Author: hopelesscauseatelier

There is a story of a lovely lady whose been dreaming of fashion since she was a little girl (I know you totally have the Brady Bunch theme song going on in your head)….and it goes a little like this.

Here’s the story of a young girl. She escaped her childhood reality by dreaming of becoming a fashion designer. She learned to sew out of necessity and made her own digs.

She loved playing in that space and received accolades for her style. She tried to follow that path, but that path wasn’t available at that time.

She moved on and lived a quite full life still inspired by fashion but through the lens of communication and psychology.

Then something happened, A door closed and a window to her future opened.

She began working on fashion on a different level…and she wanted more. She started lending her innate expertise on style, look, design, FASHION.

Someone whispered in her ear that she should be doing more.

So, she started designing for herself, slowly.

The community started to show interest and support.

She started talking about her vision and goals.

She was challenged again. This time to think bigger than NM.

Planning an official launch.

Life got in the way again and she hit another obstacle. Until a friend WOULDN’T LET HER GIVE UP THIS DREAM.

Hopeless + Cause Atelier was born. She went on to create for some incredible people. These creations were made from sustainable practices, from the heart and with a component of giving back…each as distinct as the wearer.

There were still obstacles coming at her from left to right, top to bottom.

With persistence and love for what she was doing, she picked herself up each time and continued on. She took advantage of every opportunity given to her.

She was questioned by the very people she thought would support her, so quietly and diligently she worked. She brought people along to help them achieve their goals because she thought, we when all do better, we are all better for it.

So here she is, in smack middle of 2019, once again presented with an opportunity too incredible for words: the opportunity to show in London Fashion Week on September 14th. She is scared, excited and pulling inspiration from all over. This adventure will be chronicled here. I hope you will support it and follow along. Again, I am pulling from Fear Less (you can show your support by supporting this dream through my campaign: https://www.bonfire.com/hca-fear-less-in-2019/ )

Moral of this story: don’t let anyone, anything, even yourself, stop you from achieving your dreams, even if it doesn’t happen within the constraints of the time you gave yourself…Persist, Dream, Create, and FEAR LESS.

With light and love,
Dara Sophia Romero

Have you read the book and/or watched the movie, “Eat. Pray. Love.”? I think I’ve asked you this before. Well, the reason I am asking is because words have been swimming around my head like Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind”.

They are not words to define the places I’ve visited or my own personal word (I really don’t know what my word would be), like Elizabeth Gilbert’s, “attraveriamo” (translated to let’s cross over). But I do believe as she said,

“if you are truly to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself then the truth will not be withheld from you.”

The first word began a few weeks ago as I started to reflect on the memorial anniversary for my mom.

LEGACY

As a member of the steering committee for the Ida Romero Memorial Scholarship, we had recently made three more scholarship awards to very deserving students. Around the same time, I was at a meeting and a woman approached me, saying I looked familiar. She asked where I worked and other clarifying questions. As we spoke, we realized it wasn’t me but my smile she recognized. She was a past recipient of my mom’s scholarship. She spoke about the impact the small allotment did to help her over come an obstacle to realizing her goal of higher education. This really had me pondering the question, “what will be your legacy?” It was twenty-three years ago on June 22nd, my mom succumbed to cancer. Within weeks of her death, her friends & colleagues at the University of New Mexico set up a memorial scholarship in her name.

When she returned to school, in the early 1980’s with two small children & recently divorced, she worked in Financial Aid and continued to work there through her undergrad and master degrees, until becoming the director of the department. She knew the importance of higher ED, the barriers that students face, how that leads to dropping out and not achieving that goal. Since its inception, The Ida Romero Memorial Scholarship fund has provided over 80 scholarships to diverse recipients who just needed a little boost to help them over an obstacle in their way, one like the woman I recently met, who is flourishing in her career. What a wonderful legacy that lives on through others. I will work non-stop to ensure my mom’s legacy continues for all those seek a degree. I also love that I am recognized by her smile. We all have the ability to impact someone. What will be your legacy?

FEAR

Early in the morning on June 24^th, the air was dry and I began to cough. Knowing that the company I was staying with had a busy day ahead and I didn’t want to wake them, so I began to cough into my pillow. This is was an innate response to what I had learned as a child…even in my subconscious. As a small child when I was sick and would cough in my sleep, a voice would yell from across my home, “SHUT UP!” I had been classically conditioned by fear of upsetting others by my uncontrollable actions.

FEAR. It can be debilitating. It prevents you from experiences that can be life changing. It takes your voice from what needs to be said. It’s a monster that you alone fuel. 

I’ve feared when are things are going too well, that the other shoe will drop. I’ve feared, being bigger than myself so I play small. I’ve feared relationships, no matter the intimacy level, so I don’t say what I feel, pull back, and run. 

A few years ago, a friend of mine, who is also an incredible photographer asked if I’d consider doing a boudoir shoot. This was so out of my comfort zone, but at the time I needed to get outside myself. It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve experienced. I set aside my fear and let her guide me through the process. I felt incredibly empowered and beautiful in my own skin. I happily share my photos when anyone asks about the experience. 

I stumbled across this image I created a few years ago. I needed the reminder that day. What was interesting to me, when I posted it on my private IG account, was that I felt like it was met with some resistance.  It was one of my most vulnerable shots. I spoke about my fear and vulnerability yet only a few really got it. I’m sure there were those out there who didn’t read the caption or were thinking why are you posting this image, I’m not going to like it. I didn’t do it for the likes. I did it to empower myself to overcome the fear that, I am raw and vulnerable but still can overcome. I had paired it with the lyrics from Fear by Blue October:

‘Cause fear in itself
Will reel you in and spit you out
Over and over again
Believe in yourself
And you will walk
Now, fear in itself
Will use you up and break you down
Like you were never enough
Yeah, I used to fall, now I get back up
The beauty is
I’m learning how to face my beast
Starting now to find some peace
Set myself free, yeah.

Today, when I come across something that takes me out of my comfort zone, I am grateful for the experience because I know it will help me grow and it is leading me on the path new experiences and relationships…I’m leveling up and facing it head on. I still feel all the feels, because I’m human, but I now hush them, and remind myself that I haven’t come this far to only come this far. Thank you Erin for taking me out of my comfort zone.

WORTH

Early this week, I met a friend for some catch up time. As we always do, we talked about life, work and passion projects. As a sage woman, she challenged me on a couple of fronts: the first, a relationship and trying to find understanding my role in it and the second, exerting my worth within my craft. That same night I woke in the wee hours to an epiphany of sorts. I had to address my value and setting some boundaries. The morning I overcame my fear of rocking the boat, I received the following email message from an online page I subscribe to. It is titled, Worth, by Madison Taylor. It read:

“Your worth is not a product of your intelligence, your talent, your looks, or how much you have accomplished.

