The World Needs You

Once in film school, during an end of the semester review, I had two instructors tell me I should take vocal lessons to deepen my voice because as it was now I did not command respect. There had been a situation on set in class where I was in charge of tracking supplies as crew members came to get them like they always did. However, this time no one came to check out equipment no matter how many times I made the announcement. At some point while I was struggling to do my job a man much older than myself apparently felt I had conducted myself so poorly that he threw my belongings on the ground and screamed in my face. It wasn’t the first or last time my authority was challenged on a set either, but what was so upsetting was that my instructors defended that behavior and actually suggested I learn to have a more masculine voice to avoid people treating me in such ways.

As a woman it’s pretty upsetting to be told to fit into a man’s world, but this isn’t just a woman’s issue. So many of us are often told to change something about ourselves to be accepted into “normal” society. Even by well-meaning people! I’m here to tell you, though, you don’t have to change because you are exactly what the world needs.

We all have unique qualities that are important to the world. Basically, everyone needs to be here being their individual self to keep this little planet well rounded with lots of special talent, skills, and thoughts! I’m sure you can agree with me that it’s not super fun to hang out with people just like you. I enjoy having friends who differ from me and offer perspectives or a presence I don’t. Being surrounded by different personalities keeps us more open minded and able to see parts of the world we might not be able to otherwise. So, why should we all act the same way? If you feel like someone is telling you to be different or fit into the norm and you’re getting frustrated, let’s just stop for a moment. First, push that negativity out of your head! It may be coming from a well-meaning place, but it’s really not that helpful and honestly it’s a little personality crushing. Consider the situation from your own viewpoint and decide whether or not if you’re happy with your outcome. Let me give you an example. While my teachers were giving me this review, I was so upset I didn’t even want to give the situation more thought. I knew they were wrong and I couldn’t focus on it anymore. However, when I paused to think about how that day on set went I knew I wasn’t happy with how things carried out.  If you are happy with your outcome, then who cares what the naysayers say? I’ve had people tell me I’m being too quiet and should get more involved when I am perfectly happy silently observing my surroundings. I usher those unsolicited comments out of my mind and continue taking in my setting and that’s exactly what you should do if you’re at peace with your result.

If you are unhappy with your outcome though, then what’s next? Instead of being annoyed by feedback and running away, figure out what it is you want to do to get a different outcome next time. For me I had to realize a better outcome wouldn’t involve a change in anyone else’s behavior. I mean that would be nice, but really I knew a better outcome would be me feeling empowered and sure of myself despite other’s actions. I can remember the doubt that crept into my head when this man screamed in my face and my peers and instructors defended his actions. I thought maybe I had deserved this and I just wouldn’t be a good fit in my dream industry. That is such a lame feeling! When I realized I wanted to feel empowered instead of disrespected, unimportant, or unsuccessful at my dreams, then I could see that a better result would come from standing up for myself. Voicing my opinion and not backing down when people were being so obviously belittling would give me more of a sense of strength and control. The response would probably be the same, but this mindset would allow me to remain sure of myself and remember what I wanted for my life.

The shift of concluding I didn’t need to deepen my voice and change something about myself, but rather add more tools to my belt and in fact be more me and share more of me was such a relief. For so long, I’ve felt the outside, human world telling me to change, as if I wasn’t good enough on my own, but that simply isn’t true. We are valuable just as we are! This also really opened up my world a lot more. After this class, I decided I wasn’t going to work with men in the industry. I avoided projects that were male dominated and backed out of male spaces. It was nice to dodge negative experiences, but I was missing out on the chance to bring my perspective to other people! Now, however I can find myself in a meeting full of men and see it as an opportunity to use my voice and speak up for others or myself when I see something as wrong.

My hope would be that no one ever disrespects you or makes you feel less than as you are now. But I know our lives aren’t ideal. If someone ever does treat you this way, then you can always come here for a little pep talk. You can even come to me and we can remind you of all the things that make you lovely and important to this world. We all need you and I don’t want anyone to keep your wonder from us!

