Saturday, March 19, 2011
Break Out
Sometimes you make an agreement with the best intentions but it becomes impossible to keep. What am I talking about? Come back tomorrow and I'll explain myself =)
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Let Down
After the huge response from the first Event Star Spotlight post, I felt absolutely elated. Now that I've had some time to let it sink in, I feel just a tad terrified. For every person born without a sense of fear, one is born with twice the amount, and I happen to be one of the latter.
I like to think I've gotten better at controlling my fears over the years but some things just refuse to fade (i.e. my irrational fear of the dark). I would assume that one of my most enduring fears is shared by most people; the fear of failure. This has been the driving force behind the majority of my successes which can probably be proclaimed by many people much more successful than I. However, the flip side is also true; that some of my biggest regrets are anchored from letting fear overcome me.
I fell in love with books and reading at a very young age. While my peers were still immersed in picture books, I was moving on to short novels, devouring characters, towns, ideas, and adventures. I was a shy, middle child with very few close friends and instead of trying to make some on the playground, I searched for them in the pages of my library.
Looking back, this is what got me started writing. I wanted to be the person who created these amazing worlds filled with better versions of myself. It's probably also the reason I tend to read a lot of fluff stories, or chick-lit as it's become known. I'm a sucker for a happy or at least an interesting ending, and love re-reading everything to pick up details I missed the first time around.
The same an be said for my writing. Over the past weeks I've been going back and reading old manuscripts. From the countless unfinished stories to the embarrassingly juvenile book of my poetry an old boyfriend compiled as a gift, I can see where I went wrong or gave up. I can see exactly where fear kicked into high gear and I put down my pen instead of seeing where I could take myself.
The beauty of forcing myself to write this blog every day is that I'm feeling those old stories come back to me and the itch to get them down on paper (or on screen as the case may be) is returning with full force. I may not get anything published at the end of the day, but I think I'm finally ok with that. Marcia Preston said it best; "And writing itself is a mixed blessing. We, who are addicted, berate ourselves and feel guilty when we do not write, at the same time put it off and hunt for diversions. Why? Because the thing that makes us happiest is also tedious, frustrating and hard. Writing makes us crazy; not writing, even crazier."
I'm off to drive myself crazy =)
I like to think I've gotten better at controlling my fears over the years but some things just refuse to fade (i.e. my irrational fear of the dark). I would assume that one of my most enduring fears is shared by most people; the fear of failure. This has been the driving force behind the majority of my successes which can probably be proclaimed by many people much more successful than I. However, the flip side is also true; that some of my biggest regrets are anchored from letting fear overcome me.
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| Lost and found, all in one place |
Looking back, this is what got me started writing. I wanted to be the person who created these amazing worlds filled with better versions of myself. It's probably also the reason I tend to read a lot of fluff stories, or chick-lit as it's become known. I'm a sucker for a happy or at least an interesting ending, and love re-reading everything to pick up details I missed the first time around.
The same an be said for my writing. Over the past weeks I've been going back and reading old manuscripts. From the countless unfinished stories to the embarrassingly juvenile book of my poetry an old boyfriend compiled as a gift, I can see where I went wrong or gave up. I can see exactly where fear kicked into high gear and I put down my pen instead of seeing where I could take myself.
The beauty of forcing myself to write this blog every day is that I'm feeling those old stories come back to me and the itch to get them down on paper (or on screen as the case may be) is returning with full force. I may not get anything published at the end of the day, but I think I'm finally ok with that. Marcia Preston said it best; "And writing itself is a mixed blessing. We, who are addicted, berate ourselves and feel guilty when we do not write, at the same time put it off and hunt for diversions. Why? Because the thing that makes us happiest is also tedious, frustrating and hard. Writing makes us crazy; not writing, even crazier."
I'm off to drive myself crazy =)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Shamrocks
Justin Bourne said it best when he wrote, "I love that today is equally as fake/BS as Valentine's Day, but everyone's down cause they get to get sauced at noon."
This was just too good to pass up posting but didn't fit with the previous post. I may not be Irish but I'm not going to turn my nose up on any luck that comes my way on any day of the year. Hopefully your day was as lucky as mine =)
This was just too good to pass up posting but didn't fit with the previous post. I may not be Irish but I'm not going to turn my nose up on any luck that comes my way on any day of the year. Hopefully your day was as lucky as mine =)
Blowing Up
It's St. Patrick's Day today and even though I have zero Irish blood in me, I can't help feeling like a leprechaun slipped a little luck into my morning mocha. Last night's blog post, the first of many (I hope!) spotlight profiles on rising event stars blew up on the web this morning.
