What am I doing?

I had a chat with one of my intern bosses this morning and it got me thinking. Why don't I know what I am trying to do with my life. I like to make lifestyle photo essays. I will spend the rest of the day sorting through the Eurotrip photographs and make some essays of them.

I thought of an idea of doing photo profiles of local stores. Very raw candid shots of the store front, interior, employees and possibly some customers. I have to figure out where I can post these so that people can see them.

What are my skills? What do my skills translate into? How can I live a life doing what I love?
I need to talk over all of these points with someone.

I am also going to make a book out of the "Ordinary Beauty of Africa" show. Kim might be writing the forward. I have to talk to her about that again.

First Solo Photo Show

Last week I closed my first solo photography show in Harlem with great feedback and a bunch of sales. The exhibit was called "Ordinary Beauty of Africa" and it opened in April at Colgate University in the ALANA Cultural Center where it stayed for two months to close as a part of the 25th Anniversary of the Alumni of Color during Reunion Weekend. The next weekend it was installed in a garden apartment in Harlem for a two day show. "Ordinary Beauty of Africa" is an exhibit comprised of photographs of various countries in Africa that express ordinariness. I took these photographs during three separate trips to the continent. During the summers of 2005, 2007 and 2010 I was the staff photographer for a non-profit organization called Three Female Ballers (F3B) that takes African American high school girls to Africa for a cultural exchange facilitated through a basketball camp. I have had the opportunity to travel to Niger, Morocco, Benin, Liberia, Ghana, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. I sorted through photographs from all of these countries to find images that conveyed my message. The show had 12 11x14 photos, 4 5x7 photos, and 4 20x30 photos.

At each reception (there were four) I gave a little speech about how I got to take the photos, how I took the photos, and what I was trying to convey by putting them all together? The photos are the first 21 photos on my website at the moment. http://flavors.me/kaliflower

So I am looking at the title of this blog and thinking not so true anymore. I am more of a woman than a girl at this point. I am no longer a student, but still might go back to school. I will always be an artist and daughter but I feel like I should also factor in struggling to find a job, moocher, and volunteer. I have been applying to jobs everyday, emailing resumes, and follow-ups with of course no response because they don't give responses which is the most irritating thing ever. I feel like I am mooching off my parents, living in their house, eating their food using their cable and wifi to no end. I am also currently volunteer at just about everything. Which is good it keeps me busy. I volunteer at the Princeton Community TV station, West Windsor Arts Center, for Dr. Joy and assorted of things when needed. I think it is helping me figure out some other things I might be interested in. It also allows me to meet new people on a regular basis.

I have started to become fascinated with social media and not just being on it all the time, which I most definitely am but building audiences for people and companies. I have been trying to read up on it so that I can understand more than what I have picked up over the years of being on the internet all the time. I am slowly starting to apply for social media positions thinking that this may be a good line of business for me. Right now I have found myself doing social media for a bunch of people, and I like it.