LESSONS I LEARNED FROM PLANNING MY BIRTHDAY PHOTO SHOOT

Hey sweetums!!!

It's my birthday today!!!!

I am super excited for the next phase of life and all that God has in store for me as He has already began to point me in the direction He would want me to build on in the course of the new year.

Here are some pictures for my birthday shoot and also the lessons I learned from planning this shoot. 

Enjoy!

I have gained some weight since the beginning of this year but I didnt't realize how much I had gained until I decided to have a birthday photography session. 

My brother, 1Filmmaker had come home briefly, on the 26th of May, to get something and decided on an impromptu photo session for my parents and I. I didn't like how I looked at all and after that day,  I kept feeling fat and uncomfortable with my body, so much that I cancelled the session.                   

Then on the first of this month, I sent out the "Happy New Month" messages like I usually did and made mention of my upcoming birthday.  A bridal shop that I feature on my blog said I should come and do a shoot for her that she would give me all the accessories and that she had a dress in my size.

I agreed and started planning. The Make Up Artist (MUA) agreed to Monday, the bridal shop also thought Monday the 5th of June was good.                   

But this photographer was only available on Sunday the 4th, the time was too short to look for another one besides this one was practically pro bono, based on the relationship we had built.  So I decided to share the new date, Sunday the 4th, with the bridal shop owner and the MUA. The bridal shop said she couldn't come to give me the dress on Sunday as it's not a day of business. The MUA said she was going to church, the shoot after church but she still wasn't going to be available. 

Now no clothes! No MUA by the end of JUNE 2nd.       

     

I normally would have given up at this point! That's the kind of person I am. I would just go, well, I tried my best and chill. 

I spoke to this other MUA who was at first giving me story about not knowing her way around Lagos, I fasheed her and spoke to another one. The third MUA agreed. 

Now clothes for the photo shoot. 

I spoke to another vendor on my blog and she sent the lovely set of coral beads to her uncle so I could get them easily and use for the shoot.                     

Saturday,  June 3rd, was a work day for me and I was supposed to close on Sunday morning. Work was so tight and couldn't leave anytime during the day to get the beads and bring them back so now the confusion was how to get the beads.

Again, I would have given up at this point too.   

                 

I recall that my friend had asked the day before whether I had a contact at the Computer Village, Ikeja which was just a walking distance from where the beads were waiting to be picked up. So I begged my dear friend, Dare Fasure, to help me collect the beads and leave it at another friend's house which was on my way home so I could easily grab them the next day. 

My sister is the stylist and fashionista in the house so I wanted to run the ideas I had for clothes by her but she is currently at the NYSC camp and getting hold of her had been difficult. At about 3pm, I finally got a hold of her and ran the list of outfits (which were clothes in my wardrobe that I just had to jazz up). She also suggested a way to convince the MUA I really wanted to come do my make up so that was also sorted and by 6pm, June the 3rd, I had all I needed ready.         

              

The Air conditioning unit broke down in my office, the office is an airtight one to keep out the noise from the aircrafts so I couldn't spend the night in a room with minimal ventilation so I was able to leave work at 7:45 PM as opposed to 6 AM the next morning.  

                      

The D Day arrived, I was all pumped and excited about this shoot because I had never done a birthday photo shoot before. Packed my bags and went to church, just before the end of service at about 11 AM, the sky bursts open. One of the heaviest downpour of rain started and lasted for about two hours. Called Uber to take the MUA and I to the studio for the session but the drivers cancelled TWICE.

I was already getting frustrated with the whole situation until the MUA said we should find another means to leave. I had been considering how we would leave the church to go take public transport while it was still drizzling but she suggested it so I knew she didn't mind. 

As God would have it, we finally found a ride and got to the studio in time. 

The moral of this story is I had persisted in spite of the apparent difficulties. This is a big deal for me because I normally would have dumped the idea when the first sign of stress appeared; and this is applicable across board o, at my job, my blog, business, spiritual life, finances, relationships, personal pursuits and aspirations etc.                

I wouldn't have thought to use my own clothes or just made do with what I had, when I couldn't get the bridal dress and accessories. I wouldn't have thought to convince the MUA when she gave the reason about not knowing her way around if my sister hadn't said anything. I can tell you at least 5 life transforming opportunities that I have lost because I lacked persistence.

I had been consumed by what I didn't have when it was more about who I am; my strength, my character and mind, how well I could handle pressure and keep looking for solutions instead of backing out when challenges come.

Now look how beautiful these pictures are, look how stylish the outfits are even though they were not 'new' nor specially made for the purpose of the photo shoot. No one would have guessed at the back story, if I hadn't shared it.

So, fam, If you have any ideas, ideas that will solve problems or make you happy or feel better about yourself and you encounter any hurdle, it's the devil who will keep saying give up and magnifying the 'HAVE NOTS'. God says "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you".      
             

We have the innate ability to overcome hurdles because we are the temple of God meaning God lives on the inside of us. Haven't you often heard people say"I reached within me and I can't explain where the strength came from"?  The strength came from the beautiful spirit of hope and faith and love and possibility that is in each and everyone of us because God lives in us.

Below are the lessons I learned from my birthday photo shoot and they are character traits I hope to build on in the coming year. 

- To persist and persevere in the face of challenges, because like the beautiful pictures, it is the glory of results that truly matters. 

- To know and believe that you can accomplish anything you wish to if you persist.                      

- To understand that nobody has to support you neither does anyone have to believe in what you are trying to achieve, it's just about going where God wants you to go to.   

             

I know these now and it took a birthday photo shoot to teach me that.

CREDITS:

 Beads: FI-Beads

MUA: @ibkayyy