A quick tweet announcing the post was quickly re-tweeted by a few followers and somehow ended up on The Corbin Ball, CSP, CMP Daily. Corbin Ball is "an international speaker, consultant, and writer helping clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity." I'm not going to sit here and pretend I had any idea who Mr. Ball was before this morning. After doing a bit of research, I am absolutely amazed he added this post as one of his top stories of the day. He's been named as one of the 25 Most influential People in the Meetings Industry by MeetingNews Magazine for four consecutive years and has industry experience a novice coordinator/assistant like me dreams of. If you are in the industry and are on Twitter, make sure you follow his feed for your daily top stories in events.
I'd be remiss if I didn't take the time to thank Shawn for helping spread Sarah's post all over Twitter. Of everyone in my class, no one has shown more dedication and persistence to social media than Shawn and his bio will hopefully be one of the next ones to be featured in the Event Star Spotlight series (if we can find time for the interview!). In the meantime, check Shawn out on Twitter and LinkedIn for more info.
I've talked about my dreams of someday getting published and creating something that has substance and meaning for people before but I never really thought it could be a reality this soon. Today wasn't just a baby step, it was a leap off the diving board into a deep end, something that I usually "Mr. Bean." The great response and support that has come from this one post has been overwhelming and really reminded me why I write. With that in mind, I'm off to chase down inspiration.
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| I'm linked!! |
I've talked about my dreams of someday getting published and creating something that has substance and meaning for people before but I never really thought it could be a reality this soon. Today wasn't just a baby step, it was a leap off the diving board into a deep end, something that I usually "Mr. Bean." The great response and support that has come from this one post has been overwhelming and really reminded me why I write. With that in mind, I'm off to chase down inspiration.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Event Star Spotlight - Sarah Dignos
What started as a quick post to help some friends gain a bit of exposure has snowballed into a feature. The Event Star Spotlight is meant to bring some attention to some of our rising stars in the Event Industry. While I don't have a set timeline for how often these posts will roll out (it will depend on how often I get a chance to actually conduct the interviews) I am open to suggestions/nominations. This feature is not limited to graduates of The Art Institute of Vancouver (AI) or people just starting out in the industry - if you know someone that deserves to be recognized, please let me know! Now, without further ado, let's take a look at our inaugural star...
Sarah Dignos
It's no accident that I've chosen to write about Sarah on her birthday. After all, birthdays are supposed to be all about you! However, it was a happy accident that placed us in the same class at AI in the Fall of 2009. With over 30 students enrolled that term, I can safely say I lucked out getting Sarah in my class. She's driven, focused, and a whole lot of fun.
One of the biggest lessons Sarah took away from AI is that the effort you put out will drastically affect what you get in return. This was true though out our year at AI and is applicable to everything in life. From AI, Sarah not only increased her knowledge base, she also met amazing people, created a network and learned how to successfully make her way into the industry.
Currently, Sarah's working two jobs; as a part-time Staffing Coordinator at Vancouver General Hospital and part-time at Science World as an Assistant Membership Coordinator. These positions are giving Sarah an opportunity to work on her networking techniques as she is a participant in the Science World monthly meetings (SWELL - Science World Educational Lunch & Learn). The willingness to contribute to the success of any organization is always an asset.
Although her current positions have a strong focus on Human Resources and Client Relations, Sarah is keeping herself open to possibilities and opportunities in all sectors; from private social events (weddings, receptions, etc.) to corporate (conferences and meetings) to tourism and hospitality. There is no challenge she won't meet head on.
As for future plans, Sarah is enjoying working part-time contracts to help gain broad experience throughout multiple sectors. She hopes that during her journey to finding her niche in the industry, she'll find opportunities to travel around the world while doing what she loves.
To future AI graduates and anyone thinking of getting involved with the events industry, Sarah has the following advice:
1) Know in your heart that this is really where you want to see yourself - you will quickly weed yourself out or the industry will filter you out eventually if you aren't 100% committed
2) Work hard- nothing in this industry (or in life) will ever just be handed to you
3) keep your head up and be confident because change is the only thing that is constant. In my few months in the industry I've already seen many changes that have impacted people both positively and negatively. Your peers can tell when you're having a good day, so when you nail a presentation, seal the deal on a huge sale or just blow the Popsicle stand out of the park with your pitch, keep that momentum going. I am a true believer that positive feelings attract positive results. Having said that, when things just don't go your way, the only thing you can do is keep your head up and keep going. The industry isn't going to pause for you for a minute.
I wish Sarah all the best, but not luck because I know she won't need it - she'll be a success no matter what she ends up doing in whatever city is lucky enough for her to call home.
Sarah Dignos
It's no accident that I've chosen to write about Sarah on her birthday. After all, birthdays are supposed to be all about you! However, it was a happy accident that placed us in the same class at AI in the Fall of 2009. With over 30 students enrolled that term, I can safely say I lucked out getting Sarah in my class. She's driven, focused, and a whole lot of fun.
One of the biggest lessons Sarah took away from AI is that the effort you put out will drastically affect what you get in return. This was true though out our year at AI and is applicable to everything in life. From AI, Sarah not only increased her knowledge base, she also met amazing people, created a network and learned how to successfully make her way into the industry.
