Getting married is one of the biggest milestones in an individual’s life and also one of the biggest turning points in the lives of not one, but two people together and to document the same in the form of photos and videos is a given. However, modern times have taken that concept to another level where almost 5-6 months before the wedding day, the couple goes for a pre-wedding shoot. The debate on whether a pre-wedding shoot is worth it or not depends from couple to couple, but in my personal opinion, it is definitely worth it for a pre-wedding shoot/engagement shoot can help you in many ways; for example, if you have the same photographer assigned on your wedding day as the one for your pre-wedding shoot, then it can help you to establish a rapport with him/her and let’s admit it, not all of us are born models and photogenic. But once you get to know your photographer, you won’t be having a hard time posing on your big day. Also, an engagement shoot helps you to bond with your partner too; it gives you a chance to discover what kind of a person he/she is, how casual they are or how formal they are, etc. and give you the time to mold yourself for the future.

SOME CONCEPTS FOR MESMERIZING SHOOTS

Nailing a pre-wedding photo shoot is not difficult at all provided you have an utterly professional pre-wedding photographer with you. If at the same time you are one of those creative couples, then yours and the creativity of your photographer are bound to leave you with an everlasting piece of memoir in the form of an album that is bound to bring back nostalgia every time you flip the album even after decades. If, however, you are not creative-minded then fret not, for we have compiled a list for you of some of the most romantic and beautiful setups for you to choose from and execute:

• Traditional

Going back to your roots dressed completely in traditional attires is one of the best ways to strengthen the bond with your partner and show off your cultural elements in style. Ask your photographer for black and white or sepia themed pictures taken at a location that highlights and accentuates the vibes of your culture and bring a picturesque view to your pictures.

• Candids

Like I said before, not all of us are photogenic and often tend to become conscious in front of a camera. For such couples, the best option is to go out for some activity and let the photographer do his work silently.

• Casual

A lot of couples are not much for glamour or flaunty stuff. They like everything simple and normal and so for them, a shoot should not be extravagant. For such people, the casual setup is the way to go. Doing simple things in simple clothes brings out the best of 2 simple people during engagement shoots. You may recreate your first meeting or display your hobbies for more a vibrant feel.

Insights derived from the survey outlined below must be taken primarily as anecdotal indications of popular, culturally specific sentiment. It would be nonsensical to weigh interviewer-constructed, curtailed answers received by under a thousand respondents as some form of undisputed truth when gauging the art world’s almost incomprehensibly diverse and expansive practices.

Respondents preference’s do although hint at more broadly applicable considerations. The survey raises thought provoking questions regarding the future shape of online art sales across a variety of mediums:

“The percentage of art buyers making online purchases has fallen in the past year, and the growth of online art sales has slowed for the second year running, a new report has found. The findings may cause concern for artists who make a living selling art online, although overall, the online art market has continued to grow.

The survey also found that mobile purchases have continued to increase and take a larger share of the market, and social media remains a key way for people to find new art. “The future of the online market is guaranteed, although the shape remains a mystery,” writes Robert Read, Head of Art and Private Clients at Hiscox, the insurance company behind the report. He continues: “Buying art continues to be hugely enjoyable and exciting (as well as occasionally frustrating) and the continued influence of social media, especially Instagram, helps fuel the growth of the market.”

Changing Sales | The report’s findings, which also assess the impact of cryptocurrencies and cybercrime, are based on responses from 831 art buyers surveyed through Art Tactic’s client mailing list. Roughly 43% of art buyers bought online in the last 12 months, down from 49% the previous year. The slowdown was particularly pronounced for people under 35. Only 36% of this group bought art online in the last 12 months, compared to 44% the year before. According to the report, this suggests that the art market is “struggling to convert hesitant, as well as occasional online buyers, into repeat customers”. Hiscox notes that while the online art market grew by 20-25% between 2013 and 2015, the last 24 months showed signs of a slowdown, “perhaps as the industry struggles to broaden and grow its online client base”. The market growth rate fell to 15% in 2016 and 12% in 2017.

Accessing Art | 63% of survey respondents said that Instagram, which had 800 million monthly active users as of January 2018 and is expected to break through 1 billion active users by the end of 2018, was their platform of choice for finding art. The three categories with the most Instagram followers were “museums”, “artists” and “galleries”, according to the survey results. Tate’s Instagram account has 2 million followers. 90% of new art buyers said that price transparency was a key attribute when deciding which online art sales to buy from, making this a potential obstacle to increasing sales.

