First Impressions (Written By AmbassadorNique)

I’m a grad student! WOAH! The wait is over, and classes have started. My inbox is overflowing with e-mails that I get by the minute, and I am doing my best to balance work, school, my social life, on campus talks, meet and greets, my hobbies, writing, photography, my family, my girlfriend, sleep, exercise, hygiene and oh yeah… READING! Don’t get me wrong, in no way am I complaining… I am loving every second of this! Actively thinking about where I will be interning next summer and what my capstone project will be. I have some cool ideas up my sleeve that I will save for a later date.

I’ve met so many people in the last two weeks I cannot even begin to remember everyone’s name. Nevertheless I hope I have left a smiling impression and I will do whatever it takes to stay committed. I am very fortunate to be in a position to learn, grow, and move closer to achieving my goals with each passing moment. I am the author of my own story and while I can’t be everything to anybody, I can commit to myself and be exactly the man I want to be.

Be GREAT,

Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions

Inspiration: How Education Kills Creativity (Ken Robinson TED Talk)

As I near the days of the beginning  of my masters program I am reminded of the flaws in the American the WORLDS education system and its curriculum. I am challenged with the need to stay creative, stay inspired, and to constantly think outside of the norm. The goal is to make the rules and not to fall into the traps of being one whom abides by them. I hope this inspires others as much as it inspired me! 

-Ambassador

August Announcements (Written By AmbassadorNique)

AUGUST ALREADY!

Definitely crazy to actually say that. Summer is almost over and fall is upon us. While it’s gone by fast I have been fortunate enough to have made great memories. Moving forward I have some big stuff coming up! Some parts of my life are coming to an end (working my 9 to 5) and others are just getting started! Without further or due, the updates….

We The People (UPDATE): I’M WORKING! I promise! I also understand that once graduate school starts my life will be shut down for quite some time. As I type this I am waiting for videos to sync in the background. I definitely want to plan an event where I can invite close friends and people that helped sponsor and make this all possible. This month I plan to have everything in place and by September be working on the finishing touches, transitions lighting, sound etc.

Graduate School: Wow this is approaching fast and just around the corner. I am mentally prepping by reading and finding the resources and networks that I will need in order to make it through this journey and be successful. Also I there are a few opportunities I would like to take advantage of as well.

Health: I’ve been working toward eating smarter and doing what I can to put extra steps in my day. I am very excited for my IMA membership and have started to cook more and eat out less.

Finances: I’ve been doing a very poor job of saving money and this is something I definitely want to do better at. I can however say that the money that I have been spending for the most part has been going towards things that I consider an investment to my future. Definitely need to crack open some Dave Ramsey.

Hawaii: Speaking of investments! I will go to Hawaii for 12 days on August 15th! I will visit my grandmother and Aunt on a much needed REAL vacation! I will continue to work on my film, read and EAT! Basically just scratched the last two points out. Just kidding! I will definitely work to continue to hike while I am out there and take a lot of pictures. Free housing, psh can’t past that up! J

Little Dragon: Upon my return I am excited to go see Little Dragon perform live at Showbox Sodo! I love shows and I love to travel!

Digital Story Telling: One of the things I look forward to doing is collecting the digital stories of my peers who do art around the city. I think I will use Premier and an online platform called WEVideo. I will also try to step my photography game up and look for a cool place on campus to shoot some videos.

Japanese: I hope to return to Japan next summer and therefore I am looking for a language partner.

Personal Growth: Some things I am working on personally are consistency in everything I do from everything listed above. I also would like to become better at following up on networks.

Thank you for reading.

AmbassadorNique

 

 

Busy Bee (Written By AmbassadorNique)

Wheels up! D and I are on our way to sunshine and Palm trees for the next 3 days. Although this isn’t exactly a vacation hopefully we get an opportunity to slow down a bit. I also hope to change the run and gun ways of our trips and slow down and bit to enjoy the moments being away from the norm.

As I take off I can’t help but notice how the Jhene Aiko’ lyrics stick out to me even more as she sings “there’s no better place than here, no better time than now”, simple yes, but such a true reflection of this moment.

Since my acceptance into the information school life has been moving rather quickly. Meetings, forms, people and places.

I am doing my best to balance the same things I’ve been focused on for the past year and a half. A healthy lifestyle, education, and financial responsibility.

I’ve met some awesome people thus far and it’s amazing how the universe puts you in contact with such great people who then point you in the direction of more great people. As my vision continues to form the number of people who have invested their time into me also grows. Mentors have become close friends and help me sharpen my
tools.

Do it yourself projects have become a new way to a save money. A photography backdrop made of PVC pipes.

 

An 8×4 foot dry erase white board that only cost me $13!

