Your brand is authentic

Let me sit down and take this moment to express gratitude for my dad, who always takes the opportunity to teach us something. He has a way of talking that makes you stop and laugh. If you come from a different frame of mind, soul, and heart or perspective, he can be easily misunderstood. I love when and how he takes out his post-it notes and pencil to share knowledge and wisdom. I can see the joy in his eyes when he writes things down. You can tell he gets all lit up with numbers. Left-handed and writing numbers upside down. Then after a few minutes of writing as he explains ideas and thoughts to me, he realizes and acknowledges, he is better off flipping the post-it around to face him — the right side up. Imagine that for a second. See if you can visualize it. We are sitting at the kitchen table just after having dinner, and this is happening. That energy takes some intelligence and ultra awareness. I always say how he would be a great teacher. Do you sense that?

…Let me take you to another scene, a library full of people from all over the world learning about brand presence from a remarkable woman, Miss Denise O’Brien (aka Queen of Joy), oozing with you guessed it: joy. She starts by taking us on a journey where she takes the wrong exit and explains how she sees an elderly man, who tells the story of a little girl. Can you guess who that little girl he is referring to?

Moments come and go. People come and go. Ideas come and go. Stop and take notice. Who do you talk to every day? Who did you go see today? What have you learned? How does it make you feel learning something new? What are you grateful for? You are the creator. Make. Express. If there is a hesitation, it’s okay. Explore. Write. See where it stems, observe and don’t follow. Feel it. You are the maker. It is a great doorway of opportunity. Much love in your discovery. Feel free to share your story. Thanks for being here.

Spotify playlist that puts you in the zone at this moment: Brain Food

Music is love my friends. I get fired up with music and get in the writing process when I put on my headphones and lose myself to writing. Do you get that way too? #musicislove #ramengirldonthesitate #Aikolove

UX/UI

When I left home for the university. I never imagined years later, I would be sitting like a lotus flower typing about my experience and desire to keep learning something new. I have always had a deep love for Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. It cultivated a quiet appreciation for exploration and discoveries. These discoveries were not just reading unaffordable used textbooks, but meeting people from diverse backgrounds, living frugality, working in retail while putting myself through school to pay for my food and housing; a girl always falling in and out of love, overcoming adversity, fostering friendships, enjoying the moment. It has opened doors to dimensions I could never imagine if I had not taken the leap of faith to just do.

I have been exploring UX Design on my own. As a side note, the fact that I moved to California without a job lined up was a crazy romanticized move. With this newfound experience of a kick in the pants status, rather than pining or lamenting for a formal UX/UI education, I took on a challenge of exploring alternative kinds of learning environments to study it instead of that high-priced tuition from an institution I couldn't financially justify. Right now, the silly thing to be grateful for is that I have the time and space, health, soul and openness to the experience of finding and crafting my own curriculum. My time is valuable, and I want to use it learning something new and getting myself in a new healthy headspace. I realize this is a considerable risk, but why make it safe, with not knowing or if Karl the Fog flirting with me, there is an excellent opportunity for building an emotional connection. After all, I want to find the true meaning of user experience. To build empathy, moments of struggle, frustration must be there. I could make myself miserable by being in pity mode "woe-is-me-mode," or I could have fun with comment bubbles of self-discovery. Adversity is embraced as I open my heart space. In the meantime, lean back, breath, and exhale and let the lyrics of moving this soul be allowed to flourish. Thank you for your space. Thank you for your love of learning. Thanks for embracing this moment. Here we go.

Here’s a start:

uxlore

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