12.52. Embarrassment

12.52. Embarrassment, a photo by Child.Like.Mind on Flickr.

Another photo post. 

em·bar·rass·ment . /emˈbarəsmənt/ - Noun: A feeling of self-consciousness, shame, or awkwardness. 

So earlier this week, I was catching the bus to the city - and just as it pulled up, I dropped my Go Card (the prepaid electronic ticket).  I bent down to pick it up and the bus' doors opened.  So I went to quickly hop on the bus (as I had made the bus wait a little and was worried it would leave) ANNND I stacked it... I tripped through the door, with my body in the bus and my legs hanging out (with only one shoe on).  And then I went to pick up my shoe, just as the doors were closing. Thankfully the bus driver opened them again! Phewwfff.  It all happened so quickly.  I got up, got my shoe as the bus driver asked whether I was okay.  The only thing I could say was "oh that was embarrassing".

And honestly, it was in shock and in a bit of pain - I ended up with a badly scraped knee (in my photo), a massive bruise on the top of my other knee, a graze on my shin and elbow, a cut on my hand and a smashed iPhone :( 

It's funny though, as much as I was shocked and as much as it hurt, the first thing out of my mouth was about how embarrassed I was. As I walked down the bus to get a seat, I didn't make eye contact with anyone, although I could feel them all looking at me *the walk of shame*  

Also, I think that being an "adult" and tripping over (or in my case, completely stacking it) is so much more embarrassing.

We have been so influenced by society that we are constantly concerned about what others think.  So much so, that it has (in a way) become an unconscious thing. I think it is something we need to change, because it shouldn't matter what others think. 

Like Dr. Seuss said - 

“Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

On another note, I reached over 1000 views on this blog! THANK YOU SO MUCH! ♥

Means, so much that people are even reading this.  When I started this blog, I never expected people to actually read it.  I just enjoyed writing a bit and blabbing on about my life haha But it has been wonderful! So thank you, again!

Also, there are still tickets left for magical forest gig on the 18th (that myself, Sav and Wafia are performing at) that I mentioned in a previous post! Check it out! 

What I am listening to: The acoustic version of Love Lies - Josh Pyke for Triple J.  It is such a lovely version of this song.  Josh Pyke has such an incredibly beautiful voice! Thank you to my friend Charmayne (who is such a babe) for showing me this! 

Thanks again! You are all such gems and I grateful for your reading abilities. 

☼

11.52. Onward and Upward.

"To die would be an awfully big adventure." ~ Peter Pan.

I wasn't quite sure what I was going for with this image, and it ended up being a little different to how I planned it - with no way to access certain things, and a few new ideas. But all good! 

Anyway, this is my dear friend Adam. He is a wonderful photographer, a great model, and an even better friend. 

OH! And this photo was taken at the 'Brisbane Photographers Meetup'!  A new phenomenon that I hope will catch on and become like the well known meetups in America (one day... one day!).  A bunch of us met up (most people turning up about an hour late... photographers. eh.) and then ventured on to 'the secret forest'!  After a 2.2km walk (a bloomin' long walk with all of our gear!) we finally got to an opening, and before my eyes was the place I had only heard good words about.  THE Secret Forest! It was quite beautiful. With an open field like area to out right and a creek to our left, the track behind us and the forest in front, we were spoilt for choice, location wise.  We all came to a log and pretty much collapsed (being creatives, we're not usually participants of physical activity. So y'know,  we were pretty warn out from our walk haha). Slowly, we got into action.  Organising who would work and assist on what shoot, and who would model next for who etc. - it was go time! 

- For months, I have had this idea swimming around my head.  Although I had imangined it a bit differently. 
I think I will make this a series.  So, keep an eye out! 

11.52. Onward and Upward., a photo by Child.Like.Mind on Flickr.

The meet up consisted of photographers by the names of (in no particular order) - Blah.Adam (aka Adam Thomas Photography), Savvy Smiling in Love (or better known as Savvy Creative), CKing Photography, YasMoose (aka Yaseera Moosa Photography), June July Creative and Aimée and Paul (who unfortunately don't have pages you can access). All such brilliant photographers! Definitely check them ALL out! 

It was a truly wonderful day! I cannot wait for the next meetup! ♥

What I am listening to: Paint - The Paper Kites. It is a gloriously beautiful song and I listened to it on repeat while editing this photo and for the past little while... okay, for quite a few hours.  Oh and Sav and I listened to it twice this morning. So, it's safe to say that I'm in love with this song! SO beautiful. 

