The ATHENA Leadership Model

The ATHENA Leadership Model

Authentic Self:

Understanding who you are- your values, beliefs and thoughts. Honoring your uniqueness. Accepting personal responsibility for your actions.

Celebration & Joy:

Appreciating and acknowledging your accomplishments. Looking forward to your life with a sense of hope and purpose.

Collaboration:

Reaching out beyond what you can achieve on your own. Working in unison with others, while celebrating diverse points of view, ideas and actions.

Courageous Acts:

Standing up and standing firm in the face of fear. Taking risks to speak the truth or challenge the way things have always been done.

Fierce Advocacy:

Supporting and acting on your passion for people, causes or ideas. Creating an unstoppable force for the greater good.

Giving Back:


Serving the greater good. Committing to help your personal community of family, friends and peers as well as the global village at large.

Learning:

Challenging yourself to listen and be open to what is new and unfamiliar. Expanding and developing your knowledge, skills and experiences. Teaching others.

Relationships:

Connecting with and embracing others. Appreciating the gifts and talents of different people in your life.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

Classy. Comfy. Cute.

Experiment. Push Yourself. No Regrets.

Movement

I see no reason for recording the obvious - Edward Weston

Earlier cameras were so technical that only few people sought out to learn the trade and then taught only those who were destined to be in the "business." Today, Cameras have been simplified so that even the "Joe Schmo" can take a professional looking picture. What turns Joe Schmo into a professional photographer? Is it switching off his automatic setting on his camera. Switching shutter speeds and apertures to make a more pleasing photograph. Can an everyday person be a "photographer." On the same note, what transforms a picture into a photograph. Is it the subject matter in which one chooses to shoot or is it the composition and ascetic of the photograph.

Typically when one starts out on there photographic adventure they choose subject matters that are already thought provoking leaving the viewer to look at the ascetic of the image later. Example: photographing the poor and the homeless as opposed to photographing flowers and boats. The first two subjects by themselves grab the viewers attention. Is it cheating photography to pick such a complex subject matter or is it smart? Personally I love to see it all. I don't think that photography is limited to any one area. So then what transforms a picture into a photograph? I feel it is when the photographer seeks to gain a reaction or provoke a thought from his image. I love pictures that make me think. Thinking about what the photographer was trying to capture or why they needed to capture it. Edward Weston, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, and Richard Avedon were all known to stretch the boundaries in photography in some way.

Edward Weston: "Photography to the amateur is recreation, to the professional it is work, and hard work too, no matter how pleasurable it may be."

Ralph Eugene Meatyard: "My work springs from the beauty of ideas rather than ideas of the beautiful."

Richard Avedon:"Photography has always reminded me of the second child.. trying to prove itself. The fact that it wasn’t really considered an art.. that it was considered a craft.. has trapped almost every serious photographer."

Stranger in Moscow

Amazing Video. Inspiration for my photography.

What in the Word...

In photos our eyes are naturally drawn to the lightest areas, leading lines, and words. However, words are the number one eye catcher in photography. Why? Well our brain automatically recognizes words and immediately tries to capture the message that the letters are forming. I was taught to try and leave words out of your pictures completely unless it directly correlates to the message you want to portray. Words are typically used the best in Urban/Street photography. They help convey the message and also can be the jumping off point for any photographer when snapping a picture.

See where your eye goes to first and imagine what they would picture would say without the words. Would it be the same? Does your idea of what the image means change?

Photoshop Lady

Tutorial on how to create that effect below. Oooooo I love new challenges!

Natural Remedy

Sunglasses a cure all in my everyday life.

•Blocks out sun

•Hides hangover hot mess

•Puts a smile on my face

from one of my fav blogs ( http://www.markushartel.com/blog)

I have a Crush...

Crushes keep you on your toes. They motivate you. You wake up early for them. You double check your hair, your outfit, which smile is the cutest, and practice your casual laugh. Bottom line we do it big for our crushes. We highlight our strengths and try and hide our weaknesses. That feeling deep within your heart that takes your breath away. That new sense of appreciation, pride, and determination. I have a crush. :o) Not a conventional crush... but a crush none the less. I saw this video and my life changed. It was like god kicked the rain cloud from above my head and shined the brightest sun upon me! Bells... Whistles... ALL THAT! lol The company that was featured in the video is my new crush. :o) Teehee. I See big things that i've never seen before. I see myself going places that may have crossed my mind at one time but now... It seems real. I can desire it and I can have it. Crossing my fingers. OOooooo its so me! I LOVE IT!

I've never been in love but when I saw this video... I fell in Love.

http://www.complexvideo.com/Celebrities/Eminems-2009-Complex-Cover-Shoot

Nothing like the first time...

So this is kind of new to me. I Feel like I'm a person with a lot to say and love to inspire others when I can. I will dedicate this first blog to highlight what Ive been workin on lately.

I work at my colleges newspaper ( The Lanthorn) as a graphic designer. This is the cover I designed for the new Grad Issue. I LOVE my job. I think it gives me enough creative freedom as I need but also enough displine to reel me in with my crazy ideas.

The Dream Act. If you don't know.... Ask somebody. lol Check out this site http://wix.com/dreamact/gv and be apart of something. I took a bunch of Promotional shots with Martin (Brother/BFF) and helped him highlight his connection to the Dream Act. I think its important to have a voice and try and make a difference in the world.

My Latest flyer that I have created. Oh man... I love this flyer. I love to push myself and to try new things every time I create something. I have definitely come along way from where I first started. The support has been great and I truly have been blessed with a good mixture of positive criticism and talent.