Threats | The report also finds over half of surveyed selling platforms had been the target of attempted cyber attacks over the past 12 months. Around 15% said that an attack had been successful. Just over 40% of online art buyers are either concerned or very concerned about cyber crime when buying art online, and 82% said they would most likely buy from platforms they had prior knowledge of due to fear of cybercrime. Read concludes: “The art market is dominated by small- and medium-sized businesses who have historically been at the less tech-savvy, more complacent end of the scale. “These businesses are vulnerable and our findings suggest that cyber criminals may be waking up to this, perhaps seeing the art market as a soft target.” Arts Professional

The Medium Is The Message

Discussions reference art sales as they pertain to traditionally defined canvases, prints or typically smaller compositions. Similar to the structure of the most popular promotional tool implemented, Instagram with it’s series of panels, a ‘gallery view’ is perfectly suited for these.

Here it may be argued that each stage of the process has been influenced. From concept, creation to end-client delivery all portions necessarily either overtly or unconsciously account for the promotional restrictions that such a medium inherently entails. Meaning an artist who profits from utilization of the ‘gallery view’ sales channels may coordinate their efforts, however individually measured as ultimately positive or negative, so as to achieve the best result when their work is viewed through this type of platform.

A similar contention may be exponentially compounded for mixed media, larger three dimensional compositions, performance or any number of visual art forms. If understanding the purpose of artistic creation to be unencumbered creation or sharing of novel interpretations, such a self-reflexive and influential delivery mechanism should perhaps cause some misgiving.

Who’s Buying & Why?

Galleries and advisors were once held as gatekeepers, the art world authorities. The Tate’s some two million followers on social media prove it can still be argued that source reputation and influence may precede deference to personal interpretations. At the very least formal reputation may function as a type of collective indicator of quality filtering for what is an eclectically diverse or perhaps commonly imperceptibly saturated field. And when viewed as investment vehicles, this collective work evaluation retains a significant impact.

An inconsistency arises though with bureaucratically structured gatekeepers now facing democratized, self-controlled and almost truly decentralized purchasing capacities. Art transactions are possible directly between almost any gallery’s producing and consuming target markets.

Through online channels independently each artist has the potential to reach relatively unlimited audiences. Although their authority, expertise and or ‘formal’ stature may be diluted in the face of participant breadth as well as presentation context. At this time galleries or advisors may retain an educated expertise, discerning judgement and or appreciation far past the commonly grasped. Although a purchaser’s choice in selection could still be seen as a liberated one because of the multiple avenues permitting ownership achievement.

Purchasers may decide to buy directly from an artist or upon expert influence. Do they value a composition or did they purchase it because they believed it to be of value. The democratization of accessibility calls into question how worth may now be collectively assigned.

Source

Pricing transparency was indicated as the single largest influential factor. The security concerns and use of reputable channels is more or less subsumed into that metric. If the site, channel or medium was not safe nor secure then any ‘transparency’ in pricing would naturally be secondary and false.

Transparency implies open valuation and clear accounting, from source to receipt. Yet to quantify price must be to defer to one collective or subjective interpretation. It is the price attainable during re-sell or that which is self-ascribed from sentiment or attachment. On its own, transparency may offer no stable universally extendable footing. Value ascribed remains as variable as the art itself, it is derived from the eye of the beholder or market [beholders].

Online or off, publicly available options loosely dictate artwork sales being formed from a place of informed value recommendation or as a facilitation of subjective interpretation. Objective gradations and statements of a composition’s worth cannot be equally nor legitimately applied to all.

“We need to destroy their lead negotiator’s leverage to weaken his abilities to negotiate effectively.” Those were the words uttered during the planning stage of a pending negotiation.

When planning your negotiation, do you consider how the lack of leverage can destroy a negotiator‘s abilities? Leverage adds weight to a negotiator’s efforts. It can be the difference between a mediocre outcome and one that’s substantially better.

Leverage Constriction:
The use of leverage can constrict the implementation of a negotiator’s plans. Therefore, be watchful of when its usage might be employed against you and how/when you’ll employ it. Since its implementation will alter the flow of the negotiation, you should calculate the timing of its usage to maximize the benefits derived from it. Be aware that all forms of leverage do not bear the same weight. Thus, always examine the different forms of leverage you’ll use, and determine which ones will be most impactful when assembling them.

Timing of Leverage Implementation:
There are several occasions in a negotiation when you should consider using leverage.

1. Ponder using it when you don’t wish to discuss points that will drastically alter your negotiation plan.
2. Use it on defense to inject a point as a challenge to the opposing negotiator from implementing his.
3. Consider how you can inject leverage as a surprise to observe the other negotiator’s reaction. That reaction may uncover hidden elements that you should discuss that your negotiation counterpart would rather keep undisclosed.

