5 Star Challenge: 5 Things my Body Can Do

Monday I wrote 5 Things I Love About Myself. Today is all about what my body can do.

1. I can inspire works of art. As a figure model I can hold poses for hours on end while artists create drawings, paintings, and sculptures of my classical form. I can also get pretty creative with quick gesture poses.
   

   Sculpture by Basil Watson. (basilwatson.com)

2. I can (hypothetically) grow, birth, and feed a human being. I don’t plan on doing this for a long long time, but it’s cool to think I have an awesome superpower in waiting.
3. I can communicate without talking. I can go for weeks without talking, so long as I’m around folks who know American Sign Language. I pick up language really quickly and I’ve been asked by deaf people on several different occasions if I’m deaf as well. (Which is equivalent to a native speaker asking if this is your first language.)
   

   My best friend Zack and I at the World's Largest Silent Weekend in Orlando.

4. I can toss flags and rifles. A bit out of practice, but I can still whip out a double 45 on my flag or a fishtail on my rifle.
5. I can perform really well. I can match my facial expressions and body movements really well to the tone of music I’m performing to. In colorguard I never needed to be told to play up my face more. In fact a few times I was told to tone it down. Performing is one of my absolute favorite things to do. (I need to get into an adult dance program soon.)
   

   Being silly senior year of high school.

5 Star Challenge: 5 Things I Love About Myself

How could I resist not joining in with Kelly and Jenn? Over five days I will write about:

Five things you love about yourself.

Five things your body can do.

Five things you’re grateful for.

Five things that make you happy you’re alive.

Five people (or pets) who you love.

So, first up 5 Things I Love About Myself.

1. I get my shit together. After losing/quitting my nanny job, I was out on the street with no job or real home. The day after some awesome friends took me in, I had another job. Sure, it sucked, but it gave me a leg up. After that I found a better job. Then I got an apartment. Then I got an even better job. And so on and so forth. With the powers of a real live grownup I pay bills, network, seize opportunities, build relationships, and deal with customer service. I can proudly say that I’ve worked for everything I have here in Atlanta. (+50 adult points!)
2. I am a happy person. I’m optimistic. I tend to see the good things in life. I don’t doubt that bad things happen, but even when they do I can pull myself up by my bootstraps and get happy again. I keep myself clean of jobs, people, and things that bring me down.
3.  I’m artistically hardwired. Photography, graphic design, dancing, writing, fashion, decorating, drawing, language, costume making: I can do a little to a decent amount of each. My mind is constantly coming up with ideas about how to spruce things up or create something new. I have notebooks and desktop folders filled with bits of inspiration from many creative corners. My closet has lots of pretty dresses. It feels good to constantly be thinking up new things. It makes me feel productive and special.
4. Pretty much every day I feel pretty. It’s taken a while to nail down a wardrobe and daily beauty routine that works for me. Now almost everyday I can quickly pull together my outfit, hair, and makeup and still feel put together and cute.
5. I’m mature for my age. Sorta related to #1, for being only 21, I feel I have a myself together. I have a good grasp on Objectivism, I don’t often make bad decisions, and I can take care of myself. I don’t waste time on some of the petty problems I see other people my age doing. I’m also aware that while I’m mature for my age, I still have a lot to learn and time to grow.

This Might Be My Dream Job…Or At Least In Line With It

I follow this blog A Beautful Mess run by this girl named Elsie. With her sister and friends she started a business called Red Velvet that includes a boutique and sweets shop in real life and an online store that features their handmade goods, original dress line, and online courses. The business includes blogging, marketing, sales, graphic design, cooking, crafting, makeovers, running a store, sewing, photography, and probably a bazillion other things I’ve forgotten. In short it’s a creative powerhouse.

And I so want to do that!

Well, kinda.

I don’t really have any interest in antiques/vintage beyond, “Ohhh that’s pretty. I wish I could afford it.” And I’m not a super huge crafter. Or baker. Or seamstress. I still love photography, but don’t think I want it to be the bulk of my life’s work. Graphic design is a budding interest for me, but I’m not totally sure yet. But I do love blogging!

It’s not so much the actual work they do but the style of it. I’m not sure what I want to do yet, but if I could get together with my sister and other creatives to dabble in many areas of awesome while working in a super cool shop and maintaining an online presence, well that would be the most amazing thing ever. That idea REALLY appeals to me. I’ve had similar feelings for other bloggers that blog almost daily, run an online shop, and often look fabulous in the process. (Think Bleubird Vintage, Strawberry Koi Vintage, Joyful Abode, and Q’s Daydream Vintage) Again, I’m not interested in dolling up everyday and taking self-portraits to post on my blog (I’m not that stylish) or operating a vintage store, but running a business along that same model sounds super frickin great.

So I know what kind of environment and style I’d like to work in, just not the actual content of my work. Right. I should get on that.

I wonder if I could ever do something like that with this blog. Maybe mix blogging, graphic design, and Objectivism in a similar style to Red Velvet? I’ve toyed with the idea of expanding Building Atlantis to a fun and entertaining magazine for young people interested in living a rational and happy life. Maybe working with ATLOS could fit in there as well, especially if we get big. I’m not sure. You got any ideas?

A Strange Phenomenon

I rarely got hit on in college. Since moving to Atlanta and working at a pizza place, I get hit on daily. It seems the strangest thing to me since I don’t think I’ve gotten any more attractive since moving. The only significant change in me since moving is I’m much happier.

So I have to conclude that my being happier is making me prettier or at least more approachable. Thus, happiness is sexy.

Gorgeous Heart-Stopping Videos

Oh my goodness. These videos stopped my breath the first time I saw them. They are so exquisitely put together. Each clearly executes the concept and with little or no words, leaves you all tingly and wide-eyed. These are the kind of videos that inspired me back in college. It’s so wonderful to see art of this caliber.

Help Me with my ATLOS Photography Class

While getting my materials together for my photography class at ATLOSCon I realized that I have in mind what I want to teach people, but I have no idea what they want to learn. So, quick question: what do you want to learn about improving your photography? Any specific issues I should discuss? Please leave your feedback in the comments.

Thanks!

21 New Things to Try at 21 Years Old

Inspired by Sarah at Yes and Yes, I’m making a list of new things to try when I’m 21. I don’t promise I’ll to finish them all because I can’t predict where my life will lead in the next year, but I will try. I think it will be a fun challenge and a way to get out and about.

1. Take a couples dance class
2. Get bangs
3. Try CrossFit
4. Go to a shooting range
5. Do the Whole30 challenge
6. Visit Blossom Montessori (a Montessori school for Deaf children)
7. Take a vacation from the internet
8. Go to the Shakespeare Tavern
9. Buy ugly thrift store dresses and revamp them a la New A Dress a Day
10. Float down the Chattahoochee River
11. Make a kite and fly it
12. Go club hopping
13. Visit a brewery
14. Record a sign song
15. Go to a poetry slam
16. Take a class at a rock climbing gym
17. Buy something from a vintage shop
18. Get a sweet henna back tattoo
19. Visit a major art museum in another city
20. Sew my own clothes
21. Get a really long massage

Interested in joining me on any of these adventures? Drop a line in the comments!

I Am Alive

Back from the blogging hiatus. I was pretty sick for the past week or so. I however did make a miracle short recovery on my birthday so I could go to the store and buy some beer. Yay for being 21! I promptly felt crappy again and was in bed for two more days. But I feel great now and should be back to regular blogging.