Though much of who and what we are changes as we journey through life, our inherent worth remains constant. While the term self-worth is often used interchangeably with self-esteem, the two qualities are inherently different. Self-esteem is the measure of how you feel about yourself at a given moment in time. Your worth, however, is not a product of your intelligence, your talent, your looks, your good works, or how much you have accomplished. Rather it is immeasurable and unchanging manifestation of your eternal and infinite oneness with the universe. It represents the cornerstone of the dual foundations of optimism and self-belief. Your worth cannot be taken from you or damaged by life’s rigors, yet it can easily be forgotten or even actively ignored. By regularly acknowledging your self-worth, you can ensure that you never forget what an important, beloved, and special part of the universe you are. 

You are born worthy–your worth is intertwined with your very being. Your concept of your own self-worthis thus reinforced by your actions. Each time you endeavor to appreciate yourself, treat yourself kindly, define your personal boundaries, be proactive in seeing that your needs are met, and broaden your horizons, you express your recognition of your innate value. During those periods when you have lost sight of your worth, you will likely feel mired in depression, insecurity, and a lack of confidence. You’ll pursue a counterfeit worth based on judgment rather than the beauty that resides within. When you feel worthy, however, you will accept yourself without hesitation. It is your worth as an individual who is simultaneously interconnected with all living beings that allows you to be happy, confident, and motivated. Because your conception of your worth is not based on the fulfillment of expectations, you’ll see your mistakes and failures as just another part of life’s journey. 

Human beings are very much like drops of water in an endless ocean. Our worth comes from our role as distinct individuals as well as our role as an integral part of something larger than ourselves. Simply awakening to this concept can help you rediscover the copious and awe-inspiring worth within each and every one of us.”

It was the perfect reminder because I was feeling vulnerable for exerting my worth and my boundaries. My friend, Annie, is still challenging me to value my craft at a higher level. I am still working through that one.

GRATITUDE

These words led me to this last one (at the moment). I think they are all powerful in a way of self-realization, in what way may carry consciously or subconsciously, but what they made me feel is true sense of gratitude for these learned gifts. So on July 5^th, as I began my next rotation around the sun, not knowing what the year ahead would hold for me, I took pause to write:

Gratitude is that feeling that fills your whole being with light. I have a daily ritual to focus on the things I am grateful for. As I reflect on today and the year ahead, there are so many things I truly appreciate.

• The lessons I’ve learned either by the challenges I’ve faced or the relationships I’ve had.
• The struggles that I’ve overcome. I am grateful that nothing has been given to me because I’ve learned to appreciate and work for what I have.
• The love I’ve received and given.
• The beauty that surrounds me and that I recognize and appreciate it.
• This body and its ungracefullness, its curves, and its warmth…my smile that I choose to use to greet everyone I meet, my arms that I use to embrace, my lips that I use to share my truth and my love. May they never turn cold and harsh but always be warm and inviting.
• The places I’ve traveled to and all the sights, tastes and feels these experiences have given me.
• The people who know my quirkiness, introverted tendencies, my imperfections and love me still.
• My emotion that reminds me that I’m an alive, feeling person—passion for all I want, laughter that can be recognized across the room, a heart that can be heavy from caring

I am grateful for a new day and the adventure found in a new year. ♥️

As I continue on my journey and learn from the teachers along the way, I’m building my vocabulary of words that really speak to the heart of me and my lessons. And while I still don’t know what “my” word is, I am enjoying and understanding what it could be.

With light and love,

Dara Sophia

They call me “Hell”
They call me “Stacey”
They call me “her”
They call me “Jane”
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
That’s not my name
They call me “quiet girl”
But I’m a riot Mary, Jo, Lisa
Always the same
That’s not my name

Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name

I wasn’t born Dara Sophia Romero. I was born on a hot summer evening, like a firecracker to two youngsters crazy in love…or maybe just crazy. I was given the name Dara Lynn Stanford. Everyone always asks the origin of my name. I’ve been told I had a great grandmother named Dora (thank goodness I was not given the exact name, I roll my eyes and look at the person with a blank stare when they ask if I’m an explorer) and because my father was Texan, I think he thought adding Lynn to my first name was sweet…me, not so much.

Every first day of school I would cringe thinking how my four-letter name would be hacked or changed into something totally different. I’ve been called: Dora, Dana, Darla, Doris, Donna….the list goes on and on. When autocorrect first came out, my name was always automatically changed to Data. However, the one that always gets me is when I’m called Dare-uh. Nope. It’s Dar-UH (rhymes with Star) and when people use the excuse, “Oh I have a friend named Dare-uh”, I want to respond, “I have a friend named Angela, but you don’t see me calling you by that name, Nancy.” I don’t. I just smile and politely correct them until I just give up and don’t respond when the don’t call me by my name.

Am I hyper-sensitive? Maybe. But I’ve spent so much time defending my name that at an early age I actually thought it would have been easier to have been named Donna or Lisa. And every time someone called me Darlin thinking they were being cute, I wanted to punch them in the throat. Growing up, I only knew of one other Dara. She is the Olympic Swimmer, Dara Torres, AND as far as I remembered growing up, she pronounced it like me. That was cool! The other cool thing was that I didn’t get confused for another namesake throughout my school years. The flipside, however, was I couldn’t push off what I did on another Dara…”oh that wasn’t me, that must have been Dara so-and-so.”

When I got married, I just made my life that much more complicated. People had a hard time with my first name, when they saw my last name, I could see the wheels turning on how they were going to attempt the fete of saying my last name. It did make my name unique. I remember a friend telling me I should use it as a design name because it would stand out like other well known designers:

And honestly, though your name gets butchered all the time, I think you’ll agree that many of the top designers had to pronounce their name a time or two before they were pronounced correctly. I still don’t know how to say Yves Saint Laurent or even how to spell Gevenchi (sp???).  And I’d bet money that it took a while for your idol Coco Chanel to say and spell her name right… Is it channel or Chanel? And in Italian is it “c” or “cc” that make the “ch” sound… How many times do you think Gianni and Donatella had to tell people their name is “Ver-saw-chee” not “Ver-saw-see” 

Yet when the opportunity to change my name came at my divorce, I decided I wanted to be the owner of me and what I introduced myself to others as, and not in a comical way.

I was reading a book at the time, Flying Lessons, it was a great tale of what the writer was learning about her own life by conquering a goal of learning to pilot. She talked about being grounded by God and her Goddess, Sophia. I’ve always loved the name Sophia and if Isaiah was a girl he would have been named that. To me, that name is a mixture of that girl next door, strength and allure. I gave measurable thought to change my name to Dara Sophia with Sophia being my surname. I did not want to keep Ambriz nor did I want to return to Stanford. I wanted to be remined of the power I carry every day and no disrespect, but those names didn’t do it for me.

