Homeless Blogger's "Never-Give-Up" Attitude Leads to Elle Internship

I came across an amazing story about 24-year-old Brianna Karp, whose blog about homelessness turned into an internship with the guide-to-all-things-fashion magazine, Elle. 

This is also a story about love and hope. Brianna used Twitter to share her Homeless Tales blog posts, and this is how she found and fell in love with her trans-Atlantic boyfriend, Matt. Brianna's words gave hope to the homeless and showed the rest of the world that many homeless people are intelligent and skilled individuals who are faced with an unfortunate situation. 

Check out this AP article to learn how the Elle internship plays into the story. 

Brianna's ability to persevere amid tragedy is inspiring and admirable. She's on the path to success, whether or not Elle's editors give her a full-time position one day. This is just the first stepping stone. 

Positive People Help Turn a Bad Week Good

It's been a rough week. Someone very close to me fears he may be losing his job soon, and one of my very best friends of 20 years is seriously ill. While I'm doing my best to remain strong for them, I'm also struggling to cope with my own insecurities and pain caused by a tragic event that forever changed my life four months ago today. 

Just like the old saying goes, when life hands you lemons, go make lemonade. I learned a long time ago that to get through trying times, it's important to focus on all the good things and positive people in your life.  So, that's what I've been striving to do this past week. My mental anguish knocked me down a bit, but a few people helped bring me back up. 

I've wrote before about some of the amazing people I've met through my client, 

The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County. Another one of those incredible people is Tim Schroeder. I first learned about Tim through an article he wrote in TSA-WC's newsletter. Tim made a very powerful impact on me during our phone calls and e-mail exchanges,  but finally hearing him tell his story in person last week was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits. 

For many years, Tim dealt with numerous addictions that eventually landed him in jail facing three life sentences. He fought hard to leave his previous life behind and is now leading a program at TSA-WC and the Livingston County jail to help others who have been overtaken by addictions. He also recently found love again and remarried his wife who he divorced about 10 years ago. You can read all about Tim here. Tim's inspirational story helped remind me that when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. I soaked up a bit of Tim's happiness the day I listened to his story and used it to get me through this difficult week.

The other uplifting part of my week occurred over wine and sushi. The combination of two of my favorite dining choices was made even better by the people I was sharing it with - my best bud and colleague, Lauren, and Stephanie Casola, someone who I previously only connected with through e-mail and Twitter. Laughing, eating and sharing stories with Lauren and Stephanie helped me forget about the bad things that had been dragging me down all week.

I can always count on Lauren to brighten my mood because she's one of the most positive people I know, and I quickly learned that Stephanie was exactly the same. Stephanie was one of my favorites journalists to work with back when she was with The Observer & Eccentric, but she did a complete 180 and is now working at a local public relations firm. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose my job, let alone dive head first into a completely new career immediately after losing that job. My coworker, Andrea Westfall (another person who constantly brings a smile to my face), did exactly the same thing. I admire Stephanie and Andrea for being brave enough to try a new career and for succeeding after such a short amount of time in their new roles. Their positive attitudes and upbeat personalities are infectious, even more so during this past week.

A new week lies ahead, and I'm going into it with high expectations. Life throws everyone curve balls now and then, so I know I'm not alone. Whether they realized it or not, the above mentioned people played a big part in helping me to bury my blue mood.

Anyone reading this who has a story to share about someone who recently inspired them or injected them with a much-needed dose of positivity, please share :)

Feeling Uncreative and Uninspired? Turn to Quotes!

I work at a creative public relations agency with creative people who encourage creative thinking on a daily basis. But some days, I get sucked into a non-creative vortex. Sometimes, I simply don't feel inspired and I don't have the mental or physical energy to get inspired or be creative. Yeah I know, not exactly a mental state conducive to my job. I am sure many other professionals across various creative industries feel my same pain on occasion. So, what's the common cure for the uncreative, uninspiring doldrums?

Some may listen to music to get inspired, while others may scrounge up enough creative juices to pump out a blog post (or journal entry for those who haven't entered the blogosphere yet!) Some may hit the gym to give their creativity a jolt, while others may read.

SIDE NOTE: if you're looking for inspiration in the form of a book, I'd suggest reading Eat, Pray, Love. I'm about halfway through and I think it's phenomenal!

I, on the other hand, and being the sap that I am, turn to words in the form of quotes. I have collected many quotes through the years, and while cleaning out drawers this weekend, I came across one of my favorite quote books that I had tucked away and forgotten that it even existed. The title is simple: be. There are hundreds of ways to "be" in life, but I thought I would share a few quotes from the book that have helped refuel my creativity and inspiration.