Be An Environmental Enthusiast

Growing up in the Grand Canyon State means, well, you have the chance to go to the Grand Canyon a lot! No matter how many times I’ve been I still always notice myself looking out into the vast canyon as a sense of overwhelm creeps in. I’m overwhelmed by its magnificence, which reminds me to find the same type of beauty and joy in other places and people. I’m overwhelmed by the realization of how tiny and fleeting I am in comparison as I wonder how many lives the canyon has watched unfold through out the centuries. Then I’m overwhelmed by the urge to protect these wonderful places that can make me feel in such ways. It can seem like quite a daunting task at times. There are so many special places in nature to protect and, it would seem, so many factors working against them that sometimes I think I have to be a highly qualified conservationist to make any difference. I’m realizing though that all it really takes is being an environmental enthusiast and knowing that even small acts can create change. You see, luckily, there’s so many ways to love, appreciate, and protect our world and it’s wild spaces! And it doesn’t have to be overwhelming either. It can be as simple a task as picking up trash. Which is what I did a couple weekends ago when Keep It Wild, a local Arizona company that’s dedicated to protecting our lands, held a trail clean up in Flagstaff. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by what part you can take in protecting wild spaces, then keep reading!

When you’re feeling overwhelmed with the thought of maintaining and defending places that are special to you, just take a look at this list for a reminder of some small steps you can take to make an impact.

• Support a company that funds, promotes, and educates on saving our environment!
  • Keep It Wild, the company I mentioned above, sells goods, like apparel, stickers, and water bottles, that promote a love of nature with a portion of every purchase going towards funding projects or organizations that work to preserve the outdoors. They also partner with these organizations to create volunteer opportunities in the Arizona to clean up the local, wild community. Recently, Keep It Wild adopted two trails in the Flagstaff Urban Trail System and during their latest clean up removed over 3,500 pounds of trash from the area!
  • The Azulita Project is a non profit that works to defend our oceans from plastic with both a coastal campaign in Mexico and inland campaign in Flagstaff, Arizona. Before the Azulita Project, the small rural town where they’re located in Mexcio would burn or discard plastic waste in open pits. Now, the Azulita Project has created a recycling project that incentivizes the buy back of used plastic and sources to responsible third party buyers. They also work to engage and educate the youth in the community, as well as local businesses to encourage responsible use of plastic. In Flagstaff, the non profit works to raise local awareness in schools and businesses as well.
  • Bureo is a skateboard goods company that is also dedicated to keeping plastic out of our oceans. Through their recycling program, Net Positiva, in Chile they financially incentivize the recycling of plastic fishing nets in the local fishing communities. These nets are then broken down and used to create their skateboard decks, surf fins, Frisbees, and even Jenga!
• Clean up in your local community! If you want to get more active and really see the difference you are making, then get out into your community and start cleaning up trash. In the past, I’ve found local clean ups announced on Instagram and Facebook. The events are usually shared by local groups that care about the community and the environment so, start following organizations or clubs in your area to find out about clean ups near you. Scroll through Facebook events nearby too for any upcoming meet ups! If you’re in Arizona like me, then you can always check in with Keep It Wild to see where they are cleaning up next too. However, you don’t have to join a clean up group to make a difference. You can clean up by yourself when you’re out on a hike or a walk through a park! Bring a long a trash bag and pick up any litter you might see.
• Get Political! Contact your local representative to let them know what’s important to you i.e. the environment. Sometimes it can seem futile to make politicians even hear us out, let alone actually get them to understand where we’re coming from, but messages do get entered into a constituent management system. Recently, Emily Ellsworth, a writer who previously worked in Congress as a staffer, explained how much impact constituents can really have in Congress. She has some great tips for how to get the attention of your representative, which you can read here. Though, I will let you know that, no matter how you choose to contact your representative, the more personalized your message, the better!

Being an environmental enthusiast can be as simple as doing things you already enjoy, like, taking a hike (but picking up trash along the way), shopping for goods, or donating your time or money to a good cause. How do you choose to express your environmental enthusiasm?

2018 Wedding Films

“Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare... Perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways... Perhaps love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.”

You might have heard (read) that I'm passionate about stories full of heart, where I can showcase unique personalities and stir up emotions. What you might not get from that though, is I love filming weddings! A wedding day is such a perfect place to capture rare, personal stories. Sometimes, I think we can get the idea that once you've been to a few weddings, then you've been to them all. But, I've been to quite a bit of weddings and they're each filled with their own special moments that distinctly represent one couple and their lives together. During a wedding day, there's so much more that goes on other than an exchanging of vows. There's moments full of joy and love as you hug each loved one that showed up and witness all the small, but significant deeds that take place to make such a special day. There's moments of excitement and nerves spent laughing with your partner as you both stand up in front of everyone you value. Those are the moments I love capturing because those are the ones that really tell your story.

