San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Speaking of observing the world around you, I spent a lovely afternoon during my last week of San Francisco exploring the SF MOMA. I played around with slow shutter speeds, resting my camera on benches or ledges and just seeing what developed.
The Styles of San Francisco
I spent most of Saturday wandering around the Mission and downtown photographing people. Actually, I left my apartment as a bag lady holding a box to ship back home, my camera, purse and shoulder bag full of clothing to sell. I ended up making $30 from Buffalo Exchange selling a Kenneth Cole bag I bought over the summer, an Ella Moss dress I liked but it always brought back memories as the dress I wore on my first date w/ my ex, and another dress that brought back unpleasant memories. Actually, the blue Ella Moss dress was dangerously breezy and light as I learned last summer while walking over a sidewalk grate (to the delight of an unsuspecting Chinese delivery man). There is something therapeutic about getting rid of physical "baggage" especially knowing that I won't be lugging them as literal baggage across the country. There was a moment of hesitation and a deep breath involved but I know that I won't regret my decision. I highly recommend cleaning out ones closet, often.Speaking of closets, I don't think San Francisco gets enough credit for their fashionable citizens or at least fashionable tourists that flock to the city. It's hard to make general comparisons between city styles since I've been in and out of NYC for the last 5 months but San Francisco really knows how to do casual well. I guess you can invest in better clothing when the temperature is around the same all year round and you can work the layering. It seems there is less pressure to conform in SF but I'll have to think about this further when I'm back in NYC. In NYC you have to wander around the East Village, Lower East Side, West Village, Soho, Meatpacking, Chelsea and Williamsburg to find an eclectic mix of fashions. Each neighborhood has its own group of people based on their age, job, etc. and a Williamsburg hipster will stick out like a sore thumb on the Upper East Side. Hell - when I moved to East 66th street, I felt my purple Uniqlo jeans and gray Converse made me stand out. Whereas in San Francisco, I believe because it's smaller, the hats, accessories and clothing associated with hipsters can be seen on middle aged men in North Beach, teenagers in the mall and young parents in Hayes Valley. A picture says a thousand words right?
12 Tips for Future Miami Ad School Account Planning Boot Camp Students
I felt I was fairly well prepared for Miami Ad School's Account Planning Boot Camp but there were definitely some things I wish I had learned, done or read beforehand and during the program. Hindsight is 20/20 right? The program is fairly fast paced, so I recommend doing whatever needs to be done beforehand to prepare.1. At the very least, read [amazon_link id="0471189626" target="_blank" ]Truth, Lies and Advertising: The Art of Account Planning, by Jon Steel[/amazon_link], essentially the closest thing to an account planning textbook.
2. If you finish Truth, Lies and Advertising, read [amazon_link id="0471789763" target="_blank" ]Jon Steel's The Perfect Pitch[/amazon_link]. Developing compelling presentations and knowing how to sell the work is half the battle because in this program, winning is (almost) everything.
3. Immerse yourself in the world of advertising. What are agencies doing? Which ones are hot? Who's winning awards? What's going on in pop culture? The world of advertising moves at lightening speed and you won't have time to catch up while your knee deep in school, so it's best to get an understanding of who the players are before the program starts.
4. Have a vague idea of who you want to work for and where when you graduate, then find a Miami Ad School grad via LinkedIn. You're at a well recognized school within the planning community and now it's time to start a conversation with the places you want to work for. Timing is everything, so start getting to know them now. Hopefully when there's an opening, you'll be the first person they call.
5. Don't just learn PowerPoint - master it. Finding human truths and suggesting an intelligent, unique strategy is par the course, but presenting your case in a pretty little package - that's icing on the cake.
6. Always get every single file related to your weekly assignment; PSD, InDesign, Jpg, or PPT. It's much easier to get this now when you're in the same room as your creatives than at the end of the quarter when everyone is pulling all nighters. And it's very likely that you'll revise the work at some point in the portfolio process.
7. Genuinely respect your creatives and include them in the strategy process. By involving them from the beginning, everyone will be on board with the strategy and less likely to change it the day of the presentation. Your creatives have been at Miami Ad School for a year, even taking strategy classes. It's likely they'll take your strategy to the next level and you'll learn from them.
