Yesterday I walked 5K through the lush green shaded forest to the sunny warm rocky shell beach in my neighbourhood on Vancouver Island. Nearly there, I headed down the tiny hill, looking down at the sneakers on my feet and the contrast of shade and shadow with dancing dappled light. This cute little dirt-gravel road…
I received an email from Tess van Straaten of our local Vancouver Island based CHEK News. She was contacting me to let me know they would be featuring my photo of a black oystercatcher on the 5PM News for their weather photo. It’s always nice to find out ahead of time, to help spread the…
I am currently living on Vancouver Island and if you know the Island well, you know that in winter you need to learn to get used to the color gray––as in gray skies and gray seas––and…rain rain rain or, be miserable. It is all too easy to complain about our Island rain and oftentimes “horrid”…
Did you make any New Years resolutions? I haven’t, in many years. However, I do love to start my New Years Day off in nature if at all possible. So this January 1st 2020 I went to enjoy one of my favourite nature trail walks at Rathtrevor Provincial Park, in Parksville on Vancouver Island. It…
Long time no post. Well at least I waited for something super important to share. I finally am getting my new podcast online … after weeks and months or more of delays. For now, it is called “The Brenda Johima Show” because after all the other gazillion podcast titles I came up with, I realized…
“I blur the lines between photography and art until they become one … because they are one.” /brenda
I think that with what was a trend towards trying to have the perfectly curated Instagram account …I am glad that I am older and wiser to know better. Or shall I say, I choose my inherent creativity over curation. The internet is a playground for me, a place for me to experiment and to…
Yeah, that’s right, I said beautiful. I was one too, who used to think that the turkey vulture was ugly. Well that was until I started to go to bird and wildlife rescue, recovery and rehabilitation centres more regularly, which began a couple years ago. There are a few on Vancouver Island and I love…
Oooops. I missed a couple days already, of my “blog every day” commitment to myself. I applaud those bloggers and vloggers out there who have been writing and posting daily for years on end, as it isn’t easy for me to remember to do it every single day … yet. Every day I would think…
I never intended to become a birder, it just kind of happened, and now I cannot get enough of it. I still would not call myself a birder; just one photographer who loves to be in the presence of birds as often as possible. I have been learning a ton and having so much fun.…
All of a suddenly out of nowhere, without warning, she swooped down right in front of the feet of one of my friends and grabbed a vole and flew off into the back forest to feed her owlet.
The best time to make photos, if you don’t want any company, and to find peace and solitude, is to go out in the rain into the forest with camera. Why is nobody else in there in the rain? The colours are so vibrant, the multitude of greens so lush, the scents and smells of…
The bald eagle is my very favourite bird, as I have written on this blog before. Imagine my thrill when I came upon not just one or two eagles, but I found many families of bald eagles together, all of different ages and in different stages of development, lined up together along the shoreline, hunting…
On April 11th 2019 I announced to my Instagram world that starting on my 58th birthday (April 13th) that I would make something creative every day for a year. Yes, #createeveryday no matter what. It didn’t matter whether it is my photography or a drawing, a doodle, some writings, my own quotes or poetry, a…
We all see the world in our own unique and special way. As artists and photographers, it is our ways of seeing that differentiates us from all others. It is easy to shy away from who you really are as a creative, if it looks like you don’t belong anywhere; don’t fit in. That feeling…
In January of 2019 I began photographing “People as Shapes” as a personal project, in the streets of Vancouver, which then turned into working on publishing a small black and white photo book in 2019. Stay tuned for your opportunity to order. In past I was not a people photographer (yet … never say never)…
Spring 2019 is the perfect time for me to return to this blog. Spring time in nature, reflects back to me a time of renewal, peace and contentment, an opening to new energies and opportunities. Spring is a time for new growth, a time to leap and a time to grow. If we choose. Goodwill…
My favourite bird, for as long as I can remember, has been the Bald Eagle. These birds take my breath away every time that I see one. And every time I see one (or many), something good always happens in my life. Seriously it is true. It’s been even more lucky, if it flies overhead.…
I recently went to The Raptors on Vancouver Island. It’s a place I have always wanted to visit but in all my years of living on Vancouver Island, I drove by the turn off to get there from the highway, so many times and just drove on by, home. Finally I decided to make a…
I feel very fortunate to be able to witness some amazing wildlife and birds on Vancouver Island and on the Gulf Islands. As one who is new to birding, I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge of making images on location, of these majestic birds; the great blue heron. (ardea herodias fannini) Their wingspan, as you…
Especially during this time of year, I try to visit a pond daily if I can. When all goes well, I shall have lots more bird photos coming up over the next month or two with Spring on the way. I love the relationship between duck and I. There is no such thing as “that’s…
I try to visit a pond daily, especially this time of year. Lots more bird photos will be coming up over the next month or two with Spring on the way. I’ve only started seriously learning about photographing birds over the last few months and I am thoroughly enjoying the peace, serenity and beauty of…
“The Three Stooges.” Or … “The Three Tenors?” /brenda johima Three sea lions vie for a spot on the Fanny Bay docks during the yearly herring spawn on Vancouver Island.
Male mallard duck (drake), Nanaimo, B.C., Vancouver Island, Canada Whats to love? The glorious golden light, the natural light, him looking at me, us curious about each other, the colors, the water droplets on his feathers, the composition, the golden curvy blurred water on which he paddles, the beauty and aaaaaahhhh that I felt when…
Female mallard duck, Nanaimo, B.C., Vancouver Island, Canada Usually the male mallards get all the attention, however, on this day, I was fascinated by this female duck and all her stunning patterns, the glorious golden sunlight on the pond, the crystal clear and unique reflections (see the ball on her head?), along with her relationship…
Male mallard duck, Nanaimo, B.C., Vancouver Island, Canada What is this photo about? The glorious natural golden light? The mallard duck? (a drake) The gorgeous golden smooth and curvy water on the pond? The duck eating dinner? Nature? A pond? The relationship between the drake and I, as he watches me, and me, him? /brenda
Bald eagle, Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada The reasons for this photo? As I mentioned in this post about good luck bald eagles, we have only this one moment in life. We have just this one moment in life. How many times have we all heard that? Me? Maybe a zillion times? It has only truly…
Bald eagle, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada I always have good luck whenever I see a bald eagle, or better yet, when one flies over me. My breath is always taken away in the presence of these majestic birds. Is this an award winning photograph? No. I wish I could have gotten closer. However my…
As a woman learning to tell stories with a camera, I look to inspiration from other female professional photographers working in the field, in an often male dominated photography industry. I am regularly inspired by Cristina Mittermeier, a “Mexican photographer who grew up alongside indigenous Mexican tribes.” She is also founder and president of SeaLegacy, a…
On January 9th, 2017, I made a commitment to myself to do whatever I can, at least in some small way, save our ocean, to protect it, to conserve it. For now I will be taking action quietly as a volunteer behind the scenes in my own way, and then looking for opportunities with organizations…
This made me cry, in a good way. We need more music and art like this. Feel good. We need more of this. I do. Ed Sheeran, no wonder you are … perfect … and are uplifting the world wherever you are. Music, song, video, art, the creative process, and all of the humans that…
Goosebumps. Feel it all. Let this music, the words and imagery, the recording and creative process, touch your heart and soul; the voices, the clarity, the beautifully resonant yet crisp voices, their hearts, humanity. Feel it all. So beautiful. Oh, and the Italian … oh, my, goodness … no words. no words. Love, pure love…
I think that Brené Brown‘s words are the perfect words for me to start off my 2018 blogging. I’ve looked at, and had to look at, the experience of belonging (and not) a lot over my 56 years on this planet. Belonging has been a constant theme in my life and it was all too…
Fibromyalgia, yes, it is a pain-in-the-everywhere, as those of us who have it, call it. So what can you do for it? If you are like me, and have lived with it for a long time (17+ years) you likely have tried pretty much everything to try to manage your 24-7 pain levels. There is…
I wouldn’t know if fitting in is any fun. Being different means you are on the sidelines looking in, often searching for a place to belong. Usually you don’t find it. Being different means you often make no sense to others and that they can’t figure you out. Being different often equals exclusion. Until you…
I wish you HAPPY Holidays and most importantly, my hope is for PEACE to everyone all around the world forever more. Love from Brenda and Teddy (Dr. T. Poodle)
Look up. Shut down that phone, look up from that display. We have a finite existence, a set number of days … This is a re-post from 2014 but doesn’t hurt to repeat something that seems to just get worse as time passes by; our disconnection from ourselves and from other human beings. Look Up.…
Fibromyalgia; you are what you eat, right? Well, not so simple, as those of us who live with this syndrome, know all too well. If you are like me, one who has tried to cure herself of fibromyalgia (for 17+ years), you have tried almost every diet, almost every exercise type, breathing, meditation, medication, yoga,…
… see something new every time. Beauty abounds, all year long. I have photographed this exact spot a zillion times. This morning, something new once again, and the texture, complexity, depth of layers, color, line and light all added up to a welcoming opening to walk through. Nature never disappoints. Always Love, Brenda
For those of us who live with gray skies winters and lots of rain instead of blue skies, snow and sun, or better yet, the warmth and sun of tropical locations, may experience S.A.D. and/or full blown depression and everything in between that makes us feel not so great. (* Disclaimer : I am not…
I have recently taken on learning ukulele and am totally enjoying being a beginner. LOVE being a beginner! When you have been an accomplished singer/musician in past, perfectionism can creep in and paralyze, if you have been away from music for a long time like I have been. This is why in part, I chose…
Even if you think you are weird and don’t belong, there’s no point in contorting yourself to try to fit in. Trust me, I spent a lifetime trying. Just be YOU. — Brenda Johima ? (@brendajohima) November 24, 2017
Thank you for blue skies. Thank you for the sun. Thank you for the forests. Thank you for the sea. Thank you for the rivers. Thank you for the creeks. Thank you for the rain. Thank you for fresh air. Thank you for the earth and for the soil. Thank you for fire that cleanses…
