SIMPLY ELABORATE blog

Posts Tagged ‘simply elaborate’

It’s clear that summer’s coming to a close as our breath can be seen as we exhale into the cool night air. The lights are still bright and the sounds of arcade games rhythmically repeat in the background noise of the late evening – reminding me of my youth spent working every summer within these same four walls. Today I’m here for an entirely different reason.

On location at The Georgian Grill in Balm Beach, Ontario, Lindsey Drennan asked me to come on the fashion shoot set after the location was scouted three months prior. Three hours into make up and hair prep, a stylist; videographer; photographer; model; makeup artist and creative director (plus me: location scout!) have eaten more than their fair share of bacon cheeseburgers and Poutine and were finally ready to shoot the first of eight different looks to appear in Filler Magazine this fall.

There are a few families who look on wide-eyed at the elegantly dressed and misplaced woman standing in the middle of a Skeeball machine wearing heels that look like they’d crack the ankle of anyone else who’d dare try them on. ‘What’s going on?’ they probably wonder, and stare at us all as if we were aliens in this very calm, unoriginal place. They are probably shocked because, like me, are unaware of the behind the scenes efforts of a fashion shoot. Lighting, accessories, costume changes; and of course, hairspray efforts, are just a fraction of the effects that go into the perfect fashion photograph. I’ve been privy to Lindsey’s previous photo shoots in the past, even being her lighting subject and subsequent ‘model’ for one of them, but I’ve never been so intertwined with one of the shoots as I am with this one. It’s a surreal experience in all actuality. Probably the same surrealism that the very same model – now wearing couture with comfort and ease – did when she stepped on the set of her first shoot.

For me, it’s surreal because I’m not merely here as Emilia Farrace. I’m here as Simply Elaborate Things – this brand new personal web project I’m starting that features exciting and extraordinary experiences in and around the city of Toronto. Being able to realize that the fruits of my labour are slowly coming together is a crazy thing to have happen. It’s a dream coming true.

As I’ve been chatting away with my fellow companions, it’s easy to see that this shoot isn’t only a dream coming into reality for me, but for everyone involved. Everyone had a dream of doing what they’re doing this exact moment. As all the occupations of the people at this shoot aren’t careers that merely get ‘fallen into’ – they take hard work and are often given up on.

We all have dreams. Things we would do if we somehow won the lottery. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and be introduced to many people who are following their dreams, despite the lack of lottery winnings. These are the people who take risks. These are the people who focus on the bigger picture – that bigger dream- because of passion. A passion for something bigger than they could ever imagine – because of faith. Having faith in something bigger than anything physical because of hope. Hope that all the middle of the night brainstorming sessions, extra shifts at work and dedication eventually mean something to someone more than just your parents. And they do.

As the most important thing realized throughout this whole ordeal is that we are here to inspire each other, to help each other – not merely ourselves – because the fact of the matter is that we all need one another. Whether it’s advice, material or even a loan. We teach each other that things aren’t always what they seem; for every minute of success, comes a year of preparation and a photograph is never just a photograph.

Lindsey Drennan’s photographs will appear in the Fall issue of Filler Magazine. To see other work by Drennan, click on http://lindseydrennan.com and watch out for her editorial spread in the November issue of FLARE Magazine.

Is it almost Thursday already? Where has the week flown off to? Summer is coming, I can feel it (despite the odd weather changes that have gone this week) and it’s making me more excited by the minute. The thing that sucks? Weddings that I’m committed to going (and WANT to go to) have me booked on what so far seem to be the best weekends in the city thus far, among the predicament of having a personality and lifestyle that includes wanting to attend every outing that’s possible no matter how much it’ll probably kill me.

For instance, the night of Thursday, May 27th has sequestered itself among three events I want to attend:

1) Strut for a Cure

A night promised to make everybody speak out against Cancer while listening to Dragonette and meeting others in the industry. Plus, the swag bag you get once you leave isn’t bad either. Mostly, it’s just the type of thing I’m loving about living in Toronto. Being able to go to these fundraisers and parties and network my butt off. Problem: I may be dumb, but I scoured that website and could not for the life of me find out when the event starts that Thursday. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem but for someone attempting to plan “a night of a million stops” it is.

2) Carassauga: Mississauga’s Festival of Culture

Of course it has to be the first night my father’s extracurricular activity, FCAM, actually does something that will interact with the community by promoting the integration of the Molise culture in Canada and I have this prior commitment and urge to attend Strut for a Cure instead. Which leaves me feeling guilty. I did, however, design this snazzy advertisement to be included in Carassauga’s 25th Anniversary special edition commemorative magazine they’ll be handing out at the show. The AD itself was inspired by the work my friend and sometimes partner, Emily Bachor of Whylime Design does at Where Calgary magazine.