If you're planning for your wedding and wondering if my films would be a good fit for your day, then here's a bit more about my style:

• Authentic & Meaningful: During weddings, I shoot in an unobtrusive, documentary style to capture authentic moments and work best with natural lighting to produce dreamy, romantic imagery. I love looking for the moments and interactions that are full of warmth and love, which means I really like to let the day unfold genuinely. There may be times I direct you or ask you to give each other a kiss one more time so that we can get the perfect shot, but mostly I will be capturing the real, natural love between the two of you.
• The Beauty of Nature: Intertwining nature into my work is one of my specialities, so if you're looking at an outdoor setting for your wedding, we're that much more of a match! I know how much personal value nature can hold and I understand how a specific location can add to your story. I find the outdoor world to be so beautiful too and I love capturing all the special elements of nature and weaving it into your tale. This also means I can go with the flow and make cinematic magic no matter what Mother Nature decides to throw at us!
• Celebrate & Make Your Memories: I want you to enjoy your wedding! So, don't worry, I've got you covered. You can focus on celebrating with your loved ones and making the memories you'll get to relive over and over again through your wedding film.

If you want to find out more send me a message here!

Embrace the Storm: How to Move Past a Mistake & Make Something Great!

Have you ever made a mistake that you think might have ruined everything? Or have things just not gone as planned and now you’re worried you’ve wasted your efforts, talent, and time? Because that was me when I took these photos of Sarah, Jess, and Lily. I had really wanted to take photos in the snow and Sarah happily agreed. I was so stoked! But when we set out for our photoshoot, the weather really kicked up. Snow was blowing in our faces, the wind sent our hair out in every direction, and our fingers were red from the cold.  I started to let myself think I had wasted everyone’s time.

I’ve been in a situation like this many times, some more intense than others, and I’m learning how to embrace those feelings of failure and frustration, and then allowing them to become feelings of gratitude and growth instead. I’m a rather anxious person, so honestly I can’t even begin to tell you all the little mishaps my brain twists into a catastrophe, using each moment as evidence in an ongoing PowerPoint presentation titled “Why You Will Always be a Flop: A Detailed, Lengthy Study of Ali Dating Back to Her Oldest Memories" compiled and presented by my anxiety. It’s a really agonizing experience that leaves me feeling beat down. However, it doesn’t always have to play out that way!

If you’ve ever experienced something similar, worry not! Here are some tips to embrace any storm (quite literally during this photo shoot) and create something great out of it:

• Realize life is never as personal as you think:

Take a step back and realize this event probably has a lot less to do with you than you think. I think mistakes or a wrong turn can feel so awful because we believe it’s a reflection of ourselves. Maybe this event is actually evidence as to why we aren’t good enough (as my anxiety likes to suggest) and that’s the part that makes a mistake seem like such a negative experience. Really, it probably means something else that has very, very little to do with you. It can be hard to see our life this way because it’s our life. Our life does seem to revolve around us, but we all know the world, in fact, doesn’t revolve around us. So, apply this knowledge to any disappointing situations in your life. It’s not about you. It’s just the world unfolding and you happen to be involved. You know what does actually revolve around you? Your attitude and outlook, which will ultimately decide how you will handle the situation. This is a pretty powerful thought when we realize it! During this photo shoot, the mishap meant that Mother Nature decided to send a little extra stormy weather to our town. That’s it! She doesn’t have anything against me. She’s not even trying to test me. Mother Nature just functions on her own accord and I happened to be involved. It doesn’t mean I’m terrible because I couldn’t predict the weather better. Sure, I could have cancelled the photo shoot, but I love these photos and I’m so glad I didn’t! Realizing that life is never as personal as you think helps you see you can’t control everything around you, but one thing you can control is your perspective!

• Reframe your perspective:

The next step (and probably the biggest because of its difficulty) is shifting your perspective to make room for the opportunity to grow! Instead of thinking, “Oh man, why can’t things just go my way? Why is this always happening? Why do I have to deal with this again?” test out saying to yourself, “Oh, here’s another opportunity to practice __________.” Of course, you would fill in the blank with whatever you would like to practice in your life! Perhaps you want to practice creative thinking (i.e. creative problem solving), or speaking up for yourself and using your voice, or remaining calm. During this shoot, I realized I had an opportunity to practice creative thinking. Yes, I have the chance to practice this a lot, but the point is, once I shift my perspective then I can become excited by my opportunity rather than disappointed by a blunder. I think this takes the most work. Sometimes you might be able to flip your point of view quickly, but other times you just take a little longer. There’s nothing wrong with that! Take your time and put a lot of effort into finding a new way to see your situation. It might be tough at times, but once I can do this, it keeps me moving forward towards a very important goal of mine: growth!