Carly Simon and Ben Taylor say it (and sing it) best. I can’t thank you enough. Always Love, Brenda
“Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen……
(repost from a 2011 article that I wrote) Let’s face it. Being in constant pain is no fun. For those of us who live 24/7 with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia, there is usually a desperation to find something, anything that will relieve us of the seemingly never-ending pain. I’ve been living with fibromyalgia and…
Have you ever had a “creative block”? (This is a re-post of an article that I wrote in 2007) “What the heck is a creative block?” I used to think. I had never had one before, and could never relate or understand how it could possibly happen to anyone. It made no sense to me…
“Get Out of Your Mind and Get In The Flow” (This is a re-post of an article that I wrote in 2007) “Creative Thinking” is wonderful topic for discussion. We can ALL think creatively and actually do it all day long.Yes, there is a time for creative thinking and there is a time to not…
When you can’t find a way to describe the unknowable, the unseeable, to those who cannot yet see it or hear it yet … Stop Trying. It is exhausting. And often, not even possible. Don’t Do It. Just Be. You can simply know what you know in silence, with kindness to self and to…
Fibromyalgia is, a pain-in-the-everywhere … and if you have it, you truly know what I mean. Mine began post-trauma, after a car accident that I was in, on June 28, 2000. (a date that I never forget) While driving, I was rear-ended and pushed into the vehicle ahead of me; so I was hit from…
No matter the time of day or night, when stress hits, there’s always something you can do to help your mind and body feel better. 3AM insomnia lead me to get up and first do some stretching and then to start juicing and to turn on positive affirmations in the background on YouTube for an…
We all go through rough patches in life. Sometimes those rough patches can last for a long time. We do the best we can to change, to get out of it and onto a new track, always chasing the light. And yet sometimes, there are people, places and things in our lives, careers or situations,…
Dog photography and Puppy photos. Did you know that I have another website? phoDOGraphy, I started in 2010, offering dog photos and puppy photography, then took a break for many years and started up again in 2017. You will find my portfolio here : phoDOGraphy.CA Thanks! Look at these cuties! Brenda
Write, for you, for your own healing, wellness and self-expression. Write, as if nobody else is reading or listening. In Silence. Write. Make art as if nobody else will ever see it. In Silence. Make Art. Make music as if no one will ever hear it. In Silence. Make Music. Make photographs as if nobody…
Melodica / melodion is a wonderful instrument for healing, for breath work, brain and wellness. I’m currently experimenting with melodion as a total beginner, using it as a meditative tool, to focus on the breath and to take my mind off of other things. So far it’s working well. Always Love, Brenda
My last ukelele had a little glitch, so this is try number 2, ukulele number two. So far I’m in love with the new yummy mellow sound. Always Love, Brenda
If I had one regret, it would be having listened to other people instead of myself, to my own intuition, and to my own gut. Other people don’t know you, and they may be wrong, and they may not be able to see what you can see in the future, and they may not feel…
Have you ever felt stuck? Really stuck? Paralysed with fear, unable to take any action at all? The kind of anxiety where, no matter what anybody else says or does, you don’t feel that you can change? The type of fear where no self-help book or video or famous person saying famous quotes can help…
I attended the Outward Bound Women of Courage program in the mid-1990’s and it was a wonderful opportunity and I highly recommend women apply for this program as it’s still in operation. Truly amazing. I chose the snow option back then, which meant I was hiking and backpacking in snow, in the Pemberton area. And…
So how is it going, blogging every day? (she laughs to herself) It is going exactly as I expected. Committing to writing, blogging, composing, crafting and publishing a blog post a day isn’t easy and I did not succeed. I applaud full-time bloggers who write for a living and create original content each and every…
Have you ever wasted your time on a relationship? And I mean, wasted. Chasing, hoping, wishing, waiting, trying and giving them chance after chance after chance … of course, most of us have. We usually want the people we love, to stay in our lives. IF I could teach younger people anything at all, it…
Think like a painter. I do. I was a painter first, a photographer second. Photography came much later after painting. Or did it? When I look back in old photo albums, I took a lot of photos as a young girl, and almost all photos were of of wildlife (zoo) and animals and pets. Rarely…
Running away from. Resisting. Wanting to be anywhere other than where you are at this very moment, causes suffering and pain of some sort, at some level. “Bloom where you are planted” is very simple. Stop resisting where you are right now. BE. There. Now. Make the most of it, make it the best…
*As one who has dealt with depression on and off for longer than I would like to admit, I, as most of us who struggle are, are always looking for inspiration, tricks, tips and tools to find our way out when in the depths of it all … the black hole or the black dog…
With all the gorgeous fall colors I’ve been seeing online, I’ve been searching for stunning locations also. Sometimes it’s not meant to be, so you need to change tracks, go with the flow and just have fun. I found no locations with the type of imagery I wanted to create, so I let it go…
Maybe I need to reconsider acceptance, which I wrote about yesterday and as soon as I wrote the words, I knew my brain may be tricking me. As soon as I clicked publish, I knew that my brain may be playing tricks on me. Accepting the things from our past that we can’t change, like…
*Why the stigma for us regular folk? Let’s all be done with hiding of mental health challenges, mental illness, disabilities of all sorts, especially the invisibles ones that we work even harder to hide. From insomnia to severe sleep deprivation, depression, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, post concussion syndrome, fibromyalgia, the only few that I can…
meaningless mind wandering stuck in the head body detached from grounding breath lost in suffering no way out until her dog made her laugh /brenda johima
Truth is the way In Out Through Around Over Out If you are brave enough /brenda johima
her world became so small smaller than she wanted to admit to anyone not even herself prison life would be busier she thought and she quickly snapped herself out of that thought /brenda johima
The Journey One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice– though the whole house began to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles. “Mend my life!” each voice cried. But you didn’t stop. You knew what you had…
I AM By using two of the most powerful words, “I AM” … it is one way to help free the self from ALL limiting thoughts. Put what you are or what you want to be, right behind those two words, and repeat it out loud, over and over. I start my day with this and…
I promised myself to take at least one photo a day and post online, whether award winning or subpar. Why? Commitment. To commit to not give up even if the going gets tough, which it has been lately. Titled : “a lonely fall day” Always Love, Brenda (p.s. A brand new Website is coming…
When you’ve struggled with anxiety and fear for as long as I have, and something, someone comes along that gives you hope, tools and some relief; well, that would be Mel Robbins, I just can’t get enough of it right now. I’m devouring anything I can find of hers in written word and video, and…
we are the quietest, most shy, least bold, most challenged, most messed up, least focused most often the silently wise /brendajohima
This is me. The Hummingbird. I am grateful to Oprah for providing the platform via Super Soul Sessions, for me to hear Elizabeth Gilbert talk about the curiosity-driven life. I have been trying to write about this for months by myself; and I mean months. I have been unable to get the words out with…
Falling to pieces, falling apart … what if that phase in your life where you feel you are falling apart, is actually the path leading to the place where you are once again having everything falling together again? When in the depths of despair and grief, sadness and loss, transformation and change, it can not…
Knowingness When you know, you know. Sometimes you know, alone. Sometimes others know with you. Sometimes those with the same knowingness as you, live half way or all the way around the world … or worlds away from you. Knowingness can be lonely, as it is an inner experience, with body and with heart and…
Snippets of Wisdom Today marks day ONE of a brand new feature that will be on my website regularly, and I am calling it “Snippets of Wisdom.” These will be tiny little sound clips of me speaking or reading, most often things that I have created and written myself, but sometimes will include writings by…
WOW. (This is a re-post of an article I wrote in 2007) Actually I think it may have been 2006, but it was published online in 2007. This was part of my Creative Nudge business, which is no more, as I closed it. I think that I may have been ahead of my time, and…
While walking in the woods I could not help but wonder, are the trees far wiser than we? Always Love, Brenda
Today while walking through the woods, I met a little boy with his nanny. He was different … and as some might judge, disabled. Yet I did not see him in that way because he had the ability to deeply connect with eye contact with myself and with my standard poodle Teddy; more so…
i may just be up to something new. a learning curve is a good thing. being a beginner is a good thing. not caring what others think about you when you are starting out is crucial. catching up on lost time is near impossible. regret gets you nowhere. starting over gets you everywhere. always…
I’m sitting in my car in the dark under a street lamp in a shopping centre parking lot. This is my last stop before I finally get to head home and relax, after driving too many hundreds of kilometres up-Island and then down and back up, on Vancouver Island. Here’s a little hint about what…
The Daily Blog In listening to two of my favourite people online, at the 44:40 point in this Chase Jarvis video interview with Seth Godin, you will hear Seth say, “I strongly urge people to have a blog; a daily blog.” I watched this video a few times, when it was published in 2016,…
In My Dreams Fact. 8 AM’ish and this JUST happened. Too funny. I just had a dream that Jann Arden came into my basement suite. (I don’t live in one) She was talking in the phone about booking a trip to Nashville to someone in the room next door. The room was attached to my suite…
Disappointing People and Disappointing People Many many years ago (maybe about 24 years?) when I was going through some challenging times, I was chatting with someone that I really admired, and she told me, “Brenda, I disappoint people every day.” Of course, I was kind of shocked, as I saw this person as a leader, and one of the…
I pulled this out of the drafts folder from long long ago, it’s maybe years ago that wrote it? It was time to click publish: OK. So you go 2 a party. You sit there. You wait. Maybe even stand against a wall, or look out the window, or drink wine or eat cheese and…
‘tis the season. The beauty of Vancouver Island is a daily “ahhhhh” no matter where you go, no matter the time of year. It truly is a visual paradise. Fall brings rain. And more rain. And usually, more rain. What a perfect way to celebrate my love of the abstract, in art and photography.
