You Tired Of That Product Build-Up Huh ?

Hello everyone, check out my product review & recommendations for Natural hair. I am super impressed by Schwarzkopf Smooth 'N Shine.

Follow the link to more information and purchasing details : http://www.schwarzkopf.co.za/skza/en/home/hair_care/hair-care-products/smooth---shine.html

A Superbalist in Tokyo

Since I've entered the world of branding, I have become more observant and my choices have become more informed. Via Facebook, the brand Superbalist has been floating before my eyes and I decided to check it out.

Now Superbalist ( http://superbalist.com/ ) is an online style destination exclusively for South Africans. Look at their brand essence: " It doesn't matter if you're the creator or the appreciator- Superbalism is a higher state of awareness. Where design matters and creativity become palpable. Superbalism finds joy in innovation and gets a high from the unique, it's that emotion when you fall inlove with something beautiful or the excitement of discovering our new favourite thing".

This is absolutely amazing, holistic and innovative. I'm not really a competiton fenatick but when I saw this competition with Superbalist and a chance to shop and experience Tokyo, the best of Tokyo. I just had to share !


Do yourself a favour, enter here : http://www.letsgotokyo.co.za/LetsGoTokyo?ruid=3582&utm_source=email&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=superbalist

Happy Friday :D !

Do You Know Your Worth ?

Creative people surround me and many like myself, have been in the dark about certain elements pertaining to their crafts’. 

Do we really know and understand the value of our intellectual property?

How many of y’all know a friend whose beats are tight, but they stuck posting it on Soundcloud? How many of us know of the homie whose got mad skills with a paintbrush, Adobe Creative Suite software, a mic or even the spoken word but the higher power if forever taking advantage of them, you see them in Braam every Thursday enjoying your money while you borrowing gwaps just to get to varsity the next week?

During our formative years, our curriculum at school is distorted. We learn the basics of Mathematics and Life Orientation and for those who are privileged to have Fine Art, we are taught to imitate and not express who we truly are. Essentially your value as a creative is something that is non-existent. We are taught basic forms of art, iconic artists from different time periods but we were never taught how to protect our ideas, how to be business people in the world of art and how to overcome this term that throws shade on all of us, “ Struggling Artist”.

The art world is quite polarized, with eight figures exchanging hands on the one end of the spectrum and on the other just a constant hustle to make ends meet. For the life of me, the language of Finance is a foreign concept to many of us and this is were we are selling ourselves short. We don’t choose to be artists, hell if I could have had the capacity to be a world banker, you really thing I would be here getting the prerequisites to be the top Young Creative in the game right now?

We are artists and it is something that we cannot shy away from but this is no longer enough in this highly competitive and fickle industry. We need to fulfill roles of everyone involved from art director, curator and right down to financial advisor.

If we want to take control of our lives as creative individuals, we need to fulfill these roles and acquire the knowledge we need to stop continually getting fucked over.

Basically th  at is what it is boiled down too, we don’t know enough so these money-crazed individuals can take advantage of us.

However, this should not be the case anymore because we are empowered by a vast wealth of knowledge from our predecessors and of course, the Internet!

I have some tips that can help you feel more empowered to protect what is yours:

1) Read! Knowledge is power Fam. If you read up on your craft, copyright laws and how the system works. Nobody can fuck you over cause you know what’s the deal.

2) Make sure you make an agreement with somebody, it is on paper, it is signed, dated and there was a witness of the event. How many times you hear somebody that owes you something say, “  I don’t remember?” It’s a legal document once it’s signed and be sure to make hella copies of it.

3) Protect your ideas. By all means collaborate, that is how creativity and free-flowing ideas are formed but keep the circle small. You should be surrounded by individuals who believe in you as much as you do.

4) Get a mentor! There is power is surrounding yourself with people who actually know more than you because it’s a brilliant strategy and secondly, you learn so much under their wing. You have the home court advantage.

5) Attend seminars about finance and the market. This keeps you informed so you can plan ahead. Yes it is not the most exciting event to attend but it’s an investment you need to make.

We need to empower ourselves, to get the payment and recognition we deserve. This term, “ Struggling Artist” is a reality that looms if we don’t act now.

Personally, I’ve been through this struggle, more so a few months ago when my allegiance to a brand I fucked with so hard, took my marketing concept for an event, had meetings without me and made it seem like I was not playing my part and basically executed the plan like it was theirs but the direction and concept was all mine.

I’m tired of seeing my fellow young creatives’ struggle while others are getting rich off our brainpower. I’m tired of seeing my homies stand for something, only to have others claim it as their cause!

Know Yourself and Know Your Worth!

Peace To The Heavy Hearts.

An Ode to Refuge & Solace,

for whom provided that no matter what corner of the planet I was in.

Have a bath.Make a cup of tea. Eat something lovely. Get dressed in your favourite clothes today. Take your favourite book and read it for today.

Remind yourself why you are here and if you can't find the answer today, that is okay.

Being a woman you take everything. Because they expect you too.

The greatest thing about choice: Is That You Dont have Too !

Boo, you need to be happy with you. Be good in yourself. Do not let such things throw you off in life.

For you, Sanele. Who stayed & Who always provided refuge in the early ams when the demons wont sleep and refuge no matter how close or far away I was.

Well Hello Whole-Mouth Clean!

Check out my product review for the New Sensodyne Complete Protection.

You Are The Golden Light , You Always Have been.

" There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of those lights,the light of all lights."

- Bram Stoker, Dracula

This quote is from one of my favourite pieces of literature. It makes me giddy with excitement. I am in a good space and  incredibly blessed today.  The universe resides in me, for me and above me. I am apart of it and I have every right to protest what I feel would be a better choice for me. 

The light of all lights x Holding the universe together.  

Purpose Driver.

Finding your niche ? Is that not to purpose of this life ? To find something that fufills you , feed your mind and your spirit ?

I struggled a lot, to find a balance between my academics and creativity growing up. The world keeps telling you to make a choice, to choose one, leave the other one to wilt and die.
I chose both.
I made a conscious decision this year, to OWN 2015. I fed my mind and attempted every possibility that life threw at me. I was blessed and humbled to be included in the My Future First journey mixed with 11 brilliant souls who have become family.

 I have discovered so much about myself. My strengths and the areas that need improvement. The respect and understanding of my craft have grown tremendously.
Who in this day an age can say they actually enjoy going to varsity, I'm at Vega School of Brand Leadership and I am inspired everyday to carry out my dreams. I am a confident young woman with a passion for education and the creative market. Dynamic leader, Workaholic, people-driven, passionate and the happiest I have been in the past five years. I like having my finger on the pulse of what is happening.

I am different. I strive to become the best version of myself, for myself and for the world around me.
You are looking at the future.

Hello my name is Nefertari :)

https://www.facebook.com/Myfuturefirst?fref=ts

http://www.tnf.org.za/

P.s I see myself a food blogger someday, among many of the other things I will be doing and no my Afro is not for sale!