Combating Leverage Usage:
Park it – When thinking about leverage attempts used against you, consider whether you should address the premise that’s raised. In some cases, it may behoove you to say, “let’s put that aside for now.” If your request is successful, it will negate the need for discussion about the premise of the leverage attempt. Thus, it’s a way to deflate its charges.

When the other negotiator attempts to wiggle free of your leverage usage, you can use your first effort to pin him to a position. As an example, if you ask if he’d like to accept offer one or two, knowing both are bad, and he said no to either, then you could make another offer that was better or worse than the first one; your offer per better or worse would be dependent on what you were attempting to achieve by your offers. He could reject your third offer but then you could feign exasperation and state that you’re really attempting to be amenable; the implication being, his position is untenable.

Refute It:
I attempt to be transparent when negotiating. That means, while I attempt not to mislead, I don’t disclose every aspect of my negotiation position.

During your negotiations, realize that some negotiators will be as transparent as seeing through a stain-free glass. That will be the exception, not the rule. In some situations, your opponent will outright lie. Be prepared to refute his lies with bona fide rebuts that are greater than his. Using that form of leverage will heighten your position and diminish his if he’s willing to accept your pronouncements. That will cause him to think twice about pursuing that line of deceit moving forward.

In your future negotiations, consider how you’ll use leverage to enhance your efforts. The better you become at identifying when, how, and at what points you’ll employ its usage, the better your negotiation outcomes will be… and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

To discover more negotiation tips, along with how to read body language, strategies, and tactics that you can use to increase your financial resources, and other aspects of your life, please visit…

A mold is a negative impression of the object you want to cast. It captures every surface detail of the object right down to the slightest undercut or indentation. It is not just inanimate objects either – it is even possible to capture a negative of a living, breathing person before using the body mold to reproduce a stunning life cast.

1. How to make a mold? – Mold making is an intricate art in itself. There are many techniques such as block molds, blanket molds, glove molds, poured molds and more. The making varies from simple to intricate and some can get quite time-consuming. Similarly, you can make the mold as a single piece or in two or more multiple parts depending on the shape and complexity of the object. The choice of mold type depends as much on the object as your own dexterity and comfort level.

2. What do you need? – You have to stock up on various materials, supplies, tools and equipment to make molds. There is a varied choice of mold making materials such as clay, plaster, alginate, moulage, polyurethane resin, latex rubber, silicone rubber, thermoset mold rubber and so on. Each of them has specific features, functions and suitability. You will also need gloves, containers, spatulas, mixer, brushes, knives, rasps and sometimes even a vibrating table or vacuum chamber. You should source all your art materials and tools from a trusted brand and supplier to ensure good quality and value.

3. How to go about it? – Once you have settled on the most suitable mold making material and method, you begin with the actual mold making. You will need a mold box to contain the object and seal the object first. It’s better to apply a release agent over the model. Then you have to apply or pour the mold making material all over the object. Technical aspects like spues and keys will have to be considered. The mold has to set properly before demolding it carefully from the object.

4. How to use the mold? – Once the mold has cured properly, it is ready for use. Clean and finish it properly before proceeding to the casting. You have to carefully choose a complementary casting material as the latter should not react or interfere with the mold in any manner. Sealing and coating with release agent follows again before pouring the casting material.

5. If you need help? – Mold making is interesting, enjoyable and even makes for a lucrative profession. You can learn how to make a mold by apprenticing under an expert, watching videos, reading how-to books or even experimenting on your own. Or you can choose to join a workshop that is led by an experienced professional for some valuable hands-on learning.

The author is an artist by profession as well as an experienced writer in the field of art and craft. In this article, he has focused on how to make a mold and other things that are related to it.

Tips are earned.

I should actually just stop there; drop the proverbial mic and walk off, but all of us enjoy clarity, so let’s continue on, shall we?
Tips were never intended to create an entitlement nor give the expectation of the existence of any absolute “Minimum.” When I go out to eat, you start at 0% and work your way up. For excellent service, I’ll leave a $20 tip for a $15 bill. You earn a great tip from me when you go above and beyond the normal:

When you engage me beyond “what’s your order,” like crack a good joke and compliment my wife.

When the refills hit the table at or before my glass gets empty;

When you have intelligent things to say about the menu without me having to ask.

When you steer me away from an item that’s not up to par.

When you do something unexpected that makes my experience better.

The norm used to be 10%, and even then it was never understood as an expectation, but rather as a bonus for exceptionalism. Then the food service industry lobby kept pushing for higher and higher tip percentages and promoted the idea of minimum expectations and acted as if it should go up every time the wind blew. Then it became popular to attempt to shame people into giving higher tips with industry funded articles stating how only horrible people tip less than the new higher rate.

