Website

Hi there! Decided to cut my vacation short. There is too much happening in Austin to stay away! Tomorrow, at 6:30pm there's a meet and greet at the Green Muse Cafe and Paloma Art Model's Guild just got a new website! So with all that I have to come back. Plus, Austin is where my heart is. From now on all the observations around the world will be made through a telescope...er...one that bends. Take care. Hope to see you at the meeting.

Autumn

I have a friend named Autumn. Hopefully she's reading this cuz it's her birthday. Never really connected the date with the name until a week ago. Ah, today is the first of Autumn. Autumn doesn't really happen in Austin, Texas...but we're here in Kyoto, Japan...so we'll celebrate.

Here's a haiku by Ono No Komachi

seeing the moonlight

spilling down

through the trees,

my heart fills to the brim

with autumn.

This is the last season I'll have with Alphonse Mucha hoped you enjoyed this year.

Get yourself an education!

I've been listening to M.I.A. non-stop, so I thought I'd add a bit of her in here. There's a cute skit where she says that. Anyway, painting my nails orange is high on my agenda today. :laugh:

Thought I'd refer to you some books on beauty since beauty magazines are trash. Really. "Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly," Baz Luhrman said once. But books, oh lovely books educate you and are not subsidized by advertisements. They are free to tell you things that will not profit the beauty industry. So here, I'll include a few about Japanese beauty. Enjoy.

PS. Beauty Up, Laura Miller

Inner Peace, Outer Beauty; Michelle D. Leigh

Goals & Benefits of the Guild

Mission: To bring respect and organization to the art modeling community.

Vision: To be the art models that Austin can always depend on. If we cannot make a modeling session, we address the issue prior to the session, and have a substitute who can make the gig.

Values:

• Punctuality
• Ability to stay still
• Variety of poses

Benefits:

50% Discount to Dharma Yoga

Free business cards

Substitutes available: in case you are sick

Recommendations to art teachers

We are working on getting discounted bus passes to all guild members.

Tips on Becoming an Art Model

Becoming an art model may sound simple. It is, however, to be a good art model and get steady gigs requires more than simply sitting down.

First and foremost, arrive on time.

Make sure you have a good planner and keep it on you. Open studios might call you when you're least expecting it.

Have business cards, and have at least two handy at each modeling session you work. Networking is the name of this game.

Have a robe with you, so you can easily change. It's good to have two at minimum.

Try to stretch before the session starts.

Exercise as much as you can at home. Holding beautiful poses sometimes include raising your arms for an extended amount of time.

Be a muse. Pretend you are a graceful ballet dancer, a strong athlete, or whatever comes to mind to help you model. You are there to inspire.

What matters.

I call him Beautiful, cuz he is inside and out. He says the same for the same reasons. It's wonderful, to wake up in the morning eyes half-open and hear, "You're so beautiful, darlin." Makes me feel wonderful...knowing my face could get hit by a tractor and he'd still say, "Mornin' beautiful!" Brings me to tears knowing I got a love like that.

So beauty, elusive beauty. Women hurt their feet with painfully high heels, extend their necks with brass rings, corsets have come back into fashion, and just little things like plucking our eye brows and shaving. Why? A guy would get beaten up if he shaved his legs and armpits, and that's half of what we do, sometimes. We feel confident when we're beautiful. I at least feel better knowing I have makeup on even when I realize there is a minute difference.

I think Cindy Crawford had the best motto: put on makeup for five minutes and get on with your life! She likened makeup to clothes [that only women wear], to go without makeup is to go naked. Clothes bring confidence. I am an oddity with my viewpoint on that, but it's true with most people. I believe this elusive, physical beauty is important to our self-confidence, but worry about it for only 10 minutes in the morning. No more. There is shitloads to be done in the world...and there's a guy out there who loves you and could care less.

My Voice

We interrupt this program for an emergency broadcast.

The Vice President asked our nation whether we could voice our opinions about health care via videos. I cannot. My voice wanders off, it's whispy, and it is simply me: Waverly. My voice is powerful in the written word, not the spoken.

Health care is crucial to every person in the USA. It's on some minds more than others. Those who can afford it generally take it for granted. I am lucky that I have it. Yes I am lucky that I have it, but I keep a second job that I would not otherwise. Mr. Vice President, I am being honest for you, please do all that you can to remedy the legislation for me.

But I think it failing our nation as a whole when we take a job simply because it has health insurance. When one does not pursue their calling to its fullest degree, we lose our part of our potential. My second job is everything I want and aspire to. I love modeling and want to do it for the rest of my life. It would be nice to have weekends, but just knowing that I have one job would ease my situation. It would give me better power to create this guild...to contribute to society. That's what the public option means to me.

Please visit the White House's website to filter the truth for yourself. It helped me with my research.