Tag: easter seals hawaii

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An insta-summary of the past four months

collage

I know I haven’t been blogging in the past few months. A lot has happened. If you read my post about my job at Easter Seals Hawaii, here’s why blogging on Island Bohemian hasn’t been my priority. I’ve been blogging for ESH since I started, in addition to public relations, marketing, events and designing. All blog posts (unless a contributor is noted) are by yours truly. I’ve fallen completely in love with what we do at ESH. We help people with disabilities or special needs through therapy, coaching with social/financial skills, making sure these individuals (who are just like us) meet their goals. They need every bit of help they can get.

As a result, I’ve neglected myself. Island Bohemian is truly my creative outlet. Although I may not be a true bohemian, but I am in a sense where art sometimes consumes me. I can spend hours designing for a project without sense of time, figuring out ways to improve and market it. My Aquarian tendencies prevent me from creating some sort of personal balance, when I give something my full attention, I end up giving it my everything and start to neglect my own needs (like my never ending battle to lose weight, live an active life and saving for my dream trips to Spain, Colombia and Brasil). I’m an impulsive being and sometimes a lazy one. Seriously, I come home every day mentally drained – I haven’t even the slightest clue about what TV shows, fashion trends, music artists are popular anymore. Miley Cyrus twerking…what the hell just happened?! Pop culture is a blur to me. Politics and the news are a bit more clear. I guess that’s a good thing. Although I’ve still kept up with my art feed on Flipboard and insightful Facebook posts on culture and indigenous rights via Sue Haglund and Craig Santos Perez. I need to keep my sanity somehow.

I’ve made a simple collage (above) to kindly fill you in on what has been going on in my head lately, which are skincare (I’m approaching the 28th year of my life), remembering some of my happiest moments this year, scarves for fall, friends/co-workers and most importantly my family. This year has been rough, in my small circle of friends, four out of the five of us have lost a grandparent…this year…2013…all in one year. It’s pretty unreal. I lost my 87-year-old grandmother in Saipan in July. I was heartbroken for a bit, but our family coming together to say goodbye to her meant so much to me. I truly feel she is in peace.

On a positive note, I’m looking forward to blogging more often. It is like therapy for me. Plus, I have a reason to photograph more people and post more work from artists that have inspired me. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram: @islandbohemian

Aloha,

❤ Di

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My new job at Easter Seals Hawaii, a Chicago conference and a new life mission

IB EASTER1

I’m proud to say that I’m a new member of the development team at Easter Seals Hawaii! I never thought I would get back into public relations and marketing until my good friend Umma recommended that I apply for an open position. Upon my first week on the job, I was told that I would be flying to Chicago for a marketing and public relations conference at the Easter Seals headquarters. It was amazing and eye-opening. I’ve met some really altruistic and insanely intelligent marketing and PR managers that dedicate their lives to the beneficiaries of Easter Seals.

In addition to meeting fellow public relations and marketing managers and learning about the impact of having a news background (which I am very proud of), I was given a personal tour of the headquarters office in Willis Tower. I instantly became inspired by the quote that is embedded into the wall of the lobby. “Your life and mine shall be valued not by what we take…but by what we give,” said the founder of Easter Seals, Edgar Allen. This is something I’ll have to frame in my office to remind me of my mission in case any unnecessary stress arrives.

IB EASTER2

After the conference, I did some exploring on my own. It was my first time in Chicago and I had never seen snow until this Wednesday. Crazy, huh? Aside from freezing my tail off, it was nice to see what people in Chicago ate, wore and behaved. Based on my observations over the past three days, I can tell you a few things: Chicagoans love sandwiches, pizza, dark clothes and they always joke around. Although I wasn’t a deep-dish fanatic, I did enjoy the regular pizza and cafes on every corner. People in Chicago love their coffee, heck, if it were 30 degrees out, I’d love coffee that much too. I ran into every coffee shop on every corner just to warm up. This island girl can’t take the cold weather! Can you see my teeth chattering in the first photo?

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This photo pretty much sums up my experience. I took a head cold and a new life mission as souvenirs and I’m full of ideas for my new job. Now preparing for takeoff…here we go!