8. Look at examples of previous portfolios midway through your program and find graduate portfolios online. Get a sense of what works and what doesn't and start formulating what your portfolio will look like. Because suddenly it will be the end of the program and you will only have 5 days to compile the first draft of one of your most important program outputs.
9. When finally creating your portfolio, ask your creatives for advice. Even their simple and quick suggestions regarding what font or colors work together can take the design of your portfolio in the right direction. M
ost are like human Google searches, able to name a font on sight.
10. Go to every single lecture, weekend workshop and class because, hey, you might learn something. Actually, don't just attend - be on your A Game. Avoid the temptation to cope with the pressure through excessive partying and remember that learning and excelling is why you put your life on hold, moved to another city and shelled out a decent amount of dough for, to do.
11. Don't be shy about contacting your weekend workshop teachers or even arranging coffee while they're teaching your class. You have their undivided attention now but all that may change when they go back 
to their day jobs - jobs that usually involve running an entire account planning department.
12. And finally... don't forget to find a balance between work and play. This is a very unique experience to meet intelligent, interesting people from all around the world. Everyone comes from a different background and has different strengths so listen to your classmates and learn from them. If you're an anti-social jerk who doesn't get to know your fellow classmates, works 24-7 and doesn't know how to have fun, you're not going to make the connections that could eventually lead to jobs. In fact, you're missing out on a huge part of what the school is about; the Miami Ad School network and the unique experience itself. So pop open a beer or pick up a ping pong paddle, enjoy the moment and make a connection!
A Quick Lesson in Karma
Often times I get into debates with people about the validity of karma. My response is that logically, even if you don't believe in karma, you're better off following its principals because if it does exist, than you're shit out of luck. I do try to be the giver rather than the taker in situations that allow me to do so, i.e. with tipping, helping friends out, etc. And in many cases, I have very generous friends and especially parents who have helped me out when needed. So I may not directly be able to give back to the friend that has helped me in the same way, but I have helped another friend thus continuing some sort of imaginary karma thread or paying it forward.
Yesterday, I was sitting in a cafe I've enjoyed working in many times when I overheard a man, who I thought was the owner, discussing how he wanted to get more involved in social media. After sitting there listening to their conversation for 5 minutes, I couldn't stand it anymore and offered to help him set up his Twitter, explain FourSquare (especially since I was the mayor of his cafe), and utilize the services. I spent the next 2 hours setting up his accounts, creating clever Check In specials (check into Caffe Roma) and generally enjoying his company and those around him. I didn't expect anything in return and enjoyed using my knowledge on social media to help a great coffee shop do more business.
That evening, a friend made me a delicious dinner complete with Mexican pudding! Today, I made a few great connections via Twitter and overall.. seems like things are looking on the up & up as far as jobs go. And so I ask you, do you believe in karma?
Day 2: A Photographic Journey through San Francisco: Dolores Park
I woke up pretty early yesterday allowing me to spend the morning working in a café, researching the newest Ad Age A-Listers, working on a few blogs and responding to emails. Finally, I took a break from researching and decided I was due for another day of exploration. After having my first Nicoise salad of 2011 at La Boulange, I headed to the Ferry Building for another afternoon of photographic exploration. One brownie and a few photos later, it was time to get a different perspective so I hopped on the BART towards the Mission. I guess the Mission reminds me of Williamsburg, Brooklyn but prettier. While Brooklyn has the view of the East River, The Mission has greenery and beautiful, elaborate murals. Who wins?At some point while I walked around Dolores Park as the only sober person, I realized, it's probably not a good idea to photograph people smoking up. But according to my college psychology professor, weed doesn't cause violence. Dolores Park was completely packed at 4pm which made me wonder, do these people have jobs? Then of course, it instantly occurred to me that I don't really have one either. Soon.. I'm working on my Sputnik moment!
P.S. I've been inspired by the photographer Max Wanger who I found through Joanna Goddard at Cup of Joe and question how he achieves his look, hence my heavily light saturated photos. I might have to go on one more adventure soon with a fill flash.