• Update your goals & Redefine Success:

Sometimes, when we’re caught up in the moment we can become disconnected from our true goals. We’re so fixated on one ideal outcome that we let that define our sense of success. However, most of us don’t truly see success as limited to one task! Most people I’ve talked to see success as personal, ever changing, and mostly related to emotions. Maybe you’ve made a mistake. But do you see yourself as successful for being perfect without any slip-ups or are you successful as long as you keep growing and improving while having a good time? When I take a step back from being so critical of myself, I realize that what I really care about is my growth personally and professionally while enjoying myself. So, if I notice an inner voice being harsh and negative, I remind myself of my true idea of success. I update my current goals to be in alignment with that definition of success and now I have a chance to turn the situation into something great!

•  Find at least one positive:

Here is where you can discover what greatness will be sprouting from your mistake and dig up a bit of gratitude! What sort of positive or beneficial outcome has occurred? Everything else really has been answering this question for you, so reflect on all the previous points. What goal have you been able to achieve that you weren’t able to see before? What opportunity did you find even during this time of frustration? I got some awesome photos during our shoot and did it during a situation that was probably less than ideal. That alone is a positive for me, but I found out a storm can be ideal, which is a shift in attitude that I might not have discovered if it weren’t for the storm. Finding at least one positive thing to come out of your situation brings a sense of gratitude that will honestly just make you feel good!

I’m grateful I embraced the storm and transformed feelings of failure and frustration into feelings of success, gratitude, and growth. When was a time that you were able to move your darker feelings into more inspiring ones? If you’re currently experiencing a moment like this, then I hope these steps can help you move into a more empowering position.

Your Voice is the Future

"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful." - Malala Yousafzai

I’m in love with the youth of our world who actively pursue their visions for our future. They call out problems, they find solutions, and then they make sure their plans are followed through, no matter how long it will take. It’s a quality I look up to. While I was at the March for Our Lives this weekend, there were several people whose photograph I turned around to take and although they kept marching forward, they held their sign up in some sort of active pose. They’ve done this before and they know how they want to represent themselves, and their stance, in what seems like an instant. Maybe this sounds silly or like a trivial moment I’m trying to make into something bigger, but I see something there. It’s that quality I admire again.

These people seem to know who they are, they are aware of their voice, and they’re willing to use it and make it heard. This is not something I did in high school or even until rather recently. There was never a time in my life where someone told me directly, “Your voice is not important, it doesn’t matter, and it can’t change anything.” Yet, there were many times when I spoke up for myself and I was told I was confused, I was ignored, or I was laughed at. Indirectly, I was told my voice meant nothing. I would hope you haven’t been sent this message too, but if you have, I’m here to tell you it’s wrong. Your voice does matter and in fact, your voice is the future.

Unfortunately if you are in high school or even younger, you have probably heard some people saying that you shouldn’t be involved in policy reform. They can list off their reasons why, but it’s pointless because I know they’re incredibly wrong. You’re never too young to understand. You’re never too young to have a unique perspective to offer. You’re never too young to give your community and the world something it needs. You have something unique that we need and I hope someone has been encouraging you to share that. If you haven’t been offered that encouragement yet, then I hope you can find a little bit here. Here’s some links to other young activists during the March for Our Lives to inspire and empower you:

• Edna Chávez is a 17 year old student and activist who grew up in South Los Angeles, where she is all too familiar with the effects of gun violence. Listen to her call for policy makers to empower and support students through mentorship programs, mental health resources, and job opportunities. 
• Naomi Wadler, a 11 year old fifth grader who helped organize a walkout at her elementary school, speaks for the African American girls and women who face gun violence, but go unnoticed. Hear her correct everyone who thinks she is too young to have an opinion or voice of her own. 
• Zion Kelly is a 16 year old student activist whose family is proposing an amendments act to create safe passage zones to and from school for students. Listen to him share the story of his twin brother, how he lost him to gun violence, and his hopes for the future. 

I love how differently, and yet similarly, they all spoke. Whether loud or soft-spoken, they share their speeches with a firm voice because they know they all have important stories and outlooks to bring to us. And so do you. This inspiration isn't just for anyone younger than these speakers too. I hope we can all feel encouraged and empowered by their voices! I know I am. If you’re wondering where to start using your voice here are some resources to give you ideas:

• Student Activism in School: Getting Your Voice Heard
• How to be an Activist When You're Unable to Attend Protests

As you’re using your voice to change the future, you’re not alone. I love the mix of people in these photos because it shows the support we can all offer to those around us and other communities. Even though it can be frustrating to feel unheard by some people with different views, know that we’re still here listening to each other. We’re here to support and stand alongside one another and you as you use your voice.