I have a dear friend that calls me Madara, because she says, “I’m the Madonna of Albuquerque (I happen to know a few people which is a blessing and a curse so she said I only needed one name).” I considered the double first name, but then I realized my connection to my roots, my personality, and my love for life.

Dara is for the uniqueness that I carry. The homage to my parents that came up with the name that has been a beautiful burden but has helped me realize that I should be a strong with my convictions as I am in trying to get people to say my name correctly. I like the duality of Dara. In some Asian cultures is a male name, which I appreciate the oneness, the strength of it and the universality the name carries.

Sophia for my connection to Spanish and Italian culture (my background), for grace and elegance that I sometimes fumble through, and for my own personal goddess within.

Romero for my roots, for the pride in my heritage and for the man and woman who are at the heart of my family and my values, my maternal grandparents.

So I did it, I legally changed my name. Many loved it. Many asked questions. A few thought I changed it to be inline with my fashion design brand (it has a beautiful ring to it, Hopeless + Cause Atelier by Dara Sophia Romero, right?!). And, only one asshole, asked why I changed my whole name….but this person is really an asshole, so I didn’t pay much attention to it.

I love signing my name so much!

When people call me by my full name (Dara Sophia are now my legal first names…dropped the middle name), it makes me smile so big, and really pay attention to that person because it’s a melody to my ears and it’s like they know how much it means to me. It might be a little weird that I feel this way, but I do. I love how I’ve crafted my life and who I am. I’m so comfortable in my skin and that’s the power of changing things in your life to best suits you and brings out the best in you. I know Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” I just think mine is more specific and defined, like a Princess Diana Rose.

With light and love,
Dara Sophia Romero (say it with me ❤)

How many of you reading this are living your best life? Are you doing what you truly love? What did you want to be when you were growing up? I was all over the place. I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be a fashion designer. I wanted to help people and be a social worker. I truly believe that you can be in that role that your heart desires if you are focused on that target and work hard for it. And sometimes, being in the right place at that the right time is the universe’s way to get you there (even if it doesn’t land in your lap, but nearby).

My career has been all over the place and every position I’ve held has had the same common thread of taking me out of my comfort zone and challenging my skills. I started working consistently at 16 years old. Besides babysitting, I worked for a small manufacturing company. My role was an assembly assistant and I worked in a closet-sized room tinning electrical components. I was grateful to my uncle for the summertime job, but it was complete drudgery. With no real human interaction for most of the day, I found myself talking and laughing to myself. A couple of times, he walked in on me as I was doing this and asked if I was okay. I’m sure he thought I was in some hallucinogenic state because the fumes or thought I had lost my mind. I went on to hold a few administrative positions, being young and being female always made for an interesting mix throughout my career but especially at this company…so many times I wasn’t taken seriously and constantly felt the creeper vibe from from my older male counter parts.

I moved on to work for Cardinal Health (it was Allegiance at the time I started). I began a role in an accounts payable position that worked directly with suppliers. My role was to defuse any potential credit holds in order to make sure the supplies flowed to our customers and ultimately the patients that needed them. That lasted a year, when a position for an executive assistant to the VP/GM opened up. I had no experience in this area but what attracted me was that the position included building a community relations presence for the leader and the company. So before the interview, I played with PowerPoint for the first time and “presented” to him. He later told me he was impressed that I learned the software just for the interview. We worked side-by-side for the next 5 years. I supported his work, defused even more difficult situations, planned visits for leadership and worked to get the organization involved in the community.

A position in the HR department opened up, the role was half-time training and half-time community relations. I had gotten my teaching fix (remember, childhood career goals) by teaching catechism and facilitating the Junior Achievement program over the past 5 years, but adult facilitation was something else. I decided for this interview I would facilitate the “making the donuts” lesson from Junior Achievement’s 2nd grade curriculum. It was both an individual and group lesson, and it emphasized working together for impact. I was welcomed to the team with open arms and a sense of humor (thanks, Flora). I spent the next ten years facilitating leadership and developmental training, I worked to make sure our organization was well-known in the community as a good corporate citizen (and fulfilled my desire to do social work–I realized in college when I was working on my psychology degree, that I would be a horrible social worker because I couldn’t leave it at the office, so instead, I could fund and provide volunteers to organizations that did this work) and that employees who were motivated to give back had all the tools they needed to do so. I loved my team and what I did, because every day was different and empowering. I would tease my manager and colleagues that I didn’t have tissue in my office because the employees who came to see me weren’t dealing with employee relation issues, but instead were coming to volunteer or talk about training opportunities. Well that bit me in the butt, the first time our manager and specialist were out of the office. A woman appeared at my door eyes swollen and asked if she could close the door and talk. Then I thought, “Oh crap, I have no tissue”.

Hello friends,
 
As many of you know Cardinal Health is transitioning some work from the local business unit. I may have shared with you that I would not be in this role past the end of the calendar year. However due to business needs, my actual last day with the company is Friday, August 9^th.
 
I have absolutely loved the role I have played in building a better community and am grateful for the opportunity to work with you over the past 16 years. I will continue to be heavily involved, volunteering on several boards/committees and of course fundraising until I find my next role. My hopes are to continue to have a similar impact that the one with Allegiance Healthcare/Cardinal Health has afforded me. Much of my role was storytelling, and one medium I did that through was with photos, so I thought I’d include a few of my favorite below.
 
Pas au revoir, au lieu de cela jusqu’à ce que nous nous reverrons!
Dara

That role ended and I wasn’t sure what I would do next. I applied for several positions I thought I’d be a shoe-in for, with no luck.

I was working on the seasonal, local United Way campaign when the opportunity to invest and become a partner in a local clothing boutique was presented to me. Again, I had no retail background. I had no small business background. I loved fashion and I loved working with the community, so like the dreamer that I am, I fell into the trap when I was told that those things can be learned along the way and what the store really needed was some new energy and my network to thrive. I bought it hook, line and sinker…well, that and the fact that a clairvoyant, Dallas (her story is ruminating in my mind, so you’ll learn more soon), told me I was in a crossroads in my life and that I was going to be a small business owner. Sage advice right (for some I’m sure the word “sucker” comes to mind)?!?

So, I cashed out my 401K. Invested half of it in the store to pay past debt and buy some inventory. Lived off the rest for a spell, because I also lost out on about $120K in salary I was no longer bringing in. I loved working with the customer. I loved buying. I loved creating community partnerships. Was I a good seller?!? Oh, hell no! I am not a high pressured sales person and I didn’t want to utilize my network in that way. At the same time, New Mexico was still coming out of the Great Recession. The store closed approximately 2 years later. My business partner and I had the text book falling out (the one that says you should never go into business with friends and this is why…). Four years later, I’m still paying off the debt I accumulated. But if I could go back and change it, would I? No, I needed that experience and adversity to enrich my life. We learn from failure. I learned what I loved. I lived and came out the other side through with this hearty experience.