Ocean Beach, Muni, & Embarcadero - Photography Journey Through San Francisco
Yesterday, the internet told me that Monday the 24th is historically known as the most depressing day of the year. Naturally, I refused to stand for this kind of talk and decided to go out of my way to soak up some vitamin D. Here's my photographic journey through San Francisco from Ocean Beach to the Embarcadero. After living in San Francisco for three months, I can happily say I finally had some time to explore. Sometimes words just can't describe a scene but when talking about how I felt, these words come to mind; peace, joy, happiness, euphoria, inspiration, sunshine, refreshed, creative, sand, nature, beauty, balance, harmony, love, luck, wholeness, adventure.. you get the idea.
For more photos, you can go to my flickr page here. Peace & Love, Molly.
Back In San Francisco!!!
I arrived back in San Francisco yesterday morning after having woken up at 4am for my 7:30am flight. Thank you Papa Dukes for driving me, and no, I have no idea why me or my sister call you that. But before I left, Mischief walked in front of me 3 times on Friday. I suspect it was to trip me so I couldn't leave. But the more likely explanation is that Mischief doesn't realize the pecking order of cats to humans; i.e. that he has to move out of the way. Yes, I nearly fell down the stairs. My father plopped Thomas onto my bed before I went to sleep and instructed him to "stay with his mother." And he did, until I woke up at 4am. All the cats looked genuinely confused at being woken up that early. They looked to us for guidance. Their eyes said "ma, should I eat now or go back to sleep? I don't get this. It's still dark."
Okay, enough about cats. We arrived at the airport with ample time. I switched on my light weight jacket and nearly started shivering during my walk from the car to the airport. 15 degrees will do that to you. If there was ever a girl who understood self-branding, it's me. I don't know many people who accidentally have 4 items of a deep magenta on - my pants, scarf, handbag and carry-on suitcase.
I sat in the Virgin America waiting room trying not to fall asleep and spotted a group of 4 young boys. They looked Eastern European with crew cuts, all probably within 4 years of each other, gathered around a pretty red headed girl with her MacBook Pro open. It was like a scene out of period piece, children gathered their a mother reading a bedtime story. But instead, it was at JFK, in the waiting area of a Virgin America flight, the book was a MacBook and the woman wasn't their mother. Surreal.
The flight was fairly uneventful. I arrived in San Francisco to absolutely beautiful weather. After settling in and showering, I walked around North Beach, almost able to pretend I was in Italy. With the unseasonably warm weather, everyone was out and about. Despite having access to a million forms of entertainment, there's no denying that simply walking outside, laying out in the sun, talking to friends, eating and drinking coffee is usually the most enjoyable. And more than that, it's timeless. I could have taken that walk (minus listening to music from my iPhone), hundreds of years ago. Although it's most likely I wouldn't have seen a cat on a leash. Yes, only in San Francisco.
After going into stores I never had time to explore while in school, I had dinner by myself at a cafe where I read and sat outside. Note to self - arrange dinners before I get to my destination! I started a conversation with two older men sitting next to me. One was a taxi driver who was full of interesting stories. He seemed genuinely happy with his job and said it was way less stressful than being a cab driver in New York. Like for instance, if he wanted a break, he could go to Ocean Beach and just sit and watch the ocean. I learned that he went on less drug runs now for people. That if he doesn't trust someone, he'll drive around until they get the hint and leave. He told me about a successful woman who lived a bi-coastal lifestyle. He said that she seemed like a go-getter with endless amounts of energy. Is that the key to success? Anyway, it feels good to be back. I'd have these experiences in New York but think San Franciscians are more friendly and more likely to talk to strangers. It's obvious to me that I'll be happy where ever I end up and am enjoying the journey.
SWEAT.
I'm nearly done with Miami Ad School Boot Camp San Francisco. It's been one of the best, most challenging experiences of my life. I'm in complete denial that I will no longer have a second home in San Francisco equipped with a ping pong table, comfortable couches, wifi and most importantly, a diverse family from all over the world that is intelligent, creative and inspiring. I was prepared to be challenged. Work hard. And learn from other talented students.
You're going to sweat when you're running to a potentially mind blowing class on a Sunday morning, trying to get there by 10am while lugging your laptop and multiple layers to deal with the changing San Francisco weather.
You're going to sweat when you have to make a 10 minute presentation to your 40 classmates and tough-as-nails teacher on a project you've had only a week to immerse yourself in.