Be First To achieve the impossible, it is precisely the unthinkable that must be thought - Tim Robbins

Be Proactive Whatever you are meant to do, move toward it and it will come to you - Gloria Dunn
Be Excited The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it's really a different kind of life - Buckminster Fuller

Be Amazing
It is up to you to illuminate the world - Phillippe Venier

Be Strong
We define ourselves by the best that is in us, not the worst that has been done to us - Edward Lewis

Be Different
Don't go with the flow, you are the flow - Sugi Tanaka

Be Positive
What you find in your mind is what you put there. Put good things in there - Mary Ford

Be Hopeful
I haven't a clue as to how my story will end. But that's all right. When you set out on a journey and night covers the road, that's when you discover the stars - Nancy Willard

Be Confident
Look the world straight in the eye - Helen Keller

Be Spontaneous
Live nutty. Just occasionally. Just once in awhile. And see what happens. It brightens up the day - Leo Buscaglia

Be Yourself
Simply the thing that I am shall make me live - William Shakespeare

And the quote to sum it all up...

Grandma Moses said it best, "Life is what we make it, always has been and always will be."

Got any other quotes that help pull you through the blah times? Do share :)

A Triple Dose of Inspiration

"Life is not about you -- it's about what you can do for someone else."
- Johnnie Bass, program director at The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County's Staples Family Center

I had an extremely long and busy week, but what made it meaningful is that I attended three events that were both extremely motivational and inspirational. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm an empathetic sap and it doesn't take much to put a lump in my throat! But, the events I attended confirmed the old cliche that love really does make the world go 'round.

My first inspiring event of the week was the Washtenaw Community College Foundation Women's Council luncheon in Ann Arbor. The annual luncheon honors three local "unsung heroes" who quietly add to their community with a "can do" attitude, hard work, creativity and intelligence. Two of the women honored this year, Johnnie Bass and Ginny Johansen, have put forth much time and energy throughout the years to serve The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County. Johnnie has spent the past 12 years of her life helping women and their families who have encountered difficult situations get back on their feet as program director at the Staples Family Center, a 90-day homeless shelter operated by TSA-WC. Ginny spent years on the advisory board of TSA-WC and has dedicated her life to providing education and help to those who need it most. These two women were so humbled and gracious for these awards. They do what they do because they are truly passionate about serving those in need, so listening to their words as they accepted their "unsung hero" awards definitely brought a majority of the audience to tears. It was great to witness a community come together to honor and celebrate the selflessness and hard work of these women, and I was proud to be there on behalf of TSA-WC to celebrate with them.

Event number two -- the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus presents Bellobration. Yes I know, it's the circus..and how the heck can the circus be inspiring? Let me explain. L-Pan and I had the opportunity to travel to Columbus and see the Bellobration circus event (work-related, not purely for our personal enjoyment!) After the show, we got to chat it up with some of the performers in the show. Lauren and I sat with Tina and Brian Miser, the human cannonballs who literally end the show with a bang when they shoot out of a ginormous cannon. What I found to be most inspiring about them is that they are raising their four-year-old daughter Skylar at the same time as they are performing 50 weeks out of every year in the circus. The best part is that they absolutely love it. Most people would find it really difficult, and even somewhat strange, to want to raise children while touring with a circus. But Tina and Brian are no different than any other family. In fact, they have the privilege of spending more time with their daughter than many parents who work 40 plus hours a week. It was amazing to listen to this couple share their life story with us and show us just how normal and genuinely happy a circus family can be.

Final inspiring event of the week -- Forgotten Harvest Comedy Night. The mission of Forgotten Harvest is to relieve hunger in the Detroit metropolitan community by rescuing prepared and perishable food and donating it to emergency food providers. Check out this link for some staggering statistics about hunger in our area. Panera Bread donated more than $56,000 to Forgotten Harvest this past year (as well as a ton of leftover goods) and was also a presenting sponsor of Comedy Night, so I got to sit front and center at the event. There was a silent auction during the event, and if my memory is correct, I believe the auctioneer stated that 95 cents of every dollar donated during the auction would help provide meals to hungry people in our community. I couldn't believe how many people did not hesitate to bid and overbid on items! There was also a portion where the auctioneer invited people to join him on stage and simply donate different levels of money. After 10 minutes, the stage was full. All of those big-hearted people who donated their dollars will have the satisfaction of knowing that every dollar donated that night will provide six meals to our hungry neighbors. Now while my bank account and salary didn't quite allow me to contribute the type of money being donated last night, the graciousness of the audience inspired me.

I've said this before and I'll say it again -- I will continue to play my small part of helping those in need (volunteering, helping students/friends with resumes and finding jobs, ringing bells and donating to The Salvation Army's red kettles). And one day when I'm financially stable enough and student loans aren't hanging over my head, I will contribute even more. Things are rough in our community right now, for many reasons. It's a great thing to be able to say you've helped someone in need -- whether through monetary donations or by volunteering your time. Because as Ms. Bass so eloquently stated, life really isn't all about you -- it's about what you can do for someone else.