“If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion because you are being brave, I am not interested or open to your feedback about my work. PERIOD. (you can’t take criticism and feedback from people who are not being BRAVE with their lives).”

Brene Brown (God, I love her–thanks Erica)

Because of the experience, I realized I now have the most incredible people surrounding me. I decided I wanted to continue working with the customer but in a smaller, working in the baby pool, kind of way. I get asked all the time, “where do you see your brand in 5 years”. I used to say, “on all the major runways and all in the major department stores.” I no longer see it that way. I want to see it in new places I’ve never been before. So in designing, I get to accomplish the four things I hold dear: creating beauty, traveling, meeting new people/working with dear ones, and writing about it all. I want to see my designs on people who find them to be an investment, and are comfortable, confident and feel beautiful in what I have designed for them. If they tell others, then that is a bonus and I don’t have to spend so much time on social media marketing (LOL).

Retail and apparel is in this weird evolutionary place and I won’t jump all in again like I did before. So, for a few years after the store closed, I retreated and went back to center. I focused on my skills and abilities and worked with non-profit organizations in varying ways: development, fundraising, grant-writing, event planning, HR, communications, and start-up. Again, I was working closer in this social worker space and I was right. There were several instances that I brought issues home with me and I had to remind myself, we all have choices in life. It was hard that at times. I felt like I cared more than the individual in the situation. My most recent role was working with HR and company leaders to understand where their employees financial well-being and beyond wages how to help them move positively on the financial spectrum through building assets. I now had that lived experience under my belt and while I wasn’t a financial adviser, I knew what it was like to have income volatility, living paycheck-to-paycheck, and no savings. That’s when the next plot twist in my life’s story occurred.

I’m pretty active on LinkedIn and was utilizing it quite a bit for my role at Prosperity Works. I have a good-sized network and tend to get frequent direct messages. Most of the time it’s someone saying, “thanks for connecting”, trying to sell me something, or the creepy guy making inappropriate comments (P.S. this is not a dating site), when I got a message just as I was preparing for Los Angeles Fashion Week. The message said:

“Dara Sophia,

My name is XX and I’m an Executive Recruiter with Macy’s. I came across your profile through my sourcing efforts on LinkedIn and was very impressed with your background. I would like to see if you would be interested in exploring the My Stylist Executive opportunity we currently have open at our Macy’s Coronado Center location…”

Okay that stopped me in my tracks, but I did a little investigating and found out it was legit. I was intrigued so I asked for the job description. Reviewed it and the first question had me, “Love being around people and making them happy?” The second question, pulled me in further, “Good at finding the right thing to complete an outfit?”. Then I had a hard stop at, “As part of our sales team…” Heart palpitations, sweaty palms and irrational breathing started to occur. Did I want to go back into retail and sales?!? But I threw caution in the wind and continued the conversation. I submitted my resume and the first conversation occurred. I want to be in NYC in the next 5 years. This is my opportunity to expedite this goal. I LOVE working with people and when I see someone come out of the fitting room smiling ear-to-ear, my purpose is fulfilled. I also learned that I will be representing the brand in the community, building events within the store, and playing again in the corporate philanthropy side. Still, I wasn’t sure if I could do “retail” again.

On my most recent trip to NYC, I spent time with a friend, with whom I had some thoughtful conversations. One night at dinner, I asked him his “why”. I have always known my “why” is to help people by understanding what motivates them and connecting them to what will help them grow, self-actualize, or have a life changing experience. He encouraged me to go for it. He knows how much I want to be in NYC and one point said, “Just hurry up and get here already.” On one of my wandering days, I went to Herald Square and sat in front of the Grand Dame Macy’s among the tulips and daffodils and really pondered the thought. I loved the team I was working with and really started to get in my grove in the work I was doing.

In meeting and talking with what would be my leadership team, and the fact that they were offering me everything and more in my requests…would I be a fool to turn it down?

I returned back and accepted the position. Again, heart palpitations, sweaty palms and irrational breathing started to occur. I gave my notice and Macy’s wanted me to start almost immediately.

On my first day, when I received my employee id number, I knew I was in the right place (if you read 365 Days, you’ll completely understand). Once I hit the floor, I was reminded that retail is a lot like pregnancy: your feet swell, your sleep patterns are erratic, you don’t eat right. The first time around you don’t know what to expect, but the second time when those labor pains set in (or those sales goals), you think to yourself, “What the HELL was I thinking, I take it back, I don’t want to do this again…” yet when it’s all said and done, you feel a sense of accomplishment and relish in the beauty.

In my first week, I worked with the leadership team to support “Dress for Success” presentations, connected with local media and film industry professionals, had a fun season trends session with local influencer and TV personality, Casey Messer, hosted two personal styling sessions, attended community events (thanks to my friends who had extra seats at their tables), spent time on the floor talking with customers (and not just about fashion but what’s happening in their lives) and learning about all the brands, worked with my colleagues to understand what they do and how I could help them without the feeling that I’m going to be stealing their sales, and had a blast at the cosmetic counters. Believe me, it was a thoroughly exhausting week. If you are doing what you love, it won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it! I can’t wait to get at it again.

I don’t need to tell you that life isn’t a straight line. I’m sure you can share with me all your winding stories about bumps in the road, side-tracked adventures and even big time failures, but there are those moments when you feel like that carrot or piece of cheese will get you to where you want to be, so my advice is go for it even if you start small, you won’t regret living your best life.

Oh, and because I have freakin’ audacious goals, please feel free to comment on this post, email me, or shoot me a text to schedule your personal stylist appointment (and thank you to those of you who have already taken advantage of my service). Let’s go shopping! Or if you want to have something created especially for you…Hopeless + Cause Atelier is your choice. Just indicate how I can aid you in your personal style or look.

“The wilderness is where all the creatives and prophets and system-buckers and risk-takers have always lived, and it is stunningly vibrant. The walk out there is hard, but the authenticity out there is life.”

Brene effing Brown, Braving the Wilderness

With light and love,
Dara Sophia

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life
How about LOVE?

Season of Love, Rent

I will preface this post by saying, my astrological sign is Cancer. I am a water baby. I am ruled by the moon, emotion front and center. I go between trying to be funny (at least I think I am) and bawling like a baby. As I sit here on this over-sized Cheetah chair with my legs sitting pretzel style (they don’t touch the floor) and my laptop on top, I relive the past year and a big missing part of my life…so here we go!

Tuesday, April 17, 2018, I woke up early. I was in between full-time employment and had been focusing on the Atelier and styling to help coast until I was gainfully employed again. This particular morning I had a scheduled TV segment about earth day and building a sustainable wardrobe. I arrived at the studio at 6:40am with the wardrobe for my friends who were serving as models. The segment was quick but great and a happy escape from my reality at the moment.