Time!!
One thing we cannot buy nor get back… We must take advantage. I personally would like to be better with my time. I’ve honestly gotten comfortable being 10 minutes late or prioritizing wrapping up last minute projects or chores before heading out. I do not want the reputation of the person who is always late to everything. I want to be a better estimator of time and error on the side of being early. I also would like to take 1 hour a night for me! At 10pm every night i want to spend 10 minutes meditating, 30 minutes reading and the rest writing, relaxing or whatever else I decide.

Until next time!

AmbassadorNique

T.O.D.A.Y. – March 26 (Written By AmbassadorNique)

As I continue down this road towards graduate school many scary truths must be confronted through different avenues of self reflection, conversation and personal growth.’Tis is life I suppose.

Today wasn’t as typical as most days, getting up about an hour earlier to make it to a rescheduled barber appointment where I would start my morning with a fresh haircut and good conversation. My barber who I hadn’t seen in about a month told me congrats on my acceptance to graduate school and we proceeded to talk about life, family, sports, and world events. Watching ESPN’s First Take after a debate about excessive celebration, Skip and Stephen tackled and rarely agreed on the issue the NFL Washington Redskins’ refusal to change the teams name. My barber noted, this year in the NFL an N bomb will warrant a 15 yard penalty, yet a team name will not be changed even though legitimate organizations, tribes and American’s have cried foul. I guess money does change everything. Bad for business maybe?

This made me think more about the narratives of Native American’s here in their own land and how the story is told. What happens when we water down cultures and minimize them to the point where we can say we visited a handful of them, left gifts and opened up a foundation so any harm done should be forgiven similar to what Daniel Snyder is currently in the process of doing. Nevertheless my cut was finished, and it was time for work.

A short talk with a co-worker on future plans about work and graduate school led me to understand that I am seeking employment that will assist my growth technologically and mentally. After this discussion I was on my way to lunch with a recently admitted PhD candidate to talk about funding… So I thought.

I’d heard many great things about this woman and was eager to meet her. Although my initial question about how to fund my graduate degree wasn’t directly answered this woman turned my world upside down, picked me apart, broke my down, and picked me up only to put me back together again. It felt like a conversation with my older brother or father poking at all of the holes in my thinking only to remind me of all the work I still needed to do, and the questions left to be answered. She agreed we’d continue to meet, which I am grateful for. While I had been somewhat mentally deflated I still felt I truly enjoyed the conversation. Furthermore I am up for the challenge and can’t wait to show and prove.

After work I met with one of my mentors and a good friend to listen to Teju Cole speak about the American re-release of his book “Everyday Is For The Thief”. His talk was inspiring and left many new thoughts. For example his assertion that the evolution of art as grown-up’s being to intersect all of our passions into one gave my mind a stir. Of speaking honestly about Nigeria he broke down how the country was built on the corruption that served outside entities and so when the locals were finally independent the same traits had trickled all the way down to gate attendants. America was not an exception, too often our savior complex along with two branches of our government being owned by corporations and lobbyist assured that we were just as corrupt he noted. Two things that will stick with me are the need for American’s to understand that we are equal’s to anyone and everyone with whom we deliver aid or assistance too. As human beings we must always remember this. Teju’s quote that he was “tired of being a grateful African” were words to live by. We must speak truth loud and clear if we ever expect change.

Overall today was a long but life is good.

PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We? Session Three

PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We? Session Three

This past Wednesday, December 4, 2013 we were delighted to have our special guest “J Sqwerl” also known as Jonathan Higuchi from the Internationally known Seattle b-boy collective Massive Monkee’s Crew. He gave a talk about his personal identity and the roles that creativity his family, and the city of Seattle play in shaping his identity. He encouraged students to think outside the box and really dig deep into their own identities to find something unique.

Students took time to free write and turn our session two brainstorms into actual sentences that they will use to create the artist statement portion of their projects. Some students would share their sentence and ideas with the entire class.

We Reviewed how to use the camera’s before heading outside for a mini scavenger hunt. We were able to take advantage of the weather and and allow them time to practice with the camera’s before they head out on their own.

Students really enjoyed the activities and hands on use.

HUGE thank you to Jonathan Higuchi for his time, assistance, and inspirational words. Thank you to Jackie for her assistance and to Diana for her assistance and beautiful Photo’s. Until next time. Eagles With Camera’s.

Domonique Meeks
AmbassadorNique Productions
www.AmbassadorNique.com

PREVIOUSLY:

PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We? Session Two

PhotoVoice Eagles With Cameras: “Project on Identity” Who Are We? Session One

My PhotoVoice Project at Northgate Elementary (Starting November 13, 2013)

Committed (Written By AmbassadorNique)

How committed are we in making our goals into a reality? Is it something that we will dedicate everyday too? What is it that we are committed too? What if no one believes?