If I see a tip jar at the cashier’s counter of a coffee shop, fast food joint or stop-and-rob, or even taped to the outside of a drive-through window, I turn right around and leave. Giving me what I ordered is not “earning” a tip, and demanding a tip or acting like that tip is an expectation rather than a privileged bonus for exceptional service is insulting. I’ve left outrageous tips, and I’ve left a penny. Tips are a direct result of the amount of effort put into the service given. I don’t care what the service industry lobby says a tip percentage should be; they are tooting their own horn for their own benefit.

When I walk into a place that has a mandatory tip on the bill; I walk out and never go back because that is just pure arrogance and I will not pay a single dime to any establishment that does that. There are a lot of crappy service workers that expect 18-20% tips and have never earned that in their life. Tips are not the automatic entitlement the service industry lobby would like you to think they are, tips are for people who hustle and excel at what they do.

Personally I think sub-minimum wages should be banned altogether since the service industry as a whole has abused and distorted that completely in their own favor and put all of the pressure on the wait staff. Making someone go above and beyond just to reach minimum wage is degrading and unfair.

Trying to shame your own customers into making up for the fact that you’re a cheep-scate who won’t pay minimum wage is just as insulting.

The concept of reality shows

Reality television is a television programming genre that displays usually unscripted overdramatic or hilarious situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of trained actors, sometimes in a competition or other circumstances where a prize is awarded. Shows in the Reality TV are called as reality shows that are often produced as series. The people are either engaged in competition with each other or in an awkward situation or spied on in their daily lives. Reality TV is a buzzword of the day. Watching reality shows have become our favourite past time and a source of fun and enjoyment. It is a real program cast with real people not with actors.

Though the term reality television is chiefly used to categories shows that have arisen since the year 2000, the history of reality TV shows goes back farther than we can think. Television has been depicting the lives of people through dating shows, contests and pranks for a very long time. It has a great history which most people didn’t know considering modern reality television and its boom in popularity in recent years. The reality TV show started in the year 1948, Producer-host Allen Funt’s Candid Camera, in which unsuspecting people were drops into funny and unusual situations gets filmed with hidden cameras, was first aired in the year 1948. The show is seen as a prototype of reality television programming.

Different kind of reality shows

There are various types of reality shows that are running on TV. These shows broke the boredom of the traditional scripted shows and started showing the real-life situations. Reality shows cater to different age groups and tastes because of the availability of the wide range of themes. In many reality shows, participants are often placed in exotic locations or in abnormal situations. Some of the reality shows cover a person or a group of people improving their lives. They represent a modified and highly influenced form of reality to attract its viewers. Documentaries and nonfictional shows for example news and sports are not categorized under reality shows.

Some types of reality shows are as written below:

• Documentaries or Documentary Series

Out of all the subgenres of reality TV, the documentary subgenre is possibly the most general one. The core difference between documentaries and a documentary series is that while documentaries are every so often constrained to one episode, documentary series span a series in its entireness, following a series of arc-like scripted television. The subgenre would also cover most social experiment shows, where different kinds of interactions are observed just for the sake of a new experiment.

• Competition or Elimination

Reality programs that are based on a elimination or competition format are just about getting eliminated by the annoying housemate or having the best participant become the winner. They are all about winning something important overcoming your competitors. The competition may be among all the other participants, or against time/money.

• Makeover or Renovation

Same as the name itself says this type of shows either about Makeover of a person’s appearance or make a renovation of your old house.

• Dating

This one is the most significant subgenre of reality TV where the boy meets girl and the audience stick to know ‘will they or won’t they’ aspect of the story.

• Hidden Camera

Starting with Candid Camera, this is possibly the longest-running reality subgenre. It is all about capturing the reactions of innocent people placed in unexpected situations. This subgenre also covers shows which rely on amateur submitted content.

• Supernatural

The most common types of the show in this subgenre are programs that investigate paranormal occurrences. The subgenre also encompasses shows which focus on hunting down famous mythical creatures.

• Travel or Aspirational

Since most audiences can’t afford to travel to the faraway lands for a vacation, many of us settle on enjoying these destinations through this type of travel shows where a person, couple or group goes to a trip and film all of their experiences for the viewers.

Besides all these shows celebrity talk shows or competitions like talent hunt, adventure, game shows or fear-based shows are also mentionable.