My friend and I went for coffee afterwards. We headed over to Zendo for the cool hipster vibe. She looked incredible in in the Raven dress so I thought we’d get a couple of photos, and we really needed some time to catch up. We did. It was wonderful. We were both in a crossroads in our life and just trying to figure shit out.

I spent the afternoon, on my laptop waiting for KRQE to release the video, seeing images of a Southwest plane grounded by an accident. Thinking this was a million miles away, I said prayers for the affected family, never thinking it would be close to home.

As I sink in the sand
Watch you slip through my hands
Oh, as I <am> here another day, yeah
‘Cause all I do is cry behind this smile

Jealous, Labyrinth

I received a text message from a friend saying, “Did you hear?” I responded, “Hear what?” and my worst nightmare came to life. I don’t think I’ve cussed more in my life and then the text messages and calls started coming in. My heart sank and I fell to the floor. I was in shock but was so grateful to friends that didn’t let me sink into a hole of hiding. We went to Our Lady of Annunciation to say a prayer and talked about memories afterward.

Unbelievable moments happened in the following days.

I opened my home with so much love to a friend I hadn’t seen in a couple of years and made plans for her celebration of life with friends traveling from all over the country. It was a celebration of her sparkle and her impact on this community from the mass, to the community celebration, to the small group celebrations afterward. I know she was smiling from above.

I saw people I hadn’t seen in years. We were brought together in our love and grief. The best way for me to move through my emotions was to write, create and check on others. I will never ask what happened and will stop you if you try to tell me. All I know is that a part of me has been ripped from my fiber, yet what I have found in the past year is that she is still here, like a patch or a stitch fix, and I am eternally grateful.

In the following weeks, I attended my first social event in months if not a year. It was the perfect event. I was with my dear friend. We were not only honoring Jennifer, but an incredible organization we were both involved with, Special Olympics of New Mexico. The day following I received this message.

That is who she was. She loved proudly and loudly. I remember just days after her death being asked if I ever felt that she only supported me to try to earn Wells Fargo business and as much as I loved this person, this comment totally pissed me off. She NEVER in one single instant tried to sell me the bank’s interests, she supported me wholly and fully on her own, which was a rarity. I loved and still love her for all she does for those she loves and I hoped she knew I did the same.

May 17, 2018 – I woke to this email. After researching to see if this was a fake and realizing it was not, I knew she had a hand it it. So, for the first installment with British Vogue, I choose my first customer, my first model and my dear friend to represent Hopeless + Cause Atelier.

In June, I was asked to share some empowering advice for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. It was my opportunity to share the impactful advice she shared with me about failure.

Her influence continued as I was sought out with future editorials in British Vogue, British GQ and Vanity Fair UK. And, always sealed with a kiss. I told you she wouldn’t just let it stop there.

June 28, 2018 – I was walking out of an Isotopes Game with colleagues, when handed the latest issue of Albuquerque the Magazine. I opened the “Heroes” page to her, of course I did.

Michael, her husband, talked about her work with Fathers Building Futures, who she was an early supporter of. Immediately I reached out to the founder, who was my dear friend and mentioned the article. She was there guiding the work….and in her way, saying “Don’t give up!”

I got her message of the importance of time and spending it with those who we hold dear. I was also reminded that I needed to create because I had put it on the back burner for months. On September 22, 2018, I hosted Under the Sun. It was a runway event to showcase my work and the fun of fashion. I reached out to Michael to see if their daughter could attend. I wouldn’t put him or their son through a fashion show. She attended with friends and that made my heart absolutely full. It also put the pressure on me to make it an incredible memorial event to honor Jennifer.

August 29, 2018 – Then I had the most profound dream about Jennifer and a mutual friend who was getting married. I was reminded about the craziness of life and how we get lost when we don’t make time for what’s truly important. I woke from that dream so HAPPY to dream about her but also missing her incredibly, but I got it.

There are things that now stop me in my tracks to reflect and provide a reminder that she is with me.

I see this shared all over and I can’t help but smile, while my heart breaks.

I used to say a wish at 11:11, now I say a prayer and send my love to where ever she is.

Anytime some I love travels I tell them, “safe travels” or even more “Vaya con Dios” — go with God.

November 11, 2018 (11/11) – her birthday, I had planned to attend Denver Fashion Week, but had been so sick the previous week I had to cancel those plans. Instead, I participated in a local Albuquerque show. It was what I needed, but found something more–another reminder of her presence. A photographer/videographer captured the VIP pre-show. I watched the video for the first time to see the mannequin models in Hopeless + Cause Atelier. I watched it a second time and realized something that gave me chills. The Jazz band was playing, “Isn’t She Lovely”. It was the song I put to my photo montage of her….I felt her presence in that moment and felt the warmth that nothing could explain.

January 4, 2019 – I was celebrating another BFF’s birthday at Hotel Andaluz and went to the restroom. I was reminded of the time we did a fitting there and her fear of standing barefoot on the floor. We created a make shift floor cover. Then as I walked out, I reminisced about the time I heard her snort as she yelled from the mezzanine above, “I know that laugh anywhere”, referring to me.

I am completely blessed that I have so many good memories of her and how new ones rise to the surface when I meet with friends.

I don’t know how to explain it. Jennifer has pushed me when I have wanted to throw my hands up and give up, or runaway, or settle in what I’m doing. In fact this week when my life is once again playing on the unexpected, I returned to the office on Monday and I had an email with this Ted Talk.

I started to watch this at work. I was laughing and crying at the same time and because I didn’t want to be asked questions about, “what was wrong with me?”, I set it aside. As the speaker says, “grief is uncomfortable” and many people don’t know how to deal with it. A couple of weeks ago, I came across this quote from Brene Brown and realized it’s important to share in that moment with others.

Tomorrow (or actually later today, because it’s midnight), I will reach out to those who’ve lost this incredible human being. But before doing that, I needed to be reminded of beauty, so I reached out to friends and asked them to tell me about the most beautiful place they visited and why? I needed to be comforted by how in my grief there is SO MUCH beauty yet to be discovered. Here is what I found:

Within the responses, there were places ALL over the world and places close to where their hearts lie. Beauty was found through all the senses and their their own personal experiences and sometimes with those they love or around a life changing event. This reminded me that in order to find beauty you have to look around to see it. I knew it was easier to talk about beauty, travel and experience than to speak about love and loss, but why is that?

This Ted Talk spoke to me over and over. I totally agree with the speaker, people expect you to move on when someone has died. And Jennifer still is present in my life and everything I do. While physically not here, she is found what I create, in the opportunities presented to me and in the beauty of the world. All week I’ve been sharing my photos of Jennifer. I have felt twisted about doing it…but why do I have to? Just because she’s not physically here with me doesn’t mean I need to hide her or not share her incredible style, sparkle and spunk. She is part of who I am and I am choosing to celebrate that.