I love The Paper Kites!!!!!!

☼

You, Me, Music, Forest.

Brisbane-ites! Hello there! I would like to make a special mention about a gig coming up on the 18th of May.  One that myself, Savannah and most importantly Wafia will be performing at!  This gig is going to be super incredible, being held in a secret forest-like location (so secret, even I don't know yet... and i'm performing haha) and I hear the event is going to be rather beautiful, with lights in the trees and joy all around - it is an event you cannot miss out on!

With us (Wafia) opening the night, and Boss Moxi and Shady Bliss to follow, we will be celebrating the debut album of Twin Haus.  (check out the Facebook event, here).  If you're interested in buying a ticket you can get one from any of the band members (including myself! you can email me at genevieve.althea@yahoo.com.au) or you can email twinhausband@gmail.com to arrange a ticket sale.  And at only $15 a piece, it's a pretty darn sweet deal!

Alone with Deep Thoughts.

So for the past few weeks, I have been at home, alone.  The majority of the time I have been at home by myself - giving me a lot of time to think.  Been thinking about all sorts of things.  Like responsibilities, relationships, family, friends, photography, and things from my last assignment, like my coping mechanisms, strengths and weaknesses, social roles and overall what makes me, me!  And I dare say, it was really nice to have time (completely) by myself, to think things through.  Although, it has also given me time to think about other things as well.  

It gave me way to think about some of the more negative things.  And I know for a fact, that when we think about these negative things, it can feel like we are the only person in the world who is experiencing this, that "no one would ever understand".  I guess one of the main things I have been feeling down about, is my photography (this photo kind of depicts how I was feeling).  Being surrounded by so many incredible photographers (who are doing so well at it), I started taking a second look at my photos, re-analysing them; but through eyes of harsh judgement and sadness. I thought of ways that I could change my photography style  - y'know to 'fit in' and maybe get a bit more noticed in the "commercial world".  But I couldn't shake it.  I just enjoy creating this (slightly darker looking) fine art/conceptual style that I had become so fond of.  

I also realised that I was not the only one feeling like this. 

- I was scrolling through Facebook, when I saw a post that one of the Flickr photographers (I quite admire) had posted.  He said: 

"I've said it a million times but I'm feeling particularly out of the circuit lately. Please, do not ever push yourself to change your artistic style to fit what is popular. Do what satisfies you, do what makes you feel whole. You don't need favorites or likes or comments or views for your art to complete you. Please just don't lose sight of what feels right in exchange for what everyone else tells you is right."  ~ Steven Sites Photography

It made me realise that we all go through a time when we feel unsure of ourselves (or our creativity).  But that we shouldn't give up or give in - that we all have our own style, and that we shouldn't change it for anyone even if it feels like the easy way out. 

So, I have re-looked at this whole situation and rediscovered it for what it is.  A blessing in disguise.  It has made me realise that we aren't all the same, and that we shouldn't create to please others, but to create because it's our passion and it's what we love.  As well as the fact that those we surround ourselves with (even if they are ridiculously talented at the same things as you) shouldn't be a hindrance to your work, but an encouragement!  People to help you through these tough times, and to inspire you! 

So here I am, (still dealing with some things, but) unashamed of my photography! (Please check out my Flickr) And I would like to say "don't be afraid to be yourself, and to create freely without judgement".  

☼

A glance over March, a peek into April, and a bit about chivalry.

Hello there! 

Haven't really made many posts lately - sorry about that. 

I thought it might be a nice idea to go over the past month and have a cheeky look at my calendar for this month, y'know so you can appear at the same events as me and whatever... oh wait. That's called stalking. Please don't do that. 

But really, I am pretty excited for some of the things that are coming up! 

First of all - March! 

March was a pretty good month, with the excitement of Wafia's tour (see the blog post for that here), the meeting of new friends and the catching up with old friends, as well as uni work, and photography, it felt like a long month. 

Oh! Almost forgot to mention Easterfest! (which was super brilliant - so many beautiful friends from all over the state, all together in one place).  The days were lovely, even with the cold and the crazy rain!  It was still great!  Especially ending with the whimsical set and sounds of Tigertown - it was seriously one of the most beautiful shows I have been to.  On entering the show we were greeted by "welcome to Narnia", and in that moment, my heart skipped a beat as I realised I was soon about to get a taste of the glorious land I (will always) long to go to.  I looked around with wonderment as the dark, stuffy tent had been transformed into a land of christmas trees, fake snow, lanterns and a row boat.  I knew we were in for a good performance.  Boy, was I right!  The sounds of Tigertown tingled my ears as the fake snow fell on the heads of those around me. 