Reality Shows in India

The very first reality show of any kind on Indian TV was a quiz contest Titled- Bournvita Quiz Contest. It was hosted by the famous Derek O’Brien in the year 1972. But first, it featured a live show in various cities initially, then went on air as a radio show. In the year 1992, it became the first reality show to be featured on ZEE TV and Indian Television. Then came “Sansui Antakshari” in the year 1993 which was hosted by Annu Kapoor on ZEE TV and It became the first Indian singing reality show that ran till 2006. Came in different versions of Star One and SAB TV with the same host after 2006. ZEE TV made its name to bring about home-grown reality shows rather adapting international reality shows on Indian TV. Singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa came in the year 1995 hosted by the famous singer of Bollywood Sonu Nigam and the dancing reality show that changed the whole scenario of dancing shows Dance India Dance came in the year 2009.

Sony Entertainment Television launched India’s first dance reality show titled- Boogie Woogie it was created by Naved Jaffrey in the year 1996 and hosted and judged by Javed Jaffrey. It was as an immediate hit for the channel. In the year 2000, Star Plus aired “Kaun Banega Crorepati” with Amitabh Bachchan (an adaptation of “Who wants to become a millionaire”) which went on to become India’s favourite and most watched reality show. To give competition ZEE TV launched another game show titled- Sawal Dus Crore Ka and Sony TV launched Jeeto Chappar Phhad Ke but KBC’s popularity didn’t deter; making it the most successful reality show in Indian television. Sony India came up with Indian Idol in 2004 which was an adaptation to the popular international reality show “American Idol”. After its success with grown-ups, they came with kids participants in the show which helped the show to gain love by all.

The production team of Endemol India came up with popular reality show Big Brother’s Indian version of Bigg Boss and Fear Factor on Sony TV in 2006. It became India’s most popular international adapted show after KBC. It was moved to Colors TV making it India’s most watched Hindi Television due to its backing on Bigg Boss, Fear Factor competing with the likes of Star Plus and ZEE TV.

Next revolution reality shows in India came with an adaptation of other famous international shows like The Voice India and So You Think You Can Dance on &TV. These shows changed the concept of singing and dance shows on Indian Television. Other popular reality shows based on foreign shows are like MTV Roadies, India’s Got Talent etc.

The actual reality of reality shows

It’s generally accepted that reality TV is really kind of terrible. What was once considered innovative in the entertainment world, has devolved into unintentional comedies starring the most horrible and awkward people imaginable. Nowadays real is the last thing that strikes you about reality shows. Whether it is a dance show where lesser-known faces of telly world vie for the best dancer tag or the Bigg Boss’s house in which racial slurs and catfights are a part of the process to decide winners, much goes into presenting a reality show as real. There is a vast majority of reality television shows that are not 100 percent real, as there is a high degree of manipulation in order to achieve sustained audience attention.

Results are in reality shows mostly controlled by producers/directors. They want to keep audience believe it is random and unpredictable, to convey this most of the time some candidate is told what to do, how to do. They are even told to behave in certain ways. And in the end nobody will show you all things, things will get edited and aired show may be far from actual reality. Reality Television is a genre more of an exact description of the shows themselves. Producer’s fake shots and even re-stage dramatic moments that happened when the cameras weren’t rolling- pretty much everything is actually plotted and planned out like the normal scripted show. Most of the reality shows still hold a basic level of truth, however, portraying events that really did happen, even if they’re acted again for the cameras. These shows feature people living their lives and doing their jobs, even if a lot has been smoothed out of their day-to-day routine in order to edit out the boring bits.

Most of the talent hunt, singing, dancing even in shows based on general knowledge like “Kaun Banega Crorepati” participants has to go through a long struggle. Most of the time voting is absolutely rigged and the winner gets decided as per his or her capability of keeping TRP’s high. Most of the contestants of the reality shows, especially the winners, might get disappointed soon after their win, the attention shifts to the winner of the next season. The limelight being taken away from them doesn’t agree with many young people. Some contestants might get frustrated as they harbour false hopes that once they win the contest, their future is set for good.

Impact of reality shows on society

New boys & girls who are becoming reality TV celebrity stars does not succeed on talent but use melodrama to always remain in the news. One of the worst effects of their action is on teens who try to emulate their behaviour. All the stunts that are done on these TV shows under organized conditions are copied by the people in reality and resulting in death. Some of the shows where contestants participate to win prizes show them in poor light as they use meanness and greed to outdo each other. The negative traits can manifest themselves in the audiences and create behavioural problems. Liberal doses of abuses are hurled on the shows because the directors think that more and more people will watch them. It is a huge mistake because bad words are caught by teens and kids affecting their personality as well as behaviour. Although kids’ reality shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs, Sabse Bada Kalakaar, Junior Masterchef India and many other shows attract the audiences and gains good ratings, it is not advisable to put children under stressful situations in the early years of their lives! Small children have been forced to participate in reality shows, they have wrenched away from all normal activities and thrown into a single-minded devotion to lending their voices to these reality shows. They are compelled to shoot for long hours, sometimes in scorching hot non-air conditioned rooms. Even Parents also pressurise their children to excel on reality shows, small children become victims of a system that fosters and encourages unrealistic ambitions.