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it’s over
I just don’t wanna miss you tonight

And I don’t want the world to see me
‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand
When everything’s meant to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

Iris, Goo Goo Dolls

Later this morning, my friend, Laurie and I will visiting a local non-profit sharing Jennifer’s motto, “Always be Kind, Loving, Caring & Sharing.” If I can add my own advice, live this way and live life to the fullest. Find beauty in everything, even grief.

With so much LOVE and light,
Dara Sophia

Some call it crazy. I call it any given Sunday.

Everybody comes here; this is Hollywood, land of dreams. Some dreams come true, some don’t; but keep on dreamin’ – this is Hollywood. Always time to dream, so keep on dreamin’.

Happy Man – Pretty Woman

During NYFW, I was going back and forth on social media about reconnecting with The Society Fashion Week. The CEO had proposed I join them for the Los Angeles show in order to discuss a longer term collaboration. And after a long weekend supporting the local non-profit, Tenderlove Community Center, with their annual gala, I received an email confirming our discussion on Sunday, February 17, 2019. I was thrilled by the opportunity and now had the time do it.

I was asked to participate in the show on Saturday, March 9, 8:30pm. That meant 20 days to create a runway show, find the models and book cheap flights. Luckily, I was able to complete the later, first, with a voucher I had (thanks E). I reached out to one of my BFFs, Laura, about staying with her and her husband. Thank the sweet Lord, she was in town that weekend and welcomed me to do so. I hit Instagram and Facebook (and even LinkedIn, I think) to peak model interest. The hard part I thought, was designing and creating the 20 looks in roughly 64 hours I had available (outside of work, sleep and life). It was time to get to work.

Luckily, for me I had already been inspired by what I had received through my inspiration project from January, Through Your Eyes. Based on the photos I received, I determined this was going to be my primary color focus for the season:

A big bummer on my part was the fact that if I knew fo’sizzle that I was showing in LAFW, I would have shopped fabric in NYC…I knew my fabric limitations in ABQ and lack of time to order online.

Monday, February 18, 2019: Hold up…I could have totally been grateful and okay with putting together a show for Los Angeles. However, that wasn’t all! I have such good friends and beautiful souls looking out for me all the time. My dear friend, Sofi, tagged me in a post about a casting for a television show idea. The premise was for a cast of fashion designers from a smaller sized towns that work full-time and design in the waking moments. Ummm…could it be more perfectly written for this designer?!?

So I immediately, reached out to the casting director. She scheduled a call that same day and after that call, she scheduled a Skype interview for later that week.

After I received the confirmation email, and reading the “where I go for inspiration”, I decided to share it via email with several people who have provided so much inspiration (and especially those that participated in the Through Your Eyes activity).

This is the kicker…Sofi sent me a posting for a TV show for designers from small towns that work a day job and design every other waking hour….my life right?!? I had the call today with the casting director, and she pushing me forward to the next round, the Skype round (this is great for the girl that loathes Facetime). If they like what they see, I will find out what happens next. I received the below confirmation and I LOVED the circled area that speaks to inspiration. Thank you all who participated in the recent request for inspiration…and even more so, thank YOU to each and everyone of you on this list that has supported my endeavors, inspires me and pushes me on the daily. 

Thursday, February 21, 2019: I survived the videotaped Skype segment and the casting director again relayed that her role was to put together the package. It was up to the producer to see if it would be a viable show. It could happen right away or never. I haven’t heard anything since, but I’ve still got good juju about it.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” 

— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I pulled this quote when I was thinking about possibilities. I so love the Alchemist that I decided to read it again (it would be my morning 20-minutes of me time during the next few weeks). I knew it would inspire me even further in what I needed to accomplish.

The week was filled with great highs like the interview, somber moments like the funeral of a family friend, and bittersweet moments like the dedication of an educational space to my dear friend at the Barrett Foundation.

I tracked down the fabric I was going to use. Yet, I still didn’t have the finalized sketches nor had I patterned out the looks. I kept telling myself, I’d work on it over the weekend. However, it was also my baby’s birthday so again…not as much accomplished as I had hoped.

The next week proved to be especially busy at work. With legislative priorities all over the place, I was supporting our advocacy director while my own role was starting to see some momentum in working with various businesses and associations to share ways to support building assets (like home purchasing and children’s savings accounts) through out New Mexico (You can learn more about Prosperity Works here). There were late nights in Santa Fe or going back and forth on group chat after work hours to make sure the right people were hearing and supporting our messages.

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

That week I was going back and forth on models. Originally, planning on 20 for the show. I was having a hard time getting all places filled. I was grateful to have Kristen, Jimmie and Carmen returning (and traveling out to LA to walk for me). I was working from 5-7am, returning emails and DMs from models, the beauty team and the production company. In the evenings, I was too tired to cut and sew but was finalizing the flow of the show based on the models I was securing.

However, on Wednesday, February 27th, I received another email that made my life just a little more exciting, interesting and complex in how I was going to pull it off.

I couldn’t miss this opportunity. Yet, it was one day before my show in Los Angeles, and in New York. I instantly RSVP’d and figured that I would make it work.

I found a flight from Albuquerque to La Guardia on Southwest with a change of planes in Denver. It was 6am flight getting into New York at 5pm. That would give me an hour and a half to get to the Brooklyn Museum.

From there I would take a red-eye from JFK to LAX arriving in Los Angeles a little after 2am. That was a little tricky since I was staying with Laura and Ed…so I asked. She said I had to take this opportunity, so I changed and booked flights. I was in (and a wee bit excited..again, thanks E for the voucher).

That weekend I focused on cutting and finalizing embellishments and notions. My KK had a solo art show fundraiser. I didn’t want to miss it, so I did as much prep work so I could sew on Sunday. I had hoped I’d have all the looks finalized by Wednesday, so I could ship them to Laura and not have to worry about carrying too many bags from ABQ to NYC to LA.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019: Tuesday came and I knew I wasn’t going make the Wednesday shipping deadline–that plan was out the window. I had Kristen scheduled to serve as my fit model. She was originally scheduled to come by on Tuesday, but had to change that to Thursday. By Tuesday, I finalized the line up at 13 models (decided that’s my lucky number and capped it there). I had also connected to a shoe designer about partnering for the show, all while working on providing early morning updates to the team on our legislative priorities and presenting to the Mark Pardo locations about creating a savings plan and tax time tips to support goals (like saving to get to fashion week–ABSOLUTELY loved talking about this).