Fall brings a color palette rich with life; orange and red and yellow along with a multitude of varied greens, which are a welcomed sight on Vancouver Island in the fall, which can be overwhelmed by gray gray gray.
This is Day 2 of making myself accountable (to myself) for 5 days in a row, using The 5 Second Rule. I’ll continue on from yesterday with my goals below, and will say that, even though these are tiny goals, putting it out there publicly is scary. People will judge, and they do, and people…
Today, October 16th, is Day 1 of making myself accountable with my 5 Days 5 Seconds 5 Goals Here are my 5+ goals for today and later I will post about how I did: Make a call to someone (or issue) difficult to deal with (I have 4 of these on my to do list) Make a…
Very early yesterday morning I wrote the most amazing blog post; really amazing. You know when you are totally in the zone? I had composed a very lengthy (and amazing 🙂 post, with several external links to brilliance elsewhere online and also had embedded a video, all while still propped up in bed as inspiration…
Fall. The complexity of nature is a beautiful thing. Even more so, when you are a photographer who sees it … as a painter.
How on earth had I not found out about The 5-Second Rule until this morning? As one who lives 24/7 with the challenges of Anxiety daily, this is the first tool that I have found that really gives me HOPE for a brand new future. I start now, today. How about you? Might this work…
I am working (with some paid help) on building a brand new online portfolio of my art, iPhoneography, paintings and photography; a website and separate photography portfolio, actually. So as I sift through content and thousands of images on external hard drives, I thought I would share a few favourites along the way. These two…
With the recent news of really finally being cancer-free, I’ve been thinking a lot about what my next steps will be in life, as related to career, jobs and work. As I work on my next resume for feedback and help to pull together an amazing future plan, I’ve looked back into my past for…
Not words that anyone ever wants to hear! The good news? I got the all clear; I am healthy! … in that NO cancer was found to have metasticized to my brain. I recently had an MRI due to sudden hearing loss which was asymmetrical as well as other symptoms. An MRI was done on…
B R E A T H B R E A T H E While in the forest, it’s almost as if my lungs crave the fresh air going in and out in and out. I open my mouth wider and wider when nobody is watching. Stretching my face and jaw. Contorting. As if to grab…
Blog every day. She thought. But then the sun came out. And she forgot. —Brenda
This blog has been sitting with dust on it, along with my other blogs; very dusty. It was time to dust, clean house and get ready to write publicly again. It’s time for self expression in the form of an online personal journal, once again. I used to write daily, blogged daily, and then weekly, slipped to…
Breast Cancer December 24th, 2013 I got the news I needed an urgent mammogram and ultrasound, and then breast biopsy, On April 17th, 2014, four days after my 53rd birthday, I received a diagnosis of breast cancer. This is my personal journal. Having now completed surgeries, biopsies, chemotherapy and radiation, I now struggle to piece…
I just posted this to Facebook. I’ll write more here shortly, and tell you my next plans. Although I just got fantastic news! I’m still in the recovery and healing phase and dealing with daily fatigue, exhaustion, as well as seeking housing, which means a change in geography and community, and eventually, getting part-time employment. …
I have let go of so much, and of so many people, places and things, and with more letting go on the horizon. I’m getting used to letting go as a way of life. (for now) … and it’s beginning to feel like I am building a new life in my mind at least, bit…
Finished up with my medical oncologist appointment at the BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Island Centre. (Victoria) Last time I had an appointment I was devastated with the news of having to come back in 2 months as you may remember. Well, they still aren’t taking any chances with me. This time, I accepted it immediately.…
First appointment completed. Met with my medical social worker at the BC Cancer Agency in Victoria, for follow up and I actually had fun. Yeah, fun. I think that it’s the first time I laughed in an appointment instead of constantly crying and crying. We had a great chat and she thinks I am doing…
Yeah. I’ve arrived at the BC Cancer Agency. And yeah, it’s lonely. A twinge of scary, being back here alone. A twinge of queasy. Two appointments coming up shortly. Love, Brenda
Letting go. I have been doing a lot of letting go lately. More than the average. Letting go of everything all at once, is only for the very brave and courageous … or … because the Universe says you must let go and “so there, take this!” … [Insert a minor bit of humour] Letting go of…
“There is a bigger picture than you or I could ever imagine. Your soul sees it. Let you soul lead you…turn down the volume of your smaller self. It may seem illogical but it will always work out. Today is a day to recognize how your soul delivers messages to you…listen…you will hear the magic.…
“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take a step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe one of two things will happen—there will be something solid to stand upon or we will be taught to fly.” —Claire Morris-Edges *** Ooooops! Correct attribution to poet Patrick Overton.…
Brenda is looking for housing. For any time in May ideally, and June 1st at the very latest would be ideal. This is a dream. I’m still trying to acquire funding which I currently do not have but you can’t reach goals without putting them out to the Universe and asking for help, right? I’m asking for…
Use your intuition. Ask the Universe for what you need, before you need it. Predict. Ask ahead. She listens. — brenda johima
Good morning. Here’s an update on upcoming breast cancer follow-up stuff: In just over a couple of weeks, April 30th, I will be back at the BC Cancer Agency in Victoria for a follow up with my medical oncologist. I am hoping that she gives me good news and so I don’t have to go…
OOOOPS. After just posting, saying I would accept only LIGHT energy today, I just posted a tiny rant on Facebook about Fiverr, logo designs which I oppose, for 5 BUCKS. Ooooops. Human beings are funny. Including me. Oh how quickly we can change, with the blink of an eye. 🙂 Love, Brenda p.s. PAY appropriate rates…
LIGHT energy. Today, I crave lightness in everything I do and experience. That light and airy feeling. That. I accept no less, today. Love, Brenda
From March 22nd to October 6th 2015 (dates chosen intuitively by a friend) … there is a new fundraiser live online, called Help Brenda Build a Life Without Cancer. Can you please help spread the word? I would be so grateful. I am thankful to my friend Philippa for pulling it all together and posting it…
“I may look like debris, but I’m a masterpiece. My next heart beat deserves a press release”. – Shane Koyczan
One toxic energy. One toxic dysfunctional. Phone conversation. Robs Sleep. – brenda johima
Teddy will be OK. I’m back at the home I am staying at after a rush visit to a veterinarian‘s office in Vernon, B.C. (I am on the road, staying at a friends, while in transition) The good news is, I started crying in the lobby at the vet’s after they treated Teddy because they said…
Here’s a quick photo of Teddy today, on our little jaunt around the property here where I am staying in the Okanagan for a couple+ weeks while in transition. He’s TWO years old after yesterday and we’ve rarely been apart except for during my medical/cancer treatments. I feel so fortunate to have been able to…
health is a slippery slope. you climb up. you slide back down. to where you started from. or even further down the hill. to a place you have never been before. wondering how the heck. you got there from where you once were. – Brenda Johima
I’m in a major transition. Recovering from cancer while in a housing transition. It’s a bit much. Overwhelming and stressful, but Teddy makes it more FUN. Wherever I go, my dog Teddy goes. We are a team. Is it easy traveling with a 70-pound standard poodle in tow? While staying at other peoples homes and…
Today I am announcing a NEW fundraising campaign, Help Brenda Johima Build A New Life Without Cancer. One special friend set it all up for me, did the writing and everything. I am grateful. Several online friends had suggested that I put up a new fundraising page, since the last fundraiser, A Helping Hand for Brenda, ended…
I have not posted for a long long time. I have been tired. Very tired. Physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. However, I do want to keep sharing here on this journal/blog and to start sharing again, starting right now. So I will share with you, a secret Facebook post from today: *** It takes COURAGE to share…
In my last blog post I wrote about The Light At The End of the Tunnel and I thought that I was going to see it on my last trip to Victoria to the BC Cancer Agency. I made the 4-hour trip on my own, in traffic, eager to hear what I thought I was going to hear…
Thank you for your financial donations! You all helped save my life, and be able to keep my beloved standard poodle, Teddy. Please Accept Our Gratitude With LOVE, Dr. T. (Teddy) and Brenda Johima
I can’t believe it’s been 4 months today, since my last chemotherapy treatment. Yay! And it’s been 10 weeks since I competed radiation treatments. Yay! 9 months since I got my official diagnosis of breast cancer. And 13 months since I was in the walk-in clinic showing the doctor the lump I’d found in my…
Cancer was hard. There’s one thing that I want to hang onto >> how it changed me for the better.