With the festival coming to an end, a crowd of people made their way to see the wonderful Jake Nauta.  Everyone sat cosy, as his voice filled the (somewhat smelly - from the mud) arena stage.  It was a lovely way to end the weekend.  

Now April.  April has been pretty great so far!  

Last week went by fairly quickly, leading into another weekend I was excited for.  My Saturday consisted of cooking up a storm as I prepared for a feast.  6:30pm came around and one by one my friends (all dressed stunningly - beautiful materials, bow ties and elbow patches) waltzed through the door to the 20's music playing.  It was a wonderful night with classy music, food good enough to be almost preposed to, and wonderful (absolutely funny) dear friends.  I dare say, that night was "the cat's pyjamas". 

Lately I have been loving having tea times and catch-ups with friends. 

Today my friend Sav (please check out her blog. It's pretty groovy) had her first sip of Sencha Peach tea from T2 (pictured below).  Today was a lovely (somewhat rainy) day, working on assignments, listening to good music, giggling about silly things, and eating so, so much food (pretty much all we did was eat). 

I think over these past few days, I have found a new passion for hospitality. That's right, finding and preparing my #wifeskills (for the future). 

Coming up, I have several photography projects planned, as well as the mini Flickr meet up some of the Brisbane people have planned (if you're super keen to do something like that, just let me know and I can let you know details).  But I am insanely excited for it!  Have a few ideas which i'm keen to get out of my head, create and capture. (I am sure I will make a post about that day!) 

But apart from uni, and assignments, that's about it. *hope I didn't bore you. 

~ Now, a bit about chivalry ~ 

I think for some this is a touchy subject.  With the population of today's society either being unaware/oblivious or having no specific opinion about chivalry at all it's hard to know whether this is the sort of thing that is allowed to be brought up. 

I unfortunately think that chivalry is something very rare these days.  But, chivalry isn't dead!  

Boys, I think you should know that chivalry is important - so take note (also that there is a point when it can get a bit much haha).  It's all the small things that count.  

And girls, I think it is also important to remember that if a guy is being chivalrous towards you - then embrace and accept it! (Because things like that don't happen often, unless you've got yourself a good egg). 

[Cheeky calendar entry for May - is an All Ages gig in the beautiful town of Toowoomba with Wafia, Autumn (an upcoming, independent band, definitely one to keep an eye on!), and another 'rumoured' bad that I may reveal at a later date ;) So if you're from Toowoomba (or keen on travelling), and free on the 11th of May, then I sure hope to see you there!]

*a little extra: 

My Tumblr looked pretty good today :) hehe

Well, I hope your Easter was wonderful and that your "study break"/holidays were full of joy, good friends, and that those looming assignments weren't too cruel. 

What I am listening to: Higher Love - James Vincent McMorrow. I used this song as the title and starting inspiration of my last photo. 

☼

We Move Lightly.

Another addition of What I am listening to. 

What I am listening to: tonight and have been for the past few days is, We Move Lightly - Dustin O'Halloran from motion picture Like Crazy. 
I can't even describe the feeling I obtain when I listen to this song.  It is just incredibly beautiful and moving. 
☼

Genevieve's Adventures: Melbourne Edition.

I had the most wonderful privilege to go on "tour" to Melbourne with Wafia.  It's been so amazing performing with her, especially at her first interstate gig.  

The trip started off with Savannah and myself staying over Wafia's house preparing for the trip (y'know just getting together all the essentials - guitars, glockenspiel, fairy lights and bunting) and then we went to bed (at quite a late time).  Two hours of sleeping went by, when the alarm went off to wake up and get ready to leave (at 2:30am Friday morning), at 3am the taxi arrived and we made our way to the airport. #tourlyf. 

When we arrived, we checked out the venue Thousand £ Bend which was absolutely wonderful! The venue, founded in 2009 following the closure of the city’s iconic St Jerome’s laneway bar (St Jerome's Laneway Festival), is an old warehouse that has been transformed into a cafe, gallery, and theatre space.  Each of the spaces better then the next.  The upstairs theatre was beautiful, with exposed, worn down brick walls and unpolished wooden floors.  It promised to be a brilliant venue.  

The rest of the day was filled with perfect weather, eating every type of food possible, and photo shoots. 