“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” 

— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Wednesday, March 6, 2019: I took the afternoon off from work and hit the sewing machine. Mid-afternoon, I got a text from my aunt. My gram had been taken to the emergency room. My world stopped and as soon as I found out what was happening, Isaiah and I went to the hospital. Something triggered her blood pressure to skyrocket and she had a reaction similar to a stroke. Seeing her in the hospital room, while she was in good spirits, ready to go home, it reminded me of how important she is in my life. I was seriously contemplating cancelling my travel based on the outcome of her scheduled MRI. Thank God she was cleared and could go home with some restrictions on Thursday, but it threw me for a loop and I didn’t sew the remainder of Wednesday evening. Instead, I worked on finalizing the music, graphics and sending the details to the production director.

Thursday, March 7, 2019: That also meant a full-day of sewing on Thursday. Kristen came by about 4:00pm. I had 6 looks ready for her to try on (the sizing on two were for petite models, no fitting necessary).

When Isaiah came home, we ran out to pick up zippers and dinner (no time to cook but he made sure I ate, as it is something I forget when I’m prepping for shows). I went back to the machines, pushing out garment after garment. I decided I would not take my sewing machine with me this time, because of the lack of time I’d have. So I wasn’t able to finish a few looks as I had planned, but instead incorporated a few other looks that hadn’t been seen outside of NM. I packed my carry-on bag with 13 looks, my clothes for two days and my hand held steamer (yes, it was only a carry-on bag). I emailed the look book to the models, beauty team and shoe designer and went to bed at midnight.

Friday, March 8, 2019: The alarm rang at 4:30am. Knowing I had a tight schedule, I didn’t hit the snooze button this time instead jumped into the shower and got ready for the day ahead. I arrived at the airport about 5:15am and saw the line coming out of TSA.

I am so grateful that ABQ TSA was on it. While the line through security was reminiscent of a Disneyland ride without a fast pass, I made through in record time and arrived at my gate with time to spare.

I boarded and within a hour and a half, I arrived in Denver only to find an alert from Southwest stating my connection to NYC was delayed by a hour which meant my new arrival time was now 5:20pm. I took a deep breath, said a prayer, and asked others to pray and/or send good energy that we made up time in the air while arriving safely. I spent the next four hours catching up on work emails and questions from models, the beauty team and the shoe designer about Saturday.

Luckily, for this leg I had a higher number in the cattle line and I was able to access seat C in row 1…and boom! I could jump off the plane and run to the parking garage to access a Lyft. I tried to sleep as much as I could but I’m sure it wasn’t more than a hour. Arriving at LGA, I walked as fast as my little legs could take me to the parking garage. After 3 attempts to get a Lyft, third time’s a charm, I was on my way to the Brooklyn Museum. It was already 6pm so my estimated arrival time was 6:50pm. Twenty minutes late but at least I made it.

As I looked at that gorgeous skyline, I was reminded that it was still so cold in the city, as the snow that fell the following Sunday still hadn’t completely melted. I arrived at the museum; thanked my driver; ran over to registration and walked what seemed like a half mile to the auditorium to take a seat. I came in at the perfect time, a panel talking about being an artist.

After this discussion, a few women took to the stage to talk about their work empowering women and the evening talk was wrapped up by Tory Burch herself.

The crowd moved to the foyer for a wine and passed hors d’oeuvres and the Freida Kahlo exhibit was open to attendees. I met incredible women: one from El Salvador, one from England and one from Guatemala. It was an awesome sight to see so many people from all over the world who made it a priority to be there. I ran through the extensive exhibit (I wish I had more time, but next time I’m in town for sure).

I grabbed a Lyft to JFK. Made it through security in no time so I ran to a restaurant for a quick bite. I ordered a salad, not thinking it would take long, a half a hour later I needed to get to my gate because the scheduled boarding was to start, so I asked them to pack it up. In the meantime, I received an alert that my gate had changed, so I ran out with my to go bag and got to the gate only to realize the flight was delayed. We finally boarded a little after 11pm. I grabbed my window seat and tried to get comfortable. I had hoped that there wouldn’t be anyone in the middle seat, no such luck, so I made the best of it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep well…whomever decided mood lights help people sleep better than complete black out conditions, you were wrong. I arrived at LAX at 1:45am PST. Once again I rubbed the non-sleep out of my eyes and headed out for the Hertz shuttle. I had already received my Carfirmation, so all I needed to do was walk to the stall, get in and drive away. However there was no car in said stall, so I asked an attendant. He told me to wait inside while he got it ready, about 20-30 minutes later, it was. Next, I drove about 40 minutes to Pasadena. I arrived at Laura’s close to 4am and entered with the code, trying not to make any noise as to wake them. I crashed HARD.

Saturday, March 9, 2019: I woke up just before 9am. We ate breakfast made for us by Ed. Then Laura and I went to Target to get a few things. We went back to her house and I did some last minute tailoring with her help. Once again, as she was last year in NYC, Laura was going to be my right hand at the show. I headed out at 1pm. She planned to join me about 4pm.

Straight Outta Compton—when I told everyone the show was in Compton, they second guessed me. I was skeptical myself when I heard, but The Society Fashion Week found a warehouse they could convert to an incredible venue. I arrived a little after 1pm and the models were there waiting. The beauty team asked them to be there at that time to make sure they had enough time to do hair and make up before our 8:30pm show. They sat around for about 2 hours. That was a bummer. During this time, I was approached by a couple of women asking if I needed models for my show. My line up complete, so I said, “no”.

I claimed a rack and some space and started fitting models and steaming clothes. At that point, I realized that I was still missing a few models, so trying to track them down on social media or via text, I found out one of them was stuck in an airport in Texas. I quickly tracked down Lillianna, one of the models who approached me earlier. All models were now accounted for.

Laura arrived and I moved on trying to make sure my models were given priority with the beauty team. I was working with the jewelry provider and trying to find out where the shoe designer was. Again, there is a lot of lull times and chaotic times behind the scenes. I was also struggling with the designer before me that kept poaching my models for her show…that was frustrating because I knew I’d be the one to rushing to get the models dressed properly for my show. Grrrrr….

As the models were getting ready, there were a lot of fun photos happening and runway walks being practiced. The shoes showed up at 7pm, so I sent out the call to the models to be fitted. Once that was done, we were ready (as much as we could be).

The 8:30pm call time came and we huddled together in the order they would walk. I asked Kristen to open and Carmen to close and lined up the remaining models based on height, which varied from 5’3″ to 5’11”.

The music started and they hit the runway one by one. I had cautioned them before that even though the music was upbeat, I wanted them to take their time, especially posing.

Kristen led on the runway.

Followed by Karla.

Lauren was next.

Seeing that the models needed to slow the pace down, I mentioned it again and Kat took the runway with her Vogue poses (I LOVED IT).

Leah was playful to match her outfit.

Melissa was next in her sweetheart velvet dress.

Jimmie was the mid-point model and I realized all the work, all the build up, all the chaos was almost over.