Currently, Sarah's working two jobs; as a part-time Staffing Coordinator at Vancouver General Hospital and part-time at Science World as an Assistant Membership Coordinator. These positions are giving Sarah an opportunity to work on her networking techniques as she is a participant in the Science World monthly meetings (SWELL - Science World Educational Lunch & Learn). The willingness to contribute to the success of any organization is always an asset.
Although her current positions have a strong focus on Human Resources and Client Relations, Sarah is keeping herself open to possibilities and opportunities in all sectors; from private social events (weddings, receptions, etc.) to corporate (conferences and meetings) to tourism and hospitality. There is no challenge she won't meet head on.
As for future plans, Sarah is enjoying working part-time contracts to help gain broad experience throughout multiple sectors. She hopes that during her journey to finding her niche in the industry, she'll find opportunities to travel around the world while doing what she loves.
To future AI graduates and anyone thinking of getting involved with the events industry, Sarah has the following advice:
1) Know in your heart that this is really where you want to see yourself - you will quickly weed yourself out or the industry will filter you out eventually if you aren't 100% committed
2) Work hard- nothing in this industry (or in life) will ever just be handed to you
3) keep your head up and be confident because change is the only thing that is constant. In my few months in the industry I've already seen many changes that have impacted people both positively and negatively. Your peers can tell when you're having a good day, so when you nail a presentation, seal the deal on a huge sale or just blow the Popsicle stand out of the park with your pitch, keep that momentum going. I am a true believer that positive feelings attract positive results. Having said that, when things just don't go your way, the only thing you can do is keep your head up and keep going. The industry isn't going to pause for you for a minute.
I wish Sarah all the best, but not luck because I know she won't need it - she'll be a success no matter what she ends up doing in whatever city is lucky enough for her to call home.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Unexpected Hero
I saw Rango on Sunday and was surprised once again. I'm not sure if I just haven't been paying close enough attention or if the studios have been crafty about cutting the trailers together. I assumed that this would be a fluff film about a lost lizard that finds his place in the world, but as with The Adjustment Bureau, I got more than I expected.
Beyond the humour brought to life by an all-star cast (led by Johnny Depp as Rango the aspiring lizard actor and Isla Fisher as Beans the rancher just trying to survive) is a story about discovery and belief. Rango arrives in the town of Dirt after a near accident on a busy highway shatters his current situation - literally! After his tank explodes on the road after being thrown from a moving car, Rango crosses the desert in search of water and civilization. What he finds is a town in ruins and a Sheriff badge to live up to.
One of my favourite quotes lines from the movie comes from the mysterious Spirit of the West who tells Rango, "you can't walk out on your own story" (or something along those lines) which is one of the underlying themes of Rango's journey. We may feel like life is a stage, but the best character to play is simply yourself, not who others think you should be. Clearly this movie doesn't raise the same deep questions that I took away from The Adjustment Bureau, but it still made me think, which is more than I can say about some of the other films out today.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Winning
After playing .500 hockey for the month of February, the boys are back, winning 7 of the 8 games they've played this month. Here are some photos to commemorate tonight's win...
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| 20 Points ahead of 2nd place in the NW Division |
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| 11 Points ahead of 2nd place in the Western Conference |
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| 10 Points ahead of 2nd place in the league |
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| Leading in 3 categories with 6 additional top 5 standings. |
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wheels
People have the right to fly
And will when it gets compromised
Their hearts say "Move along"
Their minds say "Gotcha heart"
Let's move it along
And airports
See it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home
In hand a single rose
You can find me, if you ever want again
I'll be around the bend
I'll be around
And if you never stop when you wave goodbye
You just might find if you give it time
You will wave hello again
You just might wave hello again
I believe that my life's gonna see
The love I give
Return to me
The lyrics may be incomplete but the message is still the same. Sometimes you find a song that fits your day completely. Today, my song came courtesy of JM as I sifted through all my old pieces and found shards of who I used to be. It's like reacquainting one's self with old childhood friends lost with the passage of time. I like the thought of being able to circle back again to say hello because it means we never actually lose ourselves; even though the world changes around us, somethings will always remain constant.
And will when it gets compromised
Their hearts say "Move along"
Their minds say "Gotcha heart"
Let's move it along
And airports
See it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye
Blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home
In hand a single rose
You can find me, if you ever want again
I'll be around the bend
I'll be around
And if you never stop when you wave goodbye
You just might find if you give it time
You will wave hello again
You just might wave hello again
I believe that my life's gonna see
The love I give
Return to me
The lyrics may be incomplete but the message is still the same. Sometimes you find a song that fits your day completely. Today, my song came courtesy of JM as I sifted through all my old pieces and found shards of who I used to be. It's like reacquainting one's self with old childhood friends lost with the passage of time. I like the thought of being able to circle back again to say hello because it means we never actually lose ourselves; even though the world changes around us, somethings will always remain constant.
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