First off Sav did a photo shoot in Hosier Lane (you can see her photos here), and then we headed out to the botanical gardens to meet the Lafrankie sisters from Melbourne based photography business Ivy Nine, for a photo shoot of Wafia.  With their small business being so successful, I was surprised to find that the Lafrankie sisters were quite young (Jess, 19 and Bekah, 21).  The two came across perfectly professional, especially for people of their age.  

During the photo shoot, the two worked harmoniously together, taking turns of photographing Wafia.  It was wonderful to see how the two of them worked together to achieve the exact photographs they wanted capture.  

In the moments between, Sav and I got the chance to chat with the both of them.  It was exciting to hear about their plans for the future and their present goals (of being in Vogue, which is definitely possible, I mean look at their photos!).  The girls were incredibly friendly and lovely.  I would highly recommend looking them up, and getting in contact with them, especially if you live in Melbourne (or even in Brisbane, because they are originally from the Gold Coast) and are looking for very professional modelling shoots.  By the end of the day, it was sad to say goodbye to them. 

The next day was also lovely.  For breakfast we went to Footscray Milking Station, which was brilliant.  The food was incredibly tasty and we got to meet up with Wafia's tour manager André.  According to 'André rates things out of 10' this cafe was awarded a solid 9, and was also the sole reason of going to there. I dare say it deserved the rating. 

Later that day we met up with the (very single and available) Tumblr sensation Bryce, at a pizza place by a name I will not mention (you can find out for yourself here).  It is the off branch of another pizza place in Melbourne by the name of Bimbo Deluex.  I dare say it was the tastiest, most delicious pizza I have ever had in my life (and trust me, I have eaten a lot of pizza over my lifetime. And especially over the past few days).  I definitely recommend going there!  It was scrumptious.  

We then went out to a club in the CBD called Rats.  It was honestly one of the best clubs i've ever been to (not that I go out much) but the music they played was incredible.  A lot of the hits from the 90 - now.  So much dancing, singing at the top of our lungs to be had.

Then came Sunday.  Gig day!

After a pleasant breakfast and a chance meeting of Passenger (like how I slipped that in there) we then made our way to the venue, all geared up and rearing to go.  We spent the day setting up and preparing ourselves for what was to come.  At 3pm the crowd started arriving (an hour early) which we had to turn away until the doors officially opened at 4.  

The crowds came in hoards, each group with several 'fan girls' amongst them, all extremely excited for Wafia and her performance. 

The show started off with the musical talents of Josh Gioca Mioșcu. (He did tell us how to pronounce his middle and last names, but I have forgotten and goodness knows how to say it properly now).  Josh has been compared to many musical icon's of the "indie" genre,  some being Matt Corby and Bon Iver.  And goodness are they correct.  

The tone of his voice is so beautiful, and with the technicality and finesse of his guitar playing, his performance was practically shiver worthy.  Josh was also accompanied by two beautiful girls (Sophie, and Odette).  The two sang such stunning, tight harmonies that complimented Josh's enchanting voice perfectly.  I dare say, Josh (as well as both Odette and Sophie) are definitely to keep an eye out for! 

Next up, was Gab of Japanese Wallpaper.  One of the youngest remix masters around. Japanese Wallpaper created a remix of Wafia's song Alice, which you can listen to  and download for free here. 

Then it was our turn.  The song Retrograde by the incredible James Blake was played and Wafia prepared herself to go on stage.  

The moment Wafia started to sing, everything else stopped.  

The looks on the crowds faces were beautiful - pure joy and serenity was the overall sense as Wafia's tantalising voice filled the room.  For the last lot of songs, Savannah and myself joined her.  Which in all honesty was incredibly nerve racking, especially as I have never, ever done anything of that sort before.  It was an incredible experience and beautiful venue.  We will no doubt come back to this venue, as it now has a special place in each of our hearts.  

Our last day was rather wonderful.  We met up with Noor, also a Tumblr sensation, and made our way into Fitzroy for breakfast/lunch where we thoroughly enjoyed the fine foods of Little Creatures Dining Hall.  Where we were served by the best waiter anyone could ask for (who we named Charlie, as we didn't catch his real name) - with copious amounts of wit, charm and beard, the four of us fell (a little) in love. 

That afternoon we made the sad goodbyes, packed up our gear and headed off to the airport. 

The reality of being home is rather strange.  I think I left my heart in Melbourne with all of it's culture, delicious food and incredibly lovely people. 

I wonder if my heart will ever come back?

Until then, I will hold onto the fond memories I have created, and dream of what is to come. 

☼