I find it difficult to find the time, opportunity and place to feed my creative soul and I am getting frustrated. My obstacles are finding the time, inspiration and a place that puts me in the right mind frame. Winter makes it difficult but I use that time to practice and research so the instant camera gets pulled out and I snap photos of everyday things.
I am also having difficulty find the right inspiration. I take my camera everywhere and I see the same things over and over. I want to be moved by beauty or interesting setings to find this. having a full time job is also and obstacle that has to be addressed. I need to venture out of my day to day environment and find subjects or places that make me reach for amy camera without thought.
As for finding a place…when I am in my apartment there are dozens of things that pull my attention including my dog and my S.O. if I am here they want me to be present and availabe. My concentration and focus go right out of the window. I am determined to make this work so I have taken steps to get me to a place where I can take photos and write about my experience.
Step one. I have decided to step out on faith and make film photography and visual arts my make main focus. I recently applied to and artist residency @CreativeAlliance acceptance into this program will allow me to focus on my creative endeavors. I want to have the time and space to showcase film photograpy and video life stories. Baltimore is an artistic city and I want to embrace it but I need to give my full attention to my art. If accepted I am going to give up my job and apply for art school. I can see myself learning and creating. In my heart I feel this is for me and it is the right time. I am ready. I understand that I may not be accepted the first time I apply but I am inspired to look around at other residencies that will give me the time to work on my dream. For once I am not afraid to take a leap. I have been planning for this all year. I want to be apart of a community of artists that share the same vision. Send me your positive vibes and experiences!
My natural hair journey has been long but satisfying. I love trying new things but I stay away from any and everything lye-based. It has been 5+ years that started in Afghanistan. I spent a year working in Kabul, Afghanistan and the work was very meaningful but my hair suffered greatly. The water was hard and my lightened strands to a serious beating. So, I did what I always do and turned to the Internet and researched a solution. I came across and advert for 
When I came home from Afghanistan with damaged, bleached hair with balding spots that were down to the scalp in places I couldn’t see. It was these products that brought my hair back to its natural state. I massaged the shea butter-based hair butter into my thirsty scalp once a week and in a few short months my hair grew back in the balding spots. A few months after that I had a headful of healthy hair to deal with.
I have written many blogs on my love of photography and I am always on the hunt to add a new twist to my craft. So here it is I am done with grad school with a freshly minted Emerging Media Master’s from 
quickly became my go-to. Milk Makeup allows my natural skin to shine through and takes minutes to apply with your fingers. Tap tap tap and off you go in all of your natural glory! Next…the hair! I wear my natural kinky, curls in the summer and it takes as much work as my winter hair. After a much needed haircut I knew I was in for a hair adventure. I had to find summer hair products that would allow me to co-wash, define my thirsty curls, springy coils and stubbornly unidentifiable nape all before I run out the door for work.
Light gels and the leave-in conditioner gave my hair slip and made the detangling process easy. Nice product but I needed a product that would elongate and the curls in the crown and front of my hair….(different textures…who knew!) I also wanted a fresh, clean scent……then the lightbulb went off in my product addled brain.! 
using the shingling method
It is that time of year again! Newly minted graduates escape the bonds of high schools, colleges and universities! This year, actually yesterday, I was apart of the festivities. One of 
Spring is a time of rebirth! Flowers are blooming, the weather is cooperating and we have shed the heavy layers. Spring is a time to celebrate yourself! Beauty trends and the latest fashions are amazing ways to express your self but at its core beauty starts within. Take the time to preserve your inner light. I take the time to celebrate my thoughts and the things that make me happy through travel, photography and writing. Cultivate your inner beauty along with your physical representation and you will shine this season. When you smile and laugh your inner peace resonates and everyone around you reaps the benefits. I have kept a journal or diary since I was a young girl, capturing my thought and feelings while documenting people and places that brought me joy. Many of my blog posts start out in longhand and transfer to my site once I have settled in for the night.
The 
notebooks have resumed their travels, providing an indispensable counterpart to the new and portable technology of today. Capturing reality in movement, glimpsing and recording details, inscribing the unique nature of experience on paper: the 
A chance trip to a Crate and Barrel store gave me a new favorite and I balance my love for journals between the two styles. The French-inspired 
Last but not least is my 
Adventures of an Awkward Artist 