i have noticed that when i am open and share my story out in public somewhere anywhere the first thing people say “i lost my Dad a few months ago” or “i just lost my Mom to cancer last year” or something like that it doesn’t make me sad i opened a door for them…
Just gotta say, that what chemotherapy does to your toenails and fingernails is bizarre scary. Takes forever to get back to normal it seems. — brenda johima
what was it like? cancer having cancer it was like a storm that would keep coming back over and over leaving you drowning and gasping for air grabbing for life jackets hoping to float with head above water survive just survive keep breathing just breathe on top of this soil” — brenda johima
i had a tub put shampoo on my fuzzy top scrubbed my scalp then put a turban-style-towel on top of my head i was all cozy all the while pretending that i have hair” — brenda johima
.cancer changes who you are. i heard it before i had cancer. i did not get it. now i get it. one is changed forever. standing in the unknown. – brenda johima
I have focused on my hair since I was a young girl. “Perfect hair” no matter the style. My Mom started my sister and I off, with a focus on hair at a young age. I used to be in tears, with Mom trying to contort my hair into perfect hair with elastics and barrettes…
I have been reading about foods for breast cancer. Interesting, that throughout cancer treatment, and now, my body has consistently craved the same things, and I have eaten a LOT of these. I eat other things too, and have my protein drinks/smoothies, but these are the key foods that I craved/crave and sometimes, the only…
I’ve been craving healthy food, pretty much daily, and going with it. Eating healthy and taking off a few pounds helps to make sure the cancer never comes back. But hey, I’m not perfect. I was craving some junk food (I thought) … you know, chips, candies, chocolate, baked goods. So after my afternoon walk…
Raspberries. Pounds of raspberries. I’ve been craving raspberries for months now. I had to have raspberries after every chemotherapy and raspberries every radiation treatment. When in Victoria for cancer treatments I had to eat raspberries almost every day. At home now, and again, I’m craving raspberries as much as the need for drinking water. I…
I was bald. I am balder. I thought my hair was growing back, but a funny thing happened in Vancouver, when I had my shower to get ready for the concert. I washed my “hair” as usual, and towel-dried it afterwards … but noticed that I seemed to have less hair. I did! I do.…
This is an (edited) REPOST from my Facebook profile. I have SO much to say, so much to write and to blog about as it has been too long since I have been here, writing with you. I will be back soon to post more. Love, Brenda RE : Fundrasing Benefit Concert November 15th /…
4,3,2,1 ! The countdown is on! Starting tomorrow, Monday, November 3rd, I have only FOUR more radiation treatments! Then I have completed my “active treatments” … and move on to hormonal therapy, specifically, Tamoxifen. YaaaaHoooo! I say! Chemotherapy and radiation therapy almost done! I AM proud. It WAS hard. And the journey is not over yet.…
So, it has been almost a month since I have posted to this blog. I discovered that trying to take on “writing for 31 days in a row in October” was not a good idea. Ha. Ha. What was I thinking? In the midst of all my breast cancer treatment, I would blog 31 days…
31 days to a new me there are scads of diets and programs that promise a new you in 10 days, 30 days, on and on. i am smarter to know to not get caught in these expensive traps. but what about writing for 31 days? it is FREE. and i believe it will change…
the benefits of being bald when applying face cream, you don’t have to worry about getting it in your hair. it’s like a blank canvas, you can get it anywhere no paying for hairdressers and no hair salon expenses save money on shampoos, conditioners and hair products wear funky and cool caps and hats fun … always…
i started this thing, writing for 31 days in a row, which makes no sense to me if it does not come from the heart, i told myself, but then i realized, that if every writer put that kind of demand on themselves, would we have books? would good books be written? who can live…
I have been thinking about this post for several months now. I try to keep my journal posts as upbeat and positive as I can, but truth is, breast cancer is a HARD journey. A lot of it has been hard. What have been the hardest things about breast cancer? Let’s tell the truth. In…
when i first got diagnosed with breast cancer, all of a sudden, little bits of poetry just started to flow out of me, out of the blue it seemed … it was FUN and effortless … then i began chemotherapy, and it all just came to a halt on its own, just as fast as it…
A Helping Hand for Brenda Johima Benefit Concert! I was WOWED when I got contacted and asked if it would be OK for some musicians and music therapists to put together a fundraising benefit concert on my behalf in Vancouver, to assist with added costs and medical/travel expenses associated with my breast cancer. Of course…
Hi Everyone, Thanks for popping by. I want to let you know that at this time, all of my energies online are now being spent on my breast cancer blog/journal at brendajohima.CA … I am also very active on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. This brendajohima.com website has had to take a backseat (temporarily) until I am…
I have been blessed with so much love and kindness online, via social media, and I am so incredibly grateful. I have been shown the BEST of humanity, through the power of social media to do GOOD in the lives of others. Mine. Thank you to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, who have supported me…
Don’t be afraid to compliment and encourage strangers. The world needs more compliments, encouragement and less criticism. It is an awesome way to live, too.” – Brenda Johima
Japanese Maple by Clive James Your death, near now, is of an easy sort. So slow a fading out brings no real pain. Breath growing short Is just uncomfortable. You feel the drain Of energy, but thought and sight remain: Enhanced, in fact. When did you ever see So much sweet beauty as when fine…
i am saving money on hair products, hairdressers, hair salons, shampoo and conditioner–that’s about the only thing funny about cancer.” – brenda johima
Good morning, I thought I would give you an update as to where things are at, at this point in time in my healing, recovery and treatment plan for breast cancer. Right now, as I write, I am sitting at home in Fanny Bay. Fortunately where I am, Vancouver Island has beautiful sunny and warmish weather to…
96-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch is now my HERO. This woman just inspired me BIG time this morning. Not only is Tao named as the “world’s oldest yoga teacher” but her wise words woke me up to a better life this morning. Here are her simple and wise ways to live a great life. I am putting my…
I was going to write this post yesterday but I could not get myself into the zone of a heart place from which to write. Why write about your cancer journey if not coming from the heart, I thought. Who would want to read it and why would I want to put it out there?…
The one thing that I am consistent with, is being inconsistent here on this blog, this journal. Can I just please call this a journal? I am asking myself permission? The word blog just isn’t resonating with me for this website, so there we have it, this will be my journal from here on forward. Who…
I woke up bright and early – 4 AM seems to be the norm lately. The good news is, that I woke up feeling like I wanted to go for a RUN! And then jump on my bike and cycle a bazillion miles. Waking up feeling rested, is rare for me, so I am VERY…
I am psyching myself up for chemotherapy number three! It’s coming up this Thursday, September 4th, at 8:30 A.M. at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Island Centre. Please do send me some love and positive vibes! I have come a long way, even in being able to ask you straight up, for your prayers and well wishes,…
Good Morning, Lately I have been waking up at 4 AM. It just is. There is no point in resisting it, I just go with it. I had great intentions when I first started this blog, and things have not gone as planned, as one might expect with breast cancer. A lot of things do…