Ashley Nichole had the vibe and worked it.

See for yourself below!! This video clip is the epitome of fun and glam.

Who knew denim could be so regal…well when Mary wore it, it was.

The perfect Cali vibe mixed with a little prep, thanks to Lillianna.

The fun continued with Victoria.

The Lefty Dress returned to the runway (because the world needed to see it) on Ashley Lashley.

Carmen looked heavenly as she ended the show.

As I was waiting backstage with the models for the final walk, I flipped a script, not doing the tradition carousel walk, I asked them to line up on each side of the runway. I also asked Carmen to walk with me out. I wanted everyone to take another gander at these beauties once more.

We ran back stage with many of the models quickly changing to go to their next show and a few staying back to take more photos. I joined a few
for photos (knowing I looked ragged but happy) on the step and repeat. I gathered all the outfits, returned the jewelry and shoes and packed up. Heading back to Pasadena. Laura and I stayed up until 12:30am recapping the evening and basking in the light of another crazy, chaotic and fun show.

Sunday, March 10, 2019: I survived and thrived! That morning, we woke up and slowly got ready for brunch. After brunch, we spent a little more time talking before I had to head back to work (shopping for fabric in the garment district). I made it there just before closing, getting what I needed. I then headed out to meet my friend Maria (who had attended the show the night before, but in the chaos I didn’t get to see her). We were heavy in conversation, when I realized I needed to get to the airport. Rushing our good-byes, I flew out the door, returned the car, and got to my gate. I arrived back in Albuquerque after 12:30am.

“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”

— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

It was another incredible adventure! There are SO many people that made this journey possible. From Brad, Krissy and the Society Fashion Week team, the incredible models, the beauty team, photographers, other collaborative designers, Laura and Ed, Maria, Emet, TSA agents, flight attendants, pilots, janitors, wait staff, Lyft drivers, the team with Tory Burch Foundation, to all of you who follow along, send me prayers and good juju, and support this journey–thank YOU!!

“People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel afraid that they don’t deserve them, or they’ll be unable to achieve them…You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say”

— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

With light and love,
Dara Sophia

Don’t forget: you can follow the Ms. Adventures on Instagram IG: HopelessCauseAtelier

On January 1, 2019, I contemplated the new year as most do: what did I want to accomplish? What did I want to see? What will inspire me?

Then, inspiration struck. I decided I would send a message out to loved ones to see if they’d help. My request was this:

I have a special request if you choose to except it and only for a limited time…for the month of January, and only once a week, if you see something that stops you in your tracks or takes your breath away, will you stop and take a photo of it for me (and as long as it’s not being invasive)? I don’t want this to be added stress in your life, but if you took the moment to pay attention to the world around you, I would love to see what you find eye catching and/or breath taking and why. Hope you are up for it and again, just once a week for the month of January is all I’m asking for. I am pushing my creative limits for 2019 and I want to see inspiration through your eyes to help drive this creativity. Please and thank you!

I sent this message to 20 people from Seattle to Florida, from New York to California and of course, a few more from NM. I choose people I’ve known most of my life and those I’ve only known a few years. Their ages were across the board. Their professions and lifestyles range from: entrepreneurs, creatives, educators, nomads, world travelers, non-profit leaders, CEOs of corporations and of households, and health professionals…lives and likes and loves, all unique. I purposely chose those I did because I wanted to see life through their eyes. I thought, of the 20, maybe I’d receive a quarter of the responses back. I was surprised when the responses started coming in.

I received a total of 13 responses initially and 1 “loved your text”, however this one stood out:

I LOVED it so!!! The fact that my 2019 request would help a friend with her 2019 intention made me smile. I purposefully didn’t describe what kind of pictures would work, where they had to be taken from, or if they had to be landscape, inanimate objects, inspirational phrases, or people. I didn’t specifically say they had to beautiful or happy. I wanted breath taking, inspiring, creative images that caught their eyes.

I responded to each with excitement and gratitude, the only time I offered a little more insight was to my friend that said he was down except that he’d “skip next week because he’d be in ABQ”. I responded, jokingly, “I don’t know if I should laugh or cry that your hometown doesn’t inspire you!?!” The next test was this: of the 13, how many would follow through?

I broke down the weeks this way: Week 1: January 1 – January 7; Week 2: January 8 – January 14; Week 3: January 15 – January 21; Week 4: January 22 – January 28; and Week 5: January 29 – January 31, 2019. I would categorize the photos based on the date received but would provide no direction…I wanted to see the flow in how they came in.

Week one came in almost immediately. It was filled with a Floridian sunrise, the haunting beauty of the holocaust museum. The simplicity of a heart in the sand, the purity of white tulips, the new white snow covering the red leaves, and the inspirational trip in living a dream. Because inspiration comes to us in many ways I was grateful for some inspiring words, “Start something new.” It was the beginning of a new year and for this friend a new adventure. I loved how the golden polka dots played against the straight lines and the prickly shell of flora. This week spoke to me in seeing the beauty in everything.

Week 2 started and I wondered how many would continue to share their inspiration or what stopped them in their tracks.

The next week was filled with ocean-scapes, one at sunset and one mid day. Sunsets continued through from California and one from the enchanting skies of NM. There was a power pose and a powerful little lady in the form of an ornament (boop-oop-a-doop). I received power of peace through street art. I pulled one that inspired me: the power of light to fill the darkness. As you can guess I found “power” as the common thread in this week’s photos.

Week 3 continued to be strong with a few more friends jumping on board. There was a sense of wonder found throughout. As I looked at the photo from the NYC subway, I wondered where these people were coming from or going. There were images of open paths and chasing the sun, one moon-gazing, children playing, safe spaces in difficult times, and even the quote came from the philosophical doctor filled with wonder, Dr. Seuss.

I started opening my eyes. As the inspirational photos wined down, my inspiration started to gleam. So I wasn’t surprise when there wasn’t much that came in during week 4.

Yet, I was happy to see there was humor and fun. The aloft fashion catapulted my friend, Sofi and me to conspire to do our own version here in Albuquerque. And with the difficult time happening in the federal government, filled with finger pointing, it was great some humor.

Week 5 concluded with single story images. I found beauty in the detail of each of these images. The water drops like diamonds on a branch, the incredible imagery of water freezing on contact. And the story you make up in your mind about the woman standing on the street corner.

Since I started this project, I’ve had many conversations with the friends I choose to take part in this project, many were dealing with there own bumps in the road and this gave them a sense of release. This project gave me new eyes into seeing what is all around me and what I can do to create the world I want to see.

As I sit here, waiting to depart NYC (and of course a little broken hearted), I have so many things coming in the few months that I can’t wait to share with you…but that will be another blog. :)…so please keep reading. And in the meantime, please feel free to comment below on what inspires you.

With light and love,

Dara Sophia