You're going to sweat as you frantically finish your presentation before the teacher calls on your team to present.
You're going to sweat when you have no time to eat and frequently find yourself running to Safeway for a cheap sandwich.
And you're going to sweat as you hold hot coffee in your hand, praying that it will give you another hour of energetic clarity.
You're going to sweat as you slam a ping pong ball back and forth with force like a ninja, playing a multitude of experts in an effort to clear your head.
And after all that hard work, you're going to sweat it out with your classmates from all over the world on the dance floor and realize, it was all worth it.
Hello From San Francisco
I think this is the longest time in the 3 years since I've had this blog that I've gone without blogging. But not just because I don't love you. I've been working, working, working!
Imaginary High Speed Train between San Francisco and LA
Durex Flavored Condoms Johnnie Walker Black whose research led me to a strip club. I kid you not. Imaginary Red Bull flavored Orbit's gum. (Could use some of that regularly with all the energy I've been spending on school work. Insights! Strategies! One single thought. Qualitative Research. Man on the Street interviews. Karaoke! Running along the water. Eating. More eating. Updating my new blog Curiosity Matters with all things advertising related. Hanging out with Five Brazilians, One Argentinian, Two Spaniards, One Serbian, One Singaporean, and a whole lot of Americans from around the world. Drinking coffee. Finally kicking my Nutella habit. Eating lots of Thai Curry. Feeling like I'm genuinely living every day to the fullest.
Connections
I've officially been in San Francisco for over a month. As you can probably tell from the lack of posts, I'm having a wonderful time. The account planning program consists of 18 people, including 4 Brazilians, 2 Spaniards, 1 Argentinian, 1 Serbian, 1 Singaporean and 6 Americans from around the country. We're all motivated, curious, interesting, intelligent and kind, to say the least. It's sort of like study abroad except people are mature and everyone is genuinely appreciative of the experience because we've all put a lot of time and money into the program. I can't put into words how great it feels to be exactly where I was meant to be and I say that in the broadest terms.
Within the first two weeks, I met a few people who are now very good friends. In fact, I've probably met over a hundred people but can remember the exact moment that I met these people I now consider close friends. There was an instant and mutual connection. With them, I only had one solid thing in common - but otherwise, we all come from completely different backgrounds. What is it about our personalities that result in us connecting? Is there such a thing as a soul mate? Platonic soul mate? Could we each take personality tests that would predict our friendship? Is there science behind this? Psychology? Do we remind each other of other friendships? I've been pondering these questions but mostly enjoying the ride.
My SF Life In iPhone Pictures
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| The Flight |
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| My very lovely room with lovely roommates and space you'd have to go to NJ to find. |
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| Too much regular nutella indulgence. Hopefully it will be like when I studied abroad in Europe and actually lost weight from all the walking.. |
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| Cappuccino done right. |
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| After sharing a lovely burger and moment with very wonderful new friends. |
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| The view a few blocks from my apartment. |
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| Even the dogs are enjoying life in laid back San Francisco |
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| A typical day at Miami Ad School. (kind of... sort of... in a way) |
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| A little less intimidating when you're at the top.. |
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| An overly dark picture of one of the items my mother sent me. Nothing like requesting a pair of 5 year old, gold heels. Might as well be bold in San Francisco. |
And finally, I'd give you more updates, but I need to do even more research on sex and condoms. Thank you Miami Ad School Project. It will only be fitting if our following assignment is for an alcoholic beverage.
A Quick Post
I've been in San Francisco for the last week and just started the Miami Ad School Account Planning Boot Camp. So I've been M.I.A. in the blog world. In a nut shell, San Francisco is amazing. I guess since I'm actually living here and it's my currently reality, I'm looking at it with new eyes then when I've visited in the past. I'm strongly considering moving here but since it's only been a week, I haven't made any decisions yet. The main obvious factor drawing me back to NY would be my family and friends, although I've met some awesome people here as well. Pictures and more observations to follow eventually. But I will say that San Franciscians are way more laid back than New Yorkers and believe it or not, crazier. Then again, my main SF experience so far has been the free Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. I've never seen so many white, stoned, dreadlocked people in my entire life. And wonder what kind of effect contact highs have on children.