I think that we must have sensors in our hair because since I have become bald I keep banging my head on things, corners, on and on. Weird. Maybe it’s the (cancer) drugs but it is only my head. Klutz cells have grown in place of hair. LOL. Love, Brenda
I would like to thank Accent Inns in Victoria, B.C. for making my first stay so very comfortable. I stayed at Accent Inns Victoria during my first chemotherapy treatment at the BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Island Centre. This is a pet friendly hotel and I can highly recommend it. Staff were efficient, super friendly and professional at every point…
Good morning! As one who prides myself on punctuality and in past, applauded myself for never missing deadlines … breast cancer has turned all of that (perfectionism and incredibly high standards) on its head and right upside down. I am missing deadlines and I am late and I am not getting things done very quickly,…
My standard poodle Teddy, is now lovingly and famously known as Dr. T., Doctor Theodore, and even Dr. Dreamy and Dr. McDrool. He’s my Chief Medical Officer. Teddy comes with me – to and from chemotherapy treatments (Fanny Bay to Victoria and back) stays with me in pet friendly hotels, and is by my side…
Swimming!! I went swimming and floating in the ocean!! The last paragraph will explain why I’m over the top happy! H E A V E N. Bliss. Aaaahhhh. I was in there for a LONG time. The water is very shallow, as Fanny Bay is famous worldwide for oysters. It’s a heavenly warm swimming spot…
It takes as long as it takes. And in this case, to get me back to doing my walking meditations that I did daily, for years and years. You know, it was one of those things that you think about everyday and that you want to do, and and are going to do, but just…
who is this imposter? visiting my body unwelcome guest he brought damaged goods as gifts that never let you forget who you used to be he crawls out from the rubble presenting as me to the public who just sees surface deep but not the unthinkable pain crushing dizzying writhing grimacing never-ending always shifting fireworks…
popping in for a quick update. it has been the day from hell physically. the bone pain today was a 15 out of 10 on the pain scale. unbearable. disabling. all i could do is lie down and writhe around, try to shift or get up and stretch and walk around the house, sit in…
I woke up feeling awesome! And for this moment, this one moment, I’m grateful. Everything really can change in the blink of an eye, in life and in health. **I’ve truly become grateful for the teeny tiniest of moments and seconds.** I always hope these amazing feelings will last, but have learned that with breast…
A HUGE Thank You to Accent Inns Victoria B.C., for going above and beyond to accommodate me, during tough times with breast cancer, and making it possible, as a pet friendly hotel, for my to have my best friend, my buddy, Teddy my standard poodle, with me here in my room. He is my family.…
Actually, I am thankful. Who wants breast cancer? Nobody. BUT. The gifts that have come to me in a multitude of ways, the new friendships that are developing as a result, from strangers I haven’t met, and a new strength and belief in myself, a boost in confidence, bravery and courage I didn’t think I…
A HUGE Thank You to Accent Inns Victoria B.C., for going above and beyond to accommodate me, during tough times with breast cancer, and making it possible, as a pet friendly hotel, for my to have my best friend, my buddy, Teddy my standard poodle, with me here in my room. He is my family.…
Treatment plan (if all goes well and as planned) … They spoke of inserting a picc line or port, instead of and IV for chemotherapy. We are going to try without doing this, even though chemotherapy can cause permanent damage to veins. This is scary stuff! Treatment plan: “only 4 pokes” … meaning: 1. Starting…
they’re not yet meant to meet maybe never maybe sometime powerful words touching hearts yet seems like continents apart — Brenda Johima
polar opposites rough and tumble go and get ’em soft and gentle crushed with a word silenced with an eye — Brenda Johima
empty words on papers found love letters that never really loved yet she whispered words on lonely nights to self and dogs cats and trees — Brenda Johima
So let’s talk about some good news!! 1. A wasp stung me on my arm as I was getting into the vehicle to be driven from Fanny Bay down to Victoria. I had a bad reaction. I’ve never reacted to a wasp sting in 53 years. I took Benedryl immediately. We kept an eye in…
OMG !!!!! The kindest person in the whole world just changed my life for the better!! I was just gifted a new MacBook Pro laptop! So I can start my business(s) back online again and be mobile while dealing with my cancer cure! I can now update my blog regularly while mobile, fix my websites…
So I got the devastating news today from a medical oncologist that I have to come up with an additional $5000-$6000 to pay for cancer drugs that are not covered by BC Medical. Yes, we are in Canada. In BC. This is not covered by medical. Who has that kind of extra cash kicking around?…
Yesterday I got a short new haircut, to prepare for chemotherapy, and as a “phase 1” in order to not have bald be such a shock in 2-3 weeks. So I took a couple of selfies, or self-portraits … I prefer that term, with my iPhone, of course. So, here you go, see them below.…
After years and years of short hair, I finally grew it out long and have been really enjoying my long blonde hair … much like the good old days when I was much, much younger. I used to be called the blonde bombshell … long long ago 😉 … like, long ago. Anyway, tomorrow is…
OK. More hard lessons this week. Exactly at the time(s) I can’t, and don’t want to deal with it. Other people getting angry and frustrated with me. A few different people, not just one. I know the things I need to work on to change myself, I am not perfect and I make mistakes, but…
optimism bravery courage and kindness prayers in light filled rooms guide the way ― Brenda Johima
that love could never be they were two polar opposites in lifestyle and pocketbook
missing money but she had the smarts the looks and the love — Brenda Johima
she would never belong with the famous high rollers she watched from the sidelines aching to belong but not really — Brenda Johima
Breast cancer update. I start chemotherapy next week, ASAP. Just off the phone with the oncologist in Victoria. They want me to start chemotherapy right away. This is due to the lymphatic space invasion. I’m at a high risk, along with it being an aggressive grade 3 cancer. Things have been stalled way too long…
Thank you for your financial support! … and, your love and prayers and comments lift me up! all of you kind souls are making a difference in my life. I’m grateful. So here’s an update: On July 8th, I had a long drive from Fanny Bay to a jam packed day of appointments at the…
The gifts of cancer! Clearing the decks, life’s a blank canvas, dumping the negative nellies, starting again, beginning anew!
The weirdest thing on my “to do” list this week? Write up some sort of basic “will” document that states who puppy Teddy goes to, worst case scenario. I am compiling a list of people who I think could (and would want to) take Teddy as their life partner, just in case something might happen…
He’s right here Bed rumbling, shaking, twitching Restless legs and wild dreams Chasing bunnies at top speeds — Brenda Johima
The moon is missing As night falls Into darkness I slip No more thoughts That is all — Brenda Johima
Island rains Turning dusty brown greens Into lush and vibrant greens Paradise uncovered Once again — Brenda Johima
Thank YOU for the funds raised so far. A total of $690.00 from YouCaring and $450.00 via private email bank e-transfers has been raised. We are off to a good start with $1140.00 raised to date! I thank my friend Susan for setting a small ($5000.00) fundraising campaign up on my behalf. She asked me…
Love wanted her She wanted her He wanted her They wanted her Everybody wanted her But she Wanted … — Brenda Johima
Words disappeared Like ghosts into walls Her blank mind Found it harder and harder To spit Vowels and consonants Out of her mouth — Brenda Johima
“Lymphatic space invasion.” = not words you want to hear in your day. Otherwise, a good day, and I can do this!
