I don't think I've ever hung on someone's every word like I did the day I heard J* speak in Chicago several months ago. I can't explain why exactly she had this motivational effect on me...I've never been prone to celebrity faints or dreamed of being a roadie. Never really cared much at all what the rest of the world was doing...in fact, I could almost always be found heading the OPPOSITE direction as the masses, forging my own path in disdain. But there's something very special about Jasmine, and the fact that I'm not the only one who thinks so doesn't seem to bother me. Which is odd. But that is beside the point. What matters is this: I came home with her words cemented in my head and I didn't take the mapped route to accomplish my goals...I went as the crow flies: straight over and high above all the obstacles. By the end of the year, I had a new business name, a new look, a new website, a new office, and...wait for it...yaaaaah, cards that finally say, "BAM!" Yah, that's right! These ain't yo mama's business cards! They say just exactly what I want them to say about my business, my art, my style...it's all there in one little 2x3.5" megaphone. I have J* to thank for launching me down that path.
But that's not all...I have a list! Aheeem, I'd like to thank my very amazing bff Rebecca from Uptown Design Studios who took my very sketchy design ideas and turned them into something {smashing fabulous}!! She is right this very moment packing for tomorrow's trip of a lifetime...to pick up her sweet little boy Owen from China!!!! I'm so with her in spirit!
My trusty sidekick Bridget gets a tribute for being absolutely invaluable to me. And since I've always thought the word invaluable sounded exactly opposite of what it means, I'm going to hit that again...she's absolutely irreplacable!!! When it came time to rename this little biz of mine, Bridget was not just a brain storm, she was a fierce and mighty tornado! :)
And since you ALL have been asking, I'll TELL you. Exactly why I named my business Rawsii. It is a very specific combination of thoughts that come together to define who I am as a person and a photographer.
I'm part Italian (I make a kickin' lasagna to prove it!) and my favorite color is red. The word "red" in Italian is rossi (atleast one version of it). I know the correct pronounciation but I also knew that using it as a freestanding word, everyone here would pronounce it with American phoenetics, so that's the direction I was going. While I almost settled on naming my business Rossi, I decided I could add even MORE meaning and depth to it (and make it more unique) if I spelled it differently. Using "raw" just made sense in several ways. Those who know me personally know that I aspire greatly towards being a raw foodist. Even when I don't meet my own aspirations, I'm still a little bit of an earthy flower child at heart. In my business I strive to capture raw emotions. And RAW is a camera term referring to the type of image files I capture with my camera. That part's not unique to me, but I'm pretty dedicated to it. The double "i" in Rawsii is because there are two i's in my name. So there you have it. A multi-faceted word that encompasses who I am as an artist. I've experienced the gamut of reactions to it, which is FUN! I love that it simply invokes such a strong reaction in people, no matter which side of the fence they fall on! That's another way that it reflects me...I like it because it's different, nobody else is doing it, and it's just ever so slightly confrontational. I'm so happy with it, I may just get a tattoo. Kidding. James would NOT let me do that.
So here's the new office that you'll see when you stop by now! We're excited to show it off, so if you can't find an excuse, call us up and we'll give you one!