It's fantastic being with so many like-minded people in my program despite the fact that my fellow classmates are from all around the world. We all have an insatiable curiosity about people, are outgoing, creative and fun. It reminds me of when I studied abroad my Junior year, except everyone is mature, friendly and not at all clicky. I'm looking forward to learning a TON and getting put to work.
In lieu of giving ya'll an actual long posted update, I'm posting a "music video" I made last year just for shits and giggles. The footage was shot at Webster Hall at a concert using my iPhone and photographs were either taken by me, or are of me as a child. The music is Zero 7, Mr. McGee. Enjoy!
San Francisco Chronicals
People have been asking me if I plan on moving to San Francisco any time soon. I thought long and hard about this- running check lists through my head as I wandered around. I definitely love that it's close to the great outdoors. New Yorkers get excited about taking a mini vacation to Coney Island or Central Park for some fresh air. Whereas the air in San Francisco is always fresh and the lack of foot traffic prevents you from having that viceral reaction of wanting to leave the city every once in a while. Not to mention a short and cheap ferry ride can get you to Sausolito- a quiet resort town on the water, devoid of activites that don't involve walking or eating... slowly.
BUT for me, when it comes down to it, New York is the best place for my industry. The hills in San Francisco exaust me and stiffle my sense of adventure since I'm thinking of my next destination in terms of level of difficulty. I came during a lucky, but very uncharacteristic patch of five day sun whereas their weather is usually more like what New York is experiencing right now.
My trip did make a lasting impression on me. I'm almost positive that despite loving my neighborhood, I will not be able to stand living in a shoebox much longer. I'm going to start looking to move to a quieter area by June 1st. I had an amazing time with my WCS and a few others we dined with along that way that I've managed to keep in touch with. Laughed harder than I have in months. Had some fantastic food everynight for Italian to Tapas. Yum. And was inspired by San Francisco colorful design at the MOMA and from the stores of Castro. Had moments where the beauty of the city literally took my breath away. And concluded the whole trip with a slightly miserable red-eye flight where I landed in cold, rainy New York and couldn't help but to laugh. Life is good.
Apartments and Cha cha cha Changes
I'm definitely enjoying my stay in San Francisco. It's been so relaxing to walk around alone and explore, then meet up with my friend for dinner and drinks. Plus it's nice to wake up to sunlight! Even with the shades drawn closed, we get more light pleasantly waking us up in the morning, than in my apartment. I guess it's for the best since people start their work days here at 8am. Yikes! I've been contemplating moving here just because if I'm going to live somewhere else for a time, now is it. I'm single. Have no babies. Have tons of friends in New York and my family is there but I can always keep in touch with them.
I think my sub-conscious freaked out about all my thoughts about change. I had a bad dream this morning that involved people changing our office around completely while I was away. They moved my desk to uncover a family of kittens. Looked up kittens and it said something about an independent, playful spirit. Hmm. Anyway, I was sort of freaked out about it all. Then I went to tell this couple about the situation, blah blah blah, and woke up to see my friend (who was in my dream) texted me. Weird.
That's all for now mainly cause I need to get my butt out the door and continue exploring. My friend's apartment is beautiful. She has tons of space and only pays slightly more than I do even though she has a studio. Perhaps if I don't move to San Francisco, I'll at least finally move to Brooklyn where I'll have more space. Cha cha cha changes.
First Day in San Francisco
I totally could have woken up at 7:30 and taken advantage of my body being on East Coast time, but true to lazy form, I set my alarm for 9:20. And here I am. Debating what to do with myself. I've been here a few times and feel no pressure to do touristy things although I haven't done much of that the previous times here. So far my ass hurts from the hills. What was supposed to be a nice stroll home after pancakes and hot chocolate turned into a - I think I'm going to hurl my pancakes and hot chocolate. At least there's no worry of me getting out of shape here. Um okay. Boring myself.
What you really want to hear.. I saw a man that had a dog on a leash. On the dog sat a cat. On the cat sat a rat. And looking at this dog with a cat with a rat, was one slightly jaded New Yorker who thought she's seen it all. She hasn't.
P.S. You can follow me on Twitter. MissMolls of course. Feel free to email me with ideas on what I should do while in San Fran!