Peace came over me Comfort Like dear old friend I haven’t seen for awhile Thank God she’s here Alive and well — Brenda Johima
Step one, a friendly care aide takes my blood pressure and weighs me. Great. I never have high blood pressure, if anything, it’s usually low. I know, it’s up because I’m just freaked out. Great, my weight is higher than it’s ever been in my entire life. Why is weight such a huge issue? It…
I’ve been up since 4 AM. I’ve learned to go with the flow with insomnia. I write, plan, think, meditate, contemplate, look at my day ahead. I always get great ideas at 4 AM, or reminders of things I wanted to do but haven’t tried yet. Sooooo, today, I’m looking forward to trying out a…
I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to those who donated money towards the fundraising campaign “A Helping Hand for Brenda,” created on my behalf. $690.00 was raised in two days. It’s a good start! Also, an additional $450.00 was raised just before that launched, via email banking, e-Transfer. A friend/colleague came forward and offered to volunteer and…
The best thing that my new doctor said to me yesterday? “You can change your mind a hundred times if you want. This is a dynamic process.” She put me totally at ease. There’s been so much pressure to make decisions that feel so permanent, and not wanting to make a mistake. There’s also been…
This is a blog post I never imagined myself writing. In April of 2014 I received a diagnosis of an invasive 3/3 breast cancer. Since that time I have had a lumpectomy (breast conserving surgery) and also a sentinel node biopsy. Next, I head to Victoria for consultations with the Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist…
On a positive note, I GOT A NEW DOCTOR today !!!!! Someone who is nice, loving, smiles a lot, who came across as she really genuinely cares about me. She is AWESOME. I had a good doctor before, but he took off and left all his patients, and went to some tiny community up North.…
fear creeps in like the dark of the night overpowering the end of day — Brenda Johima
He’s breathing heavy Snoring loudly Right by my side My big dog — Brenda Johima
just one drop turns into an ocean just one leaf turns into a forest — Brenda Johima
the sea breeze salt mists my face a gentle wind blows my brain into a new place it took only seconds to cleanse dark thoughts moving them into the brightest of bright lights — Brenda Johima
the forest, she’s my healer. a trustworthy confidant. she keeps all my secrets safe. my heart opens wide, in her presence. — Brenda Johima
sleep was supposed to comfort her like a quilt peace darkness quiet it didn’t matter cancer consumed her mind — Brenda Johima
you’ll never know who you’re touching who you touched who you’ll touch — Brenda Johima
he looked at her with blue eyes aging spirit soaring heavy accent blurted don’t let it slip away — Brenda Johima
there’s always somebody home she knows who you are by feel from her heart by the sound of your voice look deeper cry inside your head look into her eyes she needs you be still be there — Brenda Johima
it seemed like forever ago that she felt oooohhhhhmmm peaceful — Brenda Johima
she’s surrounded by oyster shells clam shells mussels yet to be cracked open by seabirds. these slimy foods delicacies to others she never eats the stuff it’s for the birds! — Brenda Johima
Her world became smaller and smaller and smaller. So small, that she fit into an oyster shell, and silently became a pearl. — Brenda Johima
(EDIT: content transferred from BrendaJohima.CA on September 22nd, 2017) **** Hi, I’m Brenda Johima, and I’m 53 years old. I’ve never had to write about myself having breast cancer before. I’d like to give you the basics. On April 17th, 2014, I was given a breast cancer diagnosis. It was…
“Medical oncologist” are not words you want to hear, to start your day. “Chemotherapy” is not a word I wanted to hear to start my day. As of this morning, chemotherapy AND radiation is on the radar now as a strong possibility in my treatment in addition to radiation. I can choose to say NO…
She told me she might need it Don’t throw it away No help needed To sort cluttered piles Of words on papers She’s staring at Surrounded by Stacks of memories Magazines and tabloids These make her Long lonely days in bed Bearable As they close in On her hidden away secret life Unlived But out…
Rain was falling everywhere She ran and ran Darted and dodged She Aimed to miss each raindrop Not wet once The goal She had Super speedy Zig and zag Precipitation could not touch her Faster faster she went At Dizzying speeds Circling jumping dancing leaping Avoiding Drip drip Drops — Brenda Johima
Ended up at emergency Friday night. Got home at 2 AM ‘ish. Today I go back for an “urgent” ultrasound because they didn’t have a technician available at emergency when I was there on Friday. The emergency physician wanted to put me on blood thinners for a couple days, but due to my chemical and…
Day 5 after breast cancer surgery and this Aries is not patient. Am I cured yet? I take my impatience as a positive and good sign. My life force is strong and alive and well and I’m ready to go go go and get out of this cabin fever. But I will, and am, resting,…
“Feelings are like subway trains … there will be another one along in 5 minutes.” This is a saying that has stuck with me since the early 1990’s when I took a workshop, with my friend Ann Mortifee. I use the wisdom (and humour) of it all the time, to keep check with my emotions…
What if Hope is all there is What if Dreams are enough to get you by What if Everybody else is wrong What if They don’t know yet What you know Now Let them catch up And follow They will In time Maybe Until then Be the frontrunner With courage All the time — Brenda…
Good morning! I’ve had a few Twitter conversations regarding this topic so I thought I’d share my opinion on the word breast cancer “survivor” which people keep telling me that I will be, in time. I’m focused on thankfulness, gratitude and looking for everything and everybody that I can be grateful for. I’m telling people…
“You can cry and be sad and still put positive out to the world. Gifts are disguised in pain sometimes. Stay strong.” — Brenda Johima
Hope was all she knew Daydreaming kept her alive The kindness of strangers Was her life Unlived — Brenda Johima
They said they would be there Just call She could not Pick up the phone — Brenda Johima
Kindness from strangers Gratitude given Lifted up from the depths Awoken from a bad dream — Brenda Johima
There was an ache in her heart A longing A pain A wishing and hoping Yearning and grasping At secrets you’ll ever know — Brenda Johima
Hope was All she knew Until villagers felt They must tell her the truth — Brenda Johima
Love seems so far away In the distance Shackles and prisons Barriers and bones Weary — Brenda Johima
She doesn’t know When darkness will hit So on she goes Lickety-split — Brenda Johima
I’ve got some exciting news! I am turning this website into a photography portfolio. [ Edit (January 3, 2018) : Full Photography Portfolio will instead be at JOHIMA.CA ] Watch for a full transformation of this website, right here, that will be simply for viewing of photographic images, both mobile and DSLR. Come back soon! With gratitude,…
Patience has never been my best quality, but now with having breast cancer, and spending time in the garden with my camera, the garden is proving to be my best teacher for learning patience. With Gratitude, Brenda
I let a bunch of other competitive “professional” photographers (in an organization) squash me, silence me, crush me. I regret that. I got bullied. I took less and less photos. I went into hiding. I quit. I let friends and family tell me I could not be a photographer. I broke their hearts by taking…
Today I walked my own dog! I’m not supposed to (post-surgery) for another week but I’m getting sooooo bored. I used a whack of home baked bison sirloin treats (yes, I had to know he’d do anything for me) … and my clicker and a short 4 ft. lead to get him to the marsh…
Touch Yourself. Australian artist Chrissy Amphlett died in 2013 of breast cancer. In her memory, ten Australian women singers carry the melody of “I Touch Myself” from one to another in a tribute to Christine Joy Amphlett. I Touch Myself was re-recorded as an “anthem for women’s health.” Here’s the song and video: Here’s a behind the scenes look…
“What you are talking about to someone might not be the thing you are talking about.” — Brenda Johima
It’s been over a year since I have posted to this blog. I told myself that I would never be a blogger who blogs just because you are “supposed” to. Writing … and life, has to have meaning for me, and … especially if you are putting it out to the entire world to read.…
I could not love you Even if you were Lying next to me As it would be A dangerous friendship And it would be Too close for comfort As I’d get hurt And I’d get my heart broken I know Because your love Could fill three oceans Yet none of them Swimming pools For me…
Today I was paralyzed by fear. I started my cancer journey, happy, upbeat, positive, optimistic and hopeful. It was an instant choice upon hearing my diagnosis. I wanted (and want) to stay in that place. I knew (and know) that it’s not possible or human do to so. We were born with a wide range…
The power of your mind, and the ability to use it for good, is the best thing you own. Think Power Thoughts. — Brenda Johima
“Look up. Shut down that phone, look up from that display. We have a finite existence, a set number of days…”
“Look up. Shut down that phone, look up from that display. We have a finite existence, a set number of days…” Love, Brenda
The tears. They come out of nowhere. Here and there. Surprises. And balm. — Brenda Johima
My Dad is a Canadian citizen, yet still with a heavy Finnish accent said, “Did they take your hair off?” Bless his heart, when we spoke of my breast cancer. I knew what he meant. xxoo — Brenda Johima
It did happen. To me. I’ve never tried a cigarette. Yep, never. I’m proud of it. It’s one thing I have always bragged about. I was an athlete most of my life. In elementary school, I’d be up in the upper field running with the boys playing football at recess. After school I went to…
There are so many gifts in tough times. We can wake up to a greater and even more magnificent version of ourselves. By choice. — Brenda Johima
Your mind is the most powerful thing you own and it’s FREE to use however you want. Use it for good. The brain/thought is an incredible gift. — Brenda Johima
The best way to get through tough challenges is to feel it all, feel all the emotions, and then move on to happy ASAP. Joy heals and uplifts. — Brenda Johima
Everybody keeps telling me how happy I sound and that I sound great and look great considering I have cancer. I’m grateful. Thank you. but. I haven’t changed all that much in only the last 6 days since surgery. I’m not dying! 😉 This is enough reason for me to be happy! (or for anyone to…
Good morning! I used a nice thick, cushy and unscented, absorbent and super soft sanitary napkin as a bandage change (post-surgery) last night, as I live rural and couldn’t get to the store. It worked just fine (really nice and comfy) except it was stuck to my arm by morning. Ha. At least there’s a…
Life will lift you Where you want to go Happy healthy Well and whole Isn’t just a dream It’s home It’s home — Brenda Johima
Day 5 after breast cancer surgery and this Aries is not patient. Am I cured yet? I take my impatience as a positive and good sign. My life force is strong and alive and well and I’m ready to go go go and get out of this cabin fever. But I will, and am, resting,…
You can cry and be sad and still put positive out to the world. Gifts are disguised in pain sometimes. Stay strong. — Brenda Johima
The mind goes The mind wanders The mind drifts The mind repeats Itself Again and again The mind travels On trips you wish to avoid The mind takes detours On roads you’d rather not travel The mind jogs on paths You’d prefer to avoid The mind then races As if On a marathon Of hope.…
When tough times fall Pull the mind to gratitude That’s all. — Brenda Johima
— all over the map — mish mash mish mash — hotchpotch — hodgepodge — — Brenda Johima
Behind closed doors Love hurts And heals Hearts break Open Even More To Open To an even greater love —Brenda Johima
Seems the poetry is flowing So I’m going With it. —Brenda Johima
I prefer to live in the living. Not surviving. Not trying. But Being. All that I can be. Death is in the far far distance. But. Survivor does not call my name. Life calls louder. Life yells loudly. “Come here Brenda! Let’s play!” —Brenda Johima
“I believe in happy endings. If you’re not happy, that just means it’s not the ending.” — Walt Disney Imagineer, Alice Davis
Good morning! I’ve had a few Twitter conversations regarding this topic so I thought I’d share my opinion on the word breast cancer “survivor” which people keep telling me that I will be, in time. I’m focused on thankfulness, gratitude and looking for everything and everybody that I can be grateful for. I’m telling people…
I was diagnosed with breast cancer, on April 17th, 2014. I am 53 years old. This blog is just about to transform into my personal journal, for documenting my life (and recovery from) breast cancer. I will write more soon, fill you in on some details, and organize this website into an inspiring and hopeful space.…
I can. Yes I can. I will. Beat this I will. Then. Tears well up. In between sentences and silences. Then. I can do this. Everything will be OK. You can beat this Brenda. Then. Tears well up in wonder while waiting. —Brenda Johima
(Warning: Those who know me well, know that I don’t post nasty or negative posts online, ever, however, this story and incident in my life broke my heart SO much, I want you to know about it. I also so strongly believe that the public must be warned about this, so I am posting this…
HI! This is going to be a quick blog post because I just arrived in Victoria to attend my favorite social media conference, Social Media Camp! It started already today, with an awesome turnout for the orientation and the first social. I’m in my hotel room typing up this to make sure you get this…
NEWS: As of May 1, 2013, I am no longer taking clients or offering most of the services listed on this johima.ca website (except for mobile photography, iPhoneography, visual social media, and workshops and speaking engagements, which WILL continue) for an indefinite period of time. Please visit me instead, at BrendaJohima.com Thank you, — Brenda Johima JOHIMA…
I am speaking at Social Media Camp 2013, May 6-8, in Victoria, B.C. This will be my fourth year in a row as a featured speaker. I LOVE this conference and the quality of education and speakers, as well as the great friends I have made, who are with me still. I offer a BIG Thank…
I love this time of year, as I prepare for my favorite social media conference on Vancouver Island. This will be my FOURTH year in a row as a featured speaker and conference attendee at Social Media Camp in Victoria B.C. I LOVE speaking at this conference, and I’m ecstatic to be on the main…
Have you ever been in love? Really. In love to the depths of your very being? Have You? How about … have you been in love with a pet, a dog, or a puppy? I was. I am. But. The hurt, when snatched away forever, as if to not matter. Words that some people have…
As I walked through the forest I came across this rusted out old car, colorful and turquoise … a work of car art. That’s how I saw it, at least, even before I took a photo. This was the coolest thing I had seen in awhile and I couldn’t wait to capture it with my…
HAPPY New Year! 2013 for me, feels like it’s filled with promise and optimism, moving forward and going for it! How about for you? 2012 was tough for a lot of people, myself included, and there’s something magical about beginning with a blank canvas, a brand new year to start all over again. I’ve not…
Bullying happens to adults too. It’s happened to me. More than once. There’s something called “exclusion bullying” where you’re deliberately excluding someone from participating in groups, in the workplace, in causes, in things they believe in and want to be a part of. It’s happened to me, more than once. It breaks your heart. It’s…
>> February 26, 2014 >> PLEASE NOTE >I never ever gave up my (foster) dog.head tremor
Good Morning! Today is change your password day! OK, I made that up, but it’s a good idea to change your password on a regular basis. You must create strong passwords and change your passwords on a regular basis. It’s your best defense against hackers. And … even if you do create strong passwords, there…
Mine. Mine. Mine. All Mine. As a photographer, fan and regular user of WordPress, and from my love of, and support for the tech community in Victoria B.C., I spoke at WordCamp Victoria 2012 on the topic of Copyright and joined my friend and colleague, Janis La Couvee. The title of our session was Disclosures,…
(Revised April 11, 2013, I have scaled this event down to a smaller, more manageable size, within the conference, so please stay tuned for an updated blog post … and get ready to start to share cell phone images 😉 I’m thrilled to announce and to make public, that I will be once again coordinating…
NEWS! (Revised April 11, 2013, Start Date for New Launch was instead, April 1, 2013. And that’s no April Fool’s joke 🙂 November 1st, 2012, today! I’ve launched a new business! Johima Photography. Please stay tuned while my website is updated to reflect this great news! More focus! A new focus! — Brenda Johima Copyright…
This. She’s brought so much JOY and Happiness into my life. Xena! (she’s 5 months old here) — Brenda All Images Copyright Brenda Johima All Images Copyright Brenda Johima All Images Copyright Brenda Johima All Images Copyright Brenda Johima
Hey! I just created a new blog that will be dedicated to only my writing. The first blog post is now online! I’d be thrilled if you would read … Xena the Poodle Puppy and the Homeless Man Please join me in … Thinking About More Things. (Brenda Johima Writes) I’ll still put blog posts…
>> February 26, 2014 >> PLEASE NOTE << I no longer have Xena, my soul dog. Dogs are FOREVER to me, and after being questioned publicly on Twitter yesterday, I wish to set the record straight. I will be posting a full story, but for now, for the record: >>I never, never, ever gave up…
BREAKING NEWS! I’m adding a specialty in special needs and disabilities (challenges of all kinds) in my social media business as a new service from here forward. I do believe that there is a lack of representation for persons with disabilities and special needs online via social media, and at conferences as well. This new…
“Silence is more powerful than noise online.” — Brenda Johima This could simply read “silence is more powerful than noise.” Period. Online, this means, only post, write, Tweet, Facebook, blog when you feel, when you want, when you have value to add, and something that has emotional impact and/or an opportunity for learning. Having said…
I’ll be in the Northern Interior of B.C., in Prince George this fall (2012) for two workshops. In the workshop below, I’ll cover the basics of social media for artists and business owners. It’s intended to be an introductory workshop but anyone at any level of ability is welcome to attend 🙂 This session will be hands-on so please bring…
I’ll be in the Northern Interior of B.C., in Prince George this fall (2012) for two workshops. In the workshop below, I’ll cover the basics of iPhone photography (iPhoneography) and mobile photography for artists and business owners. It’s intended to be an introductory workshop but anyone at any level of ability is welcome to attend 🙂 This session will…
I’ll be in the Northern Interior of B.C., in Prince George this fall (2012) for two workshops, at the Two Rivers Gallery. In the workshop below, I’ll cover the basics of iPhone photography (iPhoneography) and mobile photography for artists and business owners. It’s intended to be an introductory workshop but anyone at any level of…
I’ll be in the Northern Interior of B.C., in Prince George this fall (2012) for two workshops. One, in the workshop below, I’ll cover the basics of social media for artists and business owners. It’s intended to be an introductory workshop but anyone at any level of ability is welcome to attend 🙂 This session…
I don’t fit in, or belong, most of the time, and in most ways. It took me almost 51 years to see this as a good thing, as an asset. Not fitting in means you stand out. Not fitting in means you’ve resisted or embraced weird and strange and even odd. Different is where it’s…
Why have I not called my Facebook business page Brenda Johima Photography, or Johima Photography, or Brenda Johima Artist, or, or, or … some other specific niche that’s good for SEO, for target marketing your audience, on and on and on, you know, all the buzz words? Well, I LOVE doing it all. I write,…
YAY to #SMPhotoArt Giveaways at #SMCamp of @SocMediaCamp It’s a HAPPY Hashtag kind of day. It’s the day I get to giveaway freebies to people who attended Social Media Camp in Victoria, June 8-9, 2012. All of these people participated in the mobile photography show and/or came and chatted with me about iPhone photography and…
Are You Ready to Make Your Photo-ART Social in YYJ? CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS New to Social Media Camp this year is the Mobile Phone Photo-Art Show. This has been instigated and organized by the very talented visual artist and prolific iPhone Photographer, Brenda Johima. Brenda is a former Social Media Camp featured speaker and panelist,…
Thanks to iPhone Photographer Lisa Bettany and tap tap tap, developers of an awesome iPhone photography app, Camera+ … I have kindly been given 10 copies copies of Camera+ to giveaway to mobile photographers attending the Social Media Camp conference. iPhone photographers are in for a treat at Social Media Camp this year. Bring your…
I have been corresponding with some business owners in Europe recently, in hopes of some work, some business or contracts. Whether I get the work or not has not even mattered. What has mattered is how they sign their emails. I have never met these people before, we’ve not yet been on the phone yet…
Mobile Phone Photographers Participate and Win! Trey Ratcliff is one incredible photographer. I love his photography and his iPhone app, 100 Cameras in 1 is in my top recommended apps at every speaking engagement on mobile photography. Trey is extremely popular on Google+ and I’d recommend joining in on some of his hangouts online and…
Win some apps at Social Media Camp! iPhone photographers are in for a treat at Social Media Camp this year. Bring your best iPhone photos that you already have taken, and also be prepared to take some new photos at the conference, June 8th and June 9th for a chance to win some really cool…
Groundbreaking and *NEW* at Social Media Camp 2012 this year is: Bring your favorite mobile photos, iPhone photos with you Real time (captured and post-processed on June8-9th at the conference) Participate: Download Pinweel app (FREE) Download Capsule app (FREE) ONE iPhone Photographers (only) … no Android yet TWO Why do you want to take part…
As one who loves to photograph other people, I still run far away from a camera if I see one ready to take my own photo. So I’ve been experimenting with self-portraits as a creative tool instead. Some are cartoon-ey, some creepy, some very creative and beautiful, and others are for just plain FUN. I’m…
If I Had A Cape … I might fly like the wind, I might grab my cape and fly through blue skies filled with white puffy cotton ball clouds, gargantugiantus (made up word) clouds that are soft and comforting, embracing me into a lovely nap of creativity, then POOF! I wake up and say ……
Where Do You Go To Unwind? One of my favorite places to go, to relax and to get exercise at the same time, is the forest. Vancouver Island (paradise) gives me loads of options for forests to explore … especially in Spring. This time of year, Seal Bay Nature Park in Comox, is ripe for…
It’s time to GET SOCIAL. To Social Media Camp, that is. I’m super excited to be speaking at Social Media Camp 2012 in Victoria, B.C., once again! I’m honored to say that this is my third year in a row as a speaker at this prestigious Social Media Conference in Canada. For the past two…
It’s time to GET SOCIAL. To Social Media Camp, that is. I’m super excited to be speaking at Social Media Camp 2012 in Victoria, B.C., once again! I’m honored to say that this is my third year in a row as a speaker at this prestigious Social Media Conference in Canada. For the past two…
14 Photographers Exhibit Mobile Phone Photo-Art in Victoria, B.C. I’d like to extend a BIG thank you to the 14 photographers who came forward and submitted photos for inclusion in the 1st ever Creatively United Mobile Phone Photo-Art Show! which took place April 20-22nd in Victoria, B.C. As the instigator and coordinator of this one…
Walking along the beach in Ships Point, Fanny Bay B.C. (in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island) … I came across this boat, and photographed it at … exactly the right angle 🙂 Fanny Bay Photographer : Copyright © Brenda Johima
Life is Short : GO For It! This swimming dog has a one track mind … with an eye on the goal … get that ball!
There is beauty everywhere, if you look, feel, slow down, and see … even in a ditch.
Stay tuned for more news on my topic, but I’m just putting out a teaser, that I’ll be speaking at the Creatively United for the Planet Festival in Victoria, during Earth Week, and the festival takes place April 20-22, 2012. My topic? iPhone Photography and Nature, of course. I’ll have the “official blurb” and title,…
Elevate your phone for the Arts! Pull out your iPhone, Mobile Phone, and Any Camera Phone! Join me, Artist and iPhone Photographer Brenda Johima in the first ever Elevate The Arts Mobile Phone Photo-Art Show! This is an all-ages, all-inclusive and FUN opportunity to showcase your your camera phone talents an artistic, creative and photographic tool to…
*** Please note the change in the NEW date for submissions to be received below. You have more time! … and time is running out! Looking forward to receiving your print submissions. Please read below: Entries must be RECEIVED no later than Monday, April 16th, 2012. Please join me in Victoria B.C., during Earth Week…
SUPER Exciting NEWS as of March 1st! I’ve been waiting to tell you about this! Get your iPhones and Mobile Phones ready to get outdoors and capture the beauty of nature with the intent to protect it. I’m very excited to announce that I will be coordinating the first ever Creatively United Mobile Phone Photo-Art…
The news is, YES, I’m actively seeking opportunities to display my iPhone photos in exhibits as an artist, in addition to coordinating and organizing iPhone Photography shows that include a workshop and/or a speaking engagement. It’s VERY Exciting. I’ve been capturing my images with my iPhone since 2008 and so I am very thrilled with…
A budget frozen in B.C. for the next 3 years in arts and culture makes no sense … since everything that we consume, purchase, market, sell and buy has had either an artist, designer, photographer, musician, singer, videographer, writer, actor or other creative professional involved … in order to create it, market or sell it.…
Image Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima ( iPhone ART )
“If there isn’t credit, don’t spread it.” — Brenda Johima You wouldn’t think twice about walking into a retail store and stealing whatever you want and then saying that you created it? (unless you are a criminal or want to be one) You wouldn’t think of walking into an art gallery and taking a piece…
Whew! Now that was a LOT of FUN! (The speaking engagement, I mean. This blog post took some time to compile after the fact, but as they say, better late than never) On Saturday, January 14th, 2012, I spoke at WordCamp Victoria 2012 in Victoria B.C., with my friend Janis LaCouvee. Our topic? Disclosures, Attribution,…
Here’s one more TIP on intellectual copyright. I’m an advocate for the arts, and 100% believe that artists, creatives and photographers must receive credit (and pay) for their work. What can YOU do online to help protect the careers of artists, creatives and photographers? It’s plain good karma. The right thing to do is to…
Intellectual copyright is a HOT topic right now and it should be. The very livelihood of artists and content creators is at risk. If you jumped into Pinterest (as I did) or onto any social network which may not be crediting the original source (artist/photographer) I’m asking you to login and delete any images that…
Twitter #TIP : Before you unfollow someone because they have not followed you back, send them an @ reply, say HI and strike up a conversation. 90% of the time they follow back. (Twitter can be frustrating and confusing for those starting out and new to Twitter, or even for “old-timers” who expect a follow-back)…
It’s All About LOVE … Today and Every Day of the Year. Love. Spread it. Share it. Give it away. — brenda johima Images Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima Images Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima Images Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima Images Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
Everything is animated if you look, see, feel. Photo Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
It seems like I’ve experienced a lot of brick walls in life lately, and healing comes from creating art, so I went on a search for brick walls, and this one I found was fantastic, with vines included at no extra cost. Image Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
I saw this bicycle parked outside of Opus in Victoria, had to snap a photo with my iPhone : Photo Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
OMG. I am selling more of my “Wonky Mountain” series paintings. It’s time to let the few remaining, go bye-bye. My “Tweedsville” painting was so popular, and the lucky buyer, a teacher from the Comox Valley, is thrilled with her purchase. Please contact me via my website if this other Wonky Mountains painting below (untitled…
This “Rainy Day Highway” photograph was captured while driving at full speed on the highway (as a passenger) Image capture and post-processed using only an iPhone 4s Photo Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
The. Depth. To. Which. I. Can. Write. Is. Equal. To. The. Depth. To. Which. I. Can. Feel. Deeply. ~brenda johima~
We’re all on the same path, going in the same direction, only sometimes we take detours to enjoy the scenery along the way, or fall in a hole and some need time to crawl out. Sometimes we are on parallel paths, walking side by side … maybe even hand in hand … and other times,…
Tell people they matter to you. Tell people they make a difference in your life. Assuming they know isn’t enough. Have courage. Use words. ~brenda johima~
Exclusion. Are you doing it? You will know inside if you are. Who can you include in your circle today. P.S. There is only one circle on this planet. Inclusion. ~brenda johima~
(iPhoneography) Photography Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
This white swan arrives daily to visit a neighbour who lives on the ocean in Fanny Bay, on Vancouver Island. The image was captured with an iPhone 4s and then with multiple layers added and multiple apps applied in order to achieve a painterly effect. (no Photoshop) ~ Brenda Johima
Design Inspiration is Everywhere. 1. Get off the computer. 2. Take a break. 3. Walk. 4. Breathe. 5. Feel. 6. See. 7. Go back to work with new ideas. — Brenda Johima (iPhoneography) Photography Copyright 2012 Brenda Johima
I live in the beautiful Comox Valley, in Fanny Bay, on Vancouver Island and rarely take a stance on political issues on my blog … I prefer to keep the focus on my art and photography … however, as this proposed Coal Mine will be minutes from my door, I do want to say that…
Hi there, thanks for popping by. Brenda Johima here, and I’ve got a teeny-tiny 10 minute speaking engagement ( plus a Q&A afterwards with Janis La Couvée ) to speak on a topic near and dear to my heart … copyright and moral rights, as it relates to photography, art and images online for bloggers,…
On my way to Tofino, I almost always stop for a walk in Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island. Yesterday, I simply drove directly to Cathedral Grove, even though I wasn’t going to Tofino, in order to feed my craving to be in a forest, in nature. Although I am usually surrounded by nature where I…
Help me help the Food Banks in the Comox Valley and in Campbell River. I’ll be Tweeting live on location at Thrifty Foods, with Bob Johnstone of 97.3 The Eagle On Twitter : Follow @brendajohima and @johima Follow @ThriftyFoods and @TheEagle973 On the Radio : 97.3 The Eagle Listen in : Courtenay: 9