She’s made me a big fan of the opacity button:

You may think this is no big deal, not being able to attend the opening ceremonies of the Carassauga weekend, as it’s just that – a weekend event. However, this brings me to the dear old commitment number three.

3) Bridal Shower in Windsor, Ontario

My dear, dear friend is getting married. Yay (it’s a sincere yay). But instead of taking up one of my weekends that consist of me waking up at noon and reading PostSecret all day, I will be sitting at a table with other twentysomething friends becoming misty eyed at the thought of my friend getting her happy beginning and me wondering if I’ll have a date by the time her wedding comes around in August – or if I’ll even want one. Problem: It’s basically an entire weekend of visiting and busyness that I’ll have absolutely no time for …

4) Sex and the City 2 Premiere

Now, I know this may sound crazy, with all the fantastic prior engagements I’ve just listed to end off with my disappointment that I will not be able to watch the continuation of the best show ever made followed by the best movie sequel to a TV series ever made but I am. I am disappointed. Mostly, however, because of spoilers. I won’t be able to take it. In addition to reading PostSecret every Sunday, I have this odd, unnatural habit of checking out TheMovieSpoiler.com to see what happens at the end of the latest blockbusters just released. It sort of reminds me of Billy Crystal’s monologue in When Harry Met Sally about being so dark that he reads the end of novels before he starts in case he dies so he’ll always know how it ends.

Problem: even if I successfully remove myself from being tempted to log on, I know it’ll be all around me. When will the next opportunity come that I can see the movie before I read about what happens in the tabloids? In 2008, when the first movie came out, I had to block my sister from my MSN list because she had gotten home from watching the big premiere (she lives in the United Kingdom and had the pleasure of seeing it a full eight hours before I did) and wanted to gush about how amazing it was. She’s like that.

All in all, I think I may just be whining about unnecessary things. But I can’t help it – I want to do it ALL!!!!

Which, in case you don’t know me personally, is exactly what I’ll end up doing.

I have felt as though my life has been in limbo for the past few months. I’ve called them “the prospecting months” as I’ve spent countless hours prospecting people, places, marketing agencies, advertising opportunities, events, networking, dates and places to live.

This weekend was jam packed of relaxing work – which sounds more oxymoron than it really is. I’m grabbing more control on my routine and lifestyle and getting into a groove – most days. I’ve been thinking about my life and future so much (even though I know I should only be thinking of the present) and I can’t believe it’s been almost four months since I left Calgary. It blows my mind how much my life has changed since driving east on Highway 1 (16th Ave) and not looking back on October 13th 2009.

After how much everyone’s life has changed since I left, I realize that my life may have been easier if I stayed in Calgary, but I would be internally torn inside with a lot of things in my life and the thought of moving back to Toronto would have become a bigger choice than it was when I left.

It may sound confusing, and truthfully, it is. But I’m still excited. I’m excited for a lot of things because every day, I think while driving home for work and categorically go down a list of all the things I’ve learned that day. That technique in itself was worth the move, the big break up, the separation of the things, the wear and tear on my car, the missing of my friends – everything. Because when I drove home or took the bus from my position in Calgary, I didn’t do that. I didn’t do anything even close to that. I was at a standstill, constantly looking at the bottom corner of my computer screen praying the time to fast forward to 4:30 pm. Every day.

For the first time in my life I’m working hard every single day because I have to. There is no room for slacking in this position because if I slack, I don’t get the feeling of a closing sale; I don’t get the internally proud feeling of accomplishment; I don’t get the satisfaction of knowing that I learned a new way to strengthen a bond or relationship.

I’m doing that, every single day. And because of that, I know that in ten years, when I look back on my 25th year, the year that I moved back from Calgary to begin a new chapter of my life – I’ll remember how I took charge of my life, refused the 9 – 5 job routine, took a beating, took a pay cut, took a new look at the word “humbled” and learned every single day.

That – I believe – is the most important thing.

I’ve almost been scared to write. There have been so many changes to my life this last month. Changes that have been prompted by myself, not realizing the intention and result that would occur.

Now the next month is arriving soon and I’ll be embarking on yet another chapter of my life – another scary, mysterious beginning that seems to be too good to be true. But here’s the thing – it isn’t.

simply elaborate is getting bigger, things are getting busier and it’s more exciting every day. With excitement comes fear.

But there was one thing I learned a long time ago – on the other side of fear is freedom.