Yes, our goals will change but with change comes updated blueprints. We must continue to make new friends whom inspire us, and create new partnerships and projects that will take us closer to our destinations. Read everyday, write more and find new ways to articulate our vision.

The Goal 

My current goal is to use technology to create sustainable learning resources and outlets for story telling for all communities but especially communities of color and underrepresented communities. It is my belief that having a sense of identity brings us closer to whom we really are and where we would like to be. The bridge between our dreams and our realities are the resources and opportunities that we take advantage of. Every human being has a vision of where he or she wants to be. I hope to not only reach my goal but inspire curiosity, and deliver the resources and opportunities that will feed it.  

Through technology, photography, videography and digital media, we have the power to share stories. Technology has made the people around us more human than ever. No longer must we assume or categorize the other. With technology we can now share our individualities, our stories, our truths, our fears, our love, our lives.

Upcoming Projects: 

Project 1: Digital Stories

Due: November 10th

By the end of the week I will have created my digital story about why I want to attend the iSchool  This project is apart of a larger project that I am doing at work over at UW. Its very important for me to complete this project because it has everything to do with why I believe technology is so important.

Project 2: PhotoVoice

Due: November 5^th – December 18th

I will complete a 5 week 1 hour course with Northgate Elementary where students will create a collage that will answer the question, “How are you apart of your community?” The project will be done with a diverse group of students at an elementary school that is 90% at or below poverty level. This project will introduce students to photography, the importance of identity, the importance of community, and will hopefully spark a new level of social conciseness.  We will bring artists to come speak to the students about their own stories, community involvement, and techniques. The students will be introduced to basic photography, be handed camera’s and told to take pictures of how they are apart of their communities. The students will then create a collage and a caption for their collage. After the project is completed students will share their art with their peers and parents at an art show. Our hope is that our students, their parents and our community will take pride in the art that is created.

Project 3: Graduate School Applications

Due: January 2014

I will be applying to the University of Washington and the University of Oregon’s iSchool’s for Fall 2014 with the same mission. I will fine tune my mission, complete the GRE’s (Dec 21^st) and share my plan with as many people as possible. It is my belief that sharing will help fine tune the outcome and place me in front of more resources and networks. Graduate school will offer me an opportunity to create more resources and build more bridges that will bring more technology access and education to all students.

Closing 

My commitment will be determined by my actions. I must continue to surround myself with those who inspire me. It is important to use my time wisely, support the causes that create the world that I would like to see. Spend my time and my money on helping push forward these causes and not getting side tracked with what has become the societal norm. My time and my creativity are my most important possessions. With that said I must communicate better, be wiser, eat healthier, exercise and mediate more and love stronger. I must stay committed. 

-AmbassadorNique 

Life Hack “Creating Positive Change” (Day 22)

1. Write down 3 gratitude’s.

I am grateful for lasting friendships. Some of us are lucky enough to have friends who come through for us and understand our ambitions. For those of us who are young and trying to get it, often times we can’t make it to every celebration, event, or get together. I’m grateful to have a few resources of my own that I’m able to share. Lastly today I’m grateful for the happy feeling I’ve had lately. I guess that was the point of this project. 😉

2. Journal about 1 positive experience you’ve had over the last 24 hours.

In the last 24 hours a positive experience I’ve had was taking Jessica (who is like my little sister now) to her first class here at UW. Its awesome to know that the amazing woman she is today will blossom into something even greater with her commitment to education. 

3. Exercise: Yes

4. Meditate: No

5. Write one positive email praising or thanking someone in your social support network: Yes

LIFE HACK “Creating Positive Change” (21 Day Challenge)

1. Write down 3 gratitudes each day

2. Journal about 1 positive experience you’ve had over the last 24 hours 

3. Exercise, in order to teach your brain that behavior matters 

4. Meditate and allow your brain to get over the cultural ADHD we get from trying to complete multiple tasks at once, and allow yourself to focus on the task at hand 

5. Randomly, open your email and write one positive email praising or thanking someone in your social support network 

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Starting tonight I will start this 21 day challenge I saw on TEDx Life Hacks. The goal is to change the way I think and to make myself a more confident and positive person. To find success and happiness in every day, and try to focus and achieve all of my short term and long term goals. As I will be applying to graduate school again focus and time are two very important things. Happiness is major and is the anchor that must hold me down through the storms until the sun shines again. Stay with me through this journey and feel free to participate! 

-Domonique Meeks

AmbassadorNique Productions

Georgia high school set to launch first-ever integrated prom

Change is inevitable. 

Georgia high school set to launch first-ever integrated prom