Some reality shows show participants taking extreme risks and putting themselves in bizarre or dangerous situations. Since younger children mostly learn through imitation, watching such programmes may put them at risk of physical injury. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology indicated that children who viewed high-risk TV programmes increased their self-reported risk-taking behaviour significantly more than children who were exposed to low-risk TV or watched less TV. Reality shows that are focussed on some people and their day-to-day lives are a big nuisance and parents need to draw a line when it comes to children watching such shows. They portray everything in an exaggerated manner which is not at all a reflection of real life. This should be made clear to our children. Reality talent shows, on the other hand, make parents feel that their own children are inadequate.

Prevention from the bad effects of reality shows

First, establish that watching reality shows is not a priority in the family. According to the age and understanding of your child, explain what your family belief systems and values are and that they do not match what is shown on reality TV. Help the child understand the impact such programmes can have and that real life is different from what is projected in a reality show. Have discussions about this in a friendly and non-threatening manner.

Cosplay can seem a little intimidating for those just starting out, especially if planning to attend a convention. Dressing up to match the look of a favorite character from a comic book, anime, television series, movie or video game is now a very enjoyable pastime for more and more people every year. But the process of choosing the right outfit needs to be carefully chosen for the most enjoyable experience.

Let’s take a look at a few useful tips for beginners:

Carefully choose the outfit

The best type of outfit to wear at a convention has the ability to naturally complement your build and looks. However, with such a varied range of characters to get inspired by, there is certain to be an outfit that can fit virtually all sizes and shapes. Also, if you are planning to create the outfit, it helps to match your sewing skills to what you intend to make. For instance, there are plenty of outfits that involved catsuits and leotards which are mostly easy to accessorize to achieve the desired look of a favorite character.

Pack your gear wisely

A big and bulky outfit can easily get crushed or damaged while traveling to a convention. Therefore, it is essential to go with an outfit that is easy to travel with if planning a long-distant journey. Any armor or large pieces should give the option to reduce the size or fold to ensure everything fits in a vehicle. For the complete beginner one of the easiest options is likely to be the zentai suits or a similar style of outfit.

Use outfits with light materials

Some of the most impressive outfits are large creations, but they often make use of plenty of thick and bulky materials. This can leave the person wearing the outfit hot, sweaty and tired even after a short period. If you plan to visit a convention in the summer, make sure to pick an outfit with light materials that will go well with the temperature.

Using face or body paint

The use of face or body paint is a common mistake that many new to cosplay make. Most of the paints don’t last that long and will soon start to run and look quite streaky, as well as clogging up the pores. Alternatively, one of the zentai suits or nylon stockings can be painted to create the desired look. Also, face powder can be applied to create a lighter look that is less likely to run.

Whether you consider it using flow charts, whiteboards or even just free association, Mind Mapping has been around for some time now. People have used it for taking notes, brainstorming, and problem-solving. A Mind Map is a tool used to visually organize information or ideas. As a writer, it can be used for solving writer’s block or creating a workable outline. Today I am going to show you how to create a character sketch.

Character sketches can be very basic or incredibly detailed. It can include eye and hair color or blood type and your heroes first kiss. Many writers go online and look for pre-made character sketches that include hundreds of questions that may not apply to your work. This is where the idea of a mind map comes in handy.

For those who are not familiar with the process, don’t worry creating a mind map is not complicated. It can be done on a piece of paper, a whiteboard or using software programs. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are several FREE programs that will do an excellent job, including xmind.net, mindmaple.com, and freemind.sourceforge.net. Some of these programs have paid versions, but as a writer, the free versions will do everything you need.

To create a mind map on any subject there are 4 basic steps.

Step 1 – Start by writing a single concept in the middle of a blank page.

Step 2 – Add related ideas to this concept and use lines to connect them.

Step 3 – Branch off each of these ideas to expand and create new thoughts.

Step 4 – Use different colors, symbols, and images to make each branch unique.

To help visualize this process I will use one of my own characters as an example. Every character you create will be different, but if you use these points as a starting place, it will be much easier.

My starting point is always very specific. I use my character’s name and a photo of what I think he or she will look like. Why do I add a photo? Because as the saying goes, “a picture IS worth a thousand words.” Personally, I put the name and photo inside a red circle at the center of the page, like a bullseye.

I add new ideas to focus on around my character. Each idea is placed in its own circle and connected by a wavy line. Why a wavy line? Because straight lines are boring and analytical, I am trying to tap into the creative side of my brain. I will also use a different color for each circle and the line that connects it, for the same reason.

I focus on six main points with each character. These include Family, Friends, Work, Skills, Physical and Secrets. At this point, it might be hard to come up with a photograph for each category, but you can use symbols like a question mark for the section that says Secrets.

This is where the fun begins. Under each main point listed, I include 5 additional sub-ideas. For example, under Family, I would list Mother, Father, Siblings, Other and History. Each of these would also have their own circle, and I would color that circle the same as the primary idea Family.

I can already hear someone saying this won’t work for me, my character’s parents are dead, or my character is an orphan. So? This is only to spark ideas. If the mother is dead, this will remind you of that and be a memory for your character to ponder about. If she’s not, you can describe what he liked or disliked about her the most.

The same idea applies to Siblings, if he has them he can tell stories of when his brother did this, or his sister did that. If he never had one, did he ever wonder what it would be like to have a brother or sister?

You might wonder why I included the word Other. Whether your character’s parents are living or not at some point someone else had a major impact on his life. That could be a babysitter, a scout leader or a teacher. All of us are created by those we have interacted with.

History would include things like who was the black sheep of the family, are all the women in this family short, have there always been anger issues? These are the things the character himself may not even realize affect his (or her) way of thinking.

I could write an entire article on how your character’s family affects the way they act or think or believe. That’s kind of the point of a mind map, you can go as deep as you want. By keeping it simple, (one word at a time) it allows your mind to keep filling in the blanks. Don’t believe me? Just say the word Mother out loud and see what images and thoughts pop into your head.

Most of the categories I listed are obvious, but I do want to take a moment to talk about Secrets. Every person on the planet has them and if you think you can create a character without them, you are sadly mistaken. It could be as simple as they never learned to swim, or as dramatic as they killed their own sister. This is also a good place to include habits. For example, if you wrote Taps, it could remind you when he gets nervous he always taps his fingers. If you wrote the word Ring, you would know she twists her ring when upset. You don’t have to write the whole reason why she twists her ring just write the word to keep your imagination going.

Key points to remember:

1st point – Keep is simple. One word at a time. You are not writing the story you are capturing ideas to include in the story.

2nd point – Use color. Bright, vibrant colors stimulate the mind. The more stimulated the mind, the easier it is to be creative.

3rd point – Use curved lines to connect thoughts. Why? Because if you just use straight lines, the brain gets bored quickly.

4th point – Add images whenever possible. Why? Because if a picture is worth a thousand words, then 10 pictures are worth ten thousand words. By using a word AND an image you engage both sides of the brain without limiting your potential.

Once you start using mind mapping to write, ideas will flow one after another. It’s actually very hard to have writer’s block if ideas come so fast you can’t keep up. It may not solve all your writing problems, but it will make things easier.

Art Student, Chiamaka Okenwa, answers the question, ‘What runs through the mind of an artist before the birth of a true masterpiece?’ This is a question that plagues everyone, especially in today’s chaotic world where your identity is easily lost.

The answer to this question is what I have set out to find in my visit to ‘Identities’, an exhibition at Denk Spaces. At the entrance to the gallery was a display by the exhibiting artist Erasmus Onyishi. What had at first appeared to be a mere tangle of wires and clutter took form upon more careful observation as a colony of ants marching up the wall. This mixed media piece, Openly Closed, was perhaps what opened our minds to the existence of other forms of art apart from realism, a concept we had been more or less closed off to.

Stepping into the building, eyes began to fill with wonder. Each separate work was a colorful and vivacious expression of the same, special theme: Identity. The exhibiting artists had identified themselves through their work by their choices of color, line, texture and form, and each work appealed to all of us in different ways. One of Henry Eghosa’s expressive works, depicting a woman in the process of dressing in traditional attire seemed to whisper, our culture is our pride. Stephen Osuchukwu, in his dignified rendition of an elephant herd, drew focus to the matriarch elephant whose leadership position is almost synonymous with its identity. This female cow is the oldest and largest in the herd and is responsible for leading the elephant herd. Their survival rests on her broad shoulders. On deeper reflection we realize that, perhaps, we are a sort of matriarch when we are given leadership positions.

Obinna Makata, in his work Beauty Deeper than Cosmetics II, leads us to realize the need to maintain our own unique identities in a world where society dictates what to wear, how we should look and, ultimately, who we become. Another work of his, Of Race and Identity, tells us Africans that we do not truly conform to the label [Black], but our identities are rainbows of color, because there is a splash of something special in each and every one of us. His artful employment of Ankara emphasizes individuality. Just as each Ankara pattern derives its beauty from its unique pattern, so we derive our own from our difference in identities.

Promise O’nali, whose novel style would identify him in the farthest corners of the world, gives us another take on the term, identity. Because who are we, really? It is something to be deeply reflected upon. His works, in a cool and simple manner, induce the viewer to observe the intricacy of man’s journey through life, and the constant battle to maintain his true self.

At the end of this truly inspiring and eye-opening exhibition, I returned almost on a different plane of mind. I had taken away one general lesson. In the words of Mr. Nnoli, “Art is always involved in our lives… It opens the door to our individual creativity.”

Celebrities come and go. They can either stay for a couple of years, but some fail to carve a niche in the entertainment industry and remain a starlet. Some are successful and become iconic in the music scene, television and movies.

You might be wondering why some of them have disappeared in the industry. If you observe their stellar status, the luckiest are those who share common characteristics that made them rich and famous.

Take a peek at the 8 common characteristics famous celebrities have in common. Find out if you have any of these traits that can be helpful in your chosen profession.

1. Strong determination and confidence. Celebrities are confident and determined to pursue their goal no matter what happens. They are the kind of people who do not care about what others say when they pose nude in a men’s magazine or wear a bizarre outfit. Getting out of poverty and to become famous are two things that prodded them to try their luck in Hollywood hoping that they could find the right people to help them in their budding career.

2. Their work ethic is infectious. Actors and singers are deprived of sleep as they have to stay awake until the following day to finish their commitment. They work hard not only because they know that they are highly compensated for their efforts, but because they want to leave a legacy when they are no longer active in the industry. Highest paid actors only spend 2 to 3 hours of sleep until their project is finished. But the prices they get from being workaholics can buy them a new house, a car, a set of jewelry and a swanky bag.

3. They work for the sake of art. Multi-awarded actors are choosy in their roles despite the high talent fee that they could receive for a particular project. Top caliber actors who have become financially stable would pick meaty roles that could earn them an Oscar award. They don’t mind if they have to go bald or topless for as long as the role will increase their level of creativity and transform them into a respected actor. Some celebrities accept roles that are challenging even if they don’t share the same billing stature with the main actors.

4. They are creative and unique. Famous Hollywood personalities defy the standard and social norms. They never stop creating and reinventing themselves to enable them to catch the public’s attention. Miley Cyrus, Madonna, J Lo, Michael Jackson and to name a few, had their own strings of gimmickry and controversy to promote their albums or movies. Even local artist in some key cities in the world do the same thing even if it could ruin their reputation and make them infamous. Defying the norm and ignoring their bashers is the best action that celebrities must do to succeed in their showbiz career. Gossips are part of showbiz and welcoming them with an open heart can make them stronger and better celebrities.

5. They think, believe and dream big. True artists think that there is no small role for them. Budding actors must heed what their veteran counterparts say that in order for them to be recognized and earn big, they should accept any role that can hone their acting prowess. Since the competition in the world of showbiz has become stiff, they must grab every opportunity that comes their way. Not unless they are products of reality shows or beauty contests, penetrating the entertainment industry is a bit hard. Changing their mindset from small to big things will inspire them to strive hard and make it big in showbiz.

6. They have a high emotional quotient. Although beauty and talent are important things to consider when discovering a new talent, movie directors and producers would prefer actors with a good work attitude. Celebrities who are acting like divas will most likely to lose their chance of getting the right break because their attitude can cause a lot of problems during location shooting. High EQ celebrities come to work before call time and they do not cause glitches or delay at work. They can mingle with anyone in the set from the director to the janitor. They can laugh at their own mistakes and can exchange jokes with their fellow workers, even if they have been sleepless for several nights. Most of all, they welcome strangers and mobbing fans for autograph and photo ops.

7. They enjoy every bit of their work. Become passionate about your work as an artist in the real sense of the word will give you more inspiration to hone your craft. Celebrities who are enjoying their career are the one who will become successful as they do not get discouraged when failure comes in one point of their lives.

8. Money and fame are only secondary. These two things that can lead to frustration if celebrities are unable to achieve them. Some famous celebrities who are getting less projects and their fans are ignoring them have become depressed and suicidal. This is because they think that money and fame are the most important things in life. But the truth is, any career that is taken with passion can be a great source of your finances if you know how to save your money.

Celebrities who have lost their careers because of their bad attitude have realized that becoming famous and wealthy does not happen overnight. They have to learn the traits that could propel their popularity and eventually land them a lot of projects.

Aspiring actors/actresses who are given the break should realize that the competition is so high in the industry. A single flaw is observed from you could put you down and it would be too late to realize that a newcomer will soon replace your position in showbiz. Getting rich quick is a mere fantasy as you need to start from scratch, and when you are already at the top of your success, remain humble and grounded.