimate "balancer" for me. It pairs so well with anything else I choose to let into my life. Design gives me power and because I love it, I'm a happy person. Design allows me control and expression of my feelings and emotions.

I have such a fun life. This is something I have always wanted to do. I love going to school at FiDM. I'm learning so much as well as being extremely challenged.

The journey to get here has been a learning experience, it has given me the strength and foundation I need to walk this path that I now walk.

A little excerpt that describes my journey to get here:

And Hansel said to Gretel, let us drop these bread crumbs, so that together we can find our way home. Because losing our way would be the most cruel of things. This year I lost my way.

And losing your way on the journey is unfortunate, but losing your reason for the journey is a fate more cruel.

The journey lasted five years. Sometimes I traveled alone, sometimes there were others who took the wheel and took my heart. But when the destination was reached, it wasn't me who had arrived, it wasn't me at all.

And once you lose yourself, you have two choices. Find the person you used to be, or lose that person completely.

Because sometimes you have to step outside of the person you have been and remember the person you are meant to be. The person you wanted to be. THE PERSON YOU ARE.

SURVIVAL.

It's called survival [period]. This is a description of my finals week to end my quarter at FiDM. I'm not used to being so heavily challenged, I have had several sleepless nights to finish all of my projects. I'm still not done, two more days. Monday I have two more and then I will officially be finished. I feel like I'm running a marathon, I'm on the last two miles... gotta keep on going. My studio is a mess, fabric everywhere, papers everywhere, sketches everywhere, books everywhere. Once I am finished, first thing will be to clean my studio, second thing will be to go to the ocean and relax/regroup.

I have learned so much and my skills are improving drastically. I am also really enjoying my job serving at the Daily Grill. I work with a great group of people and the guests are of the business/professional type. The guests remind me of the business world I used to work in. My job is a nice balance which allows me to step out of my "creative space" in my studio and network and interact.

Almost there, keep cheering me on, I need your support! Definitely can't do this alone.