OBD Photography's First Award Nomination

"If you want to achieve some really big and interesting goals, you have to learn to fall in love with hard work." ~Steve Pavlina

"Practice, the master of all things." ~ Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus



I've accomplished a lot in my career as an artist. But being placed on the ballot for the upcoming Fashion Awards MD 2012 has been one of the most surprising accomplishments of all. I know I know, I haven't won anything just yet, however being recognized and categorized amongst the best is rewarding within itself.

Ok, now on to the truth...these types of things make me so nervous. And I mean like stomach bubbling, sweaty palms nervous. I've never been much of a competitive person or the type to boast about being the best. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm GREAT!! These feelings aren't about self doubt, in fact I am very confident in all that I do. But I'm much more comfortable being great behind the scenes. This interesting fact makes me a total walking contradiction because I am very outgoing and I DO like the spotlight, hey I'm a Capricorn - we generally love attention lol.

I didn't realize how introverted I've become until I saw the email above. I knew that I was nominated in the general voting process, but to make it through 10,000 nominations instantly put me in a zone.  I'm super excited and extremely shy about the award ceremony. But nonetheless, I've proudly accepted my nomination.

To learn more about the fashion awards, go to www.fashionawardsmd.com. To vote, please go to http://www.fashionawardsmd.surveydaddy.com/s/fashion-awards-md-2012-official-voting-ballot-730pm .

I'd like to hear from you. How do you deal with shyness?

Hey Stranger!

Hello Viewers! I know that I haven't been a good blogger lately, I've been super busy. I am writing to say that I will resume with blogging after the New Year.

I hope everyone has a safe and prosperous New Year :o)

Dear Diary, How can I Maintain Good Karma?

When you think of Karma, do you think of bad karma first - What comes around goes around? Do you find that you are always involved in bad situations? Karma is simply the process of cause and effect. If you do Y then Z will happen. Until you learn a lesson, you will continue to receive the same message through repeated experiences. If you are constantly receiving negativity then it is time to practice good karma.

Now practicing good karma does not mean you will be shielded from all bad things or life's natural disasters. Karma is activated through things that you control such as thoughts and actions. I have listed a few methods of maintaining good karma, but please remember that your heart and mind must all be on the same page as well.

-Give back: Once a month or a few times a year, find a charity or volunteer event that you can participate in. Giving back for a cause is a great selfless way to help many people at one time.

-Reach out to Someone You May Have Hurt: You may have had an altercation or a fall-out with someone years ago. Although you may say you're over it, there are still lingering issues that keep it open as an "issue". If you saw this person on the street, you would probably be reluctant to speak. You are over it verbally but not mentally. Reach out to that person to clear the air, explain your side, or even apologize for your part in the problem. Don't worry about what the person will say or think. Your purpose is to clear your wrong-doing in the past.

-Have General Respect for People: Often times we treat people according to what they look like, how they dress, or what they have. If you have a general respect for human life then none of those things should control how you treat someone initially. Smile at a homeless man the same way you would at a successful businessman.

-Share your knowledge: Be open to helping someone get to a higher place. Withholding knowledge or information because you want to be higher is only activating bad karma. I'm not saying that you have to give someone your business plan or blue print to success. But at least lead them to similar resources to get them started. A lot of people withhold information because they are intimidated by the possible competition. Just remember that no matter how much information or knowledge someone has, talent can not be mimicked. Don't worry, you will still stand out!

-Make sure your intentions are TRUE: We can manipulate other people, but you cannot manipulate karma. When doing something positive, always make sure your intentions are true. Sometimes when I donate items or participate in a charity I ignore the part about writing it off on your taxes. To me that is contradicting doing a good deed.

-Remember that YOU control your Karma: Have you ever gotten in the line of a rude and nasty cashier and you ended up giving her the same attitude in return? Well by doing that you gave her total control of yourself and your future. Learn to smile and remain calm despite of what is given to you by someone else. You cannot fix a person's attitude within the short minutes of you being in their presence, so don't even try to. That is either their personality or they have something going on in their lives. Don't let their energy become yours.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences of good karma.

Dear Diary, I Don't Get Along with Other Women

The most popular statement that I hear from other women is "I don't get along with other females. They're too this and they're too that." Well I'm here to tell you how to change that mentality if you ever plan to evolve into a successful person.

1. Don't meet a person before meeting the person. If you've got it in your head that every female that you meet is going to be catty, back-stabbing and jealous then you're automatically setting up your own negative attitude. How do you know what she's going to say or do? And why is she guaranteed to be or do anything negative? Because you are being the negative one in reality. No matter how many times your previous friends have stabbed you in the back, you should allow new people to show who they are before you assume anything. Have you ever met someone and you were really shocked at how nice or cool they were? That is because you went into the situation with negative thoughts. Please don't ever say out loud that you don't get along with women. That is a major RED flag and you're basically describing yourself. Focus on your own personality so that you aren't categorized negatively.

2. Respect Differences. If women were as black and white as men then we would ALL GET ALONG. But that's the beauty of us - we are so much more interesting. We don't just see purple, we see magenta, fuchsia, and grape. If we met and only interacted with people just like ourselves than how will we evolve? How can we become better people if everyone is supposed to say, think, and do everything the same way? Sure, it's great dealing with people that have the same interest as you, but also be open to someone who does things a little differently to broaden your versatility.  

3. It's OK to give a compliment You're not a lesbian if you give another woman a compliment. Leave out "No Homo" when saying something nice. When did being complimentary become a homosexual thing anyway? If you see that another woman is wearing something nice or looks great, it's okay to acknowledge greatness instead of looking for a flaw to point out.

4. Everyone is not jealous of you. I will be so glad when the word "hater" is retired, dead, and buried. Everyone does not want what you have. And everyone does not "hate you because you're beautiful". What you ARE is far more important than what you HAVE.

5. She's not the Problem, It's YOU. You don't have more male friends because you don't get along with women. You have more male friends because you are intimidated by any possible challenges with women. And I don't mean challenges as in disagreements or attitudes. I mean being challenged to look within yourself or compare your life to someone else's. When meeting someone that appears to be at the top of the ladder always know that they started at the bottom at some point. When you see someone who "thinks they're all of that," allow them to have their moment, because you don't know what they had to go through to get to where they are now. When those jealous feelings come about, know that your time to shine can be closer to reality if you focused more of the steps to get you there.

6. And lastly, just put the cat claws away. You could learn so much about life, people, business, etc if you dismiss the preconceived notions. The same girl that you think will potentially stab you in the back could be that one person to help you jump start your business. Don't ruin the chances of having clientele, resources, or even a lifetime friend with the silly and negative thinking. We are always preaching about how men mistreat us, well our behavior towards one another is no different.

Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts.