TTS: Project NEXT: Photo Shoot

10:01 a.m., Wednesday, 8 July 2015

I thought I wasn't going to make this a blog for pictures -- like I did with my Tumblr blog, but sometimes, I just can't help it.

I had a shoot taken in May for Project NEXT, courtesy of my good friend and talented writer, academic, photographer-extraordinaire, Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri. I felt a little out of place being in front of, and not behind the camera, but it was great fun (put aside the bone-chilling weather). Bezi has a fantastic eye for detail, and she did an incredible job on all the shots (three cheers and a bottle of champagne for her!). We used three locations, but I'll give you a sneak peak of a few from the first one -- you'll have to wait a little longer to see the others. :)

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri
Location: Newton, Johannesburg
And this, friends, is the money shot. :) 

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri
Location: Newton, Johannesburg
Quite a few people have asked me about this top and where I got it; honestly, I inherited it from my aunt years ago, and I doubt she remembers.

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri
Location: Newton, Johannesburg
I'm always smiling in pictures, so I find this picture -- along with the beautiful use of colour and location -- refreshingly different. 

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri

Location: Newton, Johannesburg

I like how my shadow complements me in this one.

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri

Location: Newton, Johannesburg

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri
Location: Newton, Johannesburg
Yes... I do have a belly-button ring...

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri
Location: Newton, Johannesburg
The sun came out perfectly just as we took this shot. It had been playing hide-and-seek all morning, but finally graced us with its presence long enough to get the perfect one.

Photographer: Nyembezi 'Bezi' Phiri
Location: Newton, Johannesburg

Distinctly one of my favourites.

Compliments and a huge word of thanks to my photographer, Bezi. 

Photo Credit: Nyembezi Phiri
(saved from Whatsapp)

TTS: Interludes of Life: The Projext

21:16p.m., Friday, 22 May 2015

My latest project seems to be coming together promisingly. I've taken up a universal vow of silence to keep unmanifested versions of my realities (aka my dormant, procrastinated ideas and projects) to myself until they are materialised, otherwise if I don't, I've noticed I have a habit of telling anyone and everyone about what I'm planning or working on and in the process, trick myself into feeling I've completed them already. But this one's got me extremely excited; I want to be able to document my journey, so I'll simply refer to it as Project X. It's nothing original, but for the basic purpose of having a 'pseudonym' for it, it'll do for now. Or what about NEXT? Yes; let's call it Project NEXT, rather. I'm going to have to tread lightly with this one since I don't want to intentionally, or even unintentionally reveal too much; I'm giving closed transparency a shot here... Bare with me.

I'm very excited about Project NEXT! I've spent so much time planning, and re-planning, and re-re-planning (over a decade to be exact... ridiculous, I know), that I feel it's about time I just revealed whatever it is I've been crafting. But you know with perfectionists -- things never seem good enough. I've realised it doesn't have to be good though; it just needs to be done. (This will take more than a day to internalise and accept. It's a lot to take in, but not to worry -- I'm still breathing.) That's my new motto, by the way, courtesy of Eat Pray Love's literary sensation and one of my human obsessions, Elizabeth Gilbert.

I think you'll be glad to know I've sent my mental obsessive companion on an untimed vacation for this one, so while the the critical cat's away, the creative, menacing mice will play. I feel I have so much leg room to work with, I'm not sure I quite know where to begin. The starting point is usually the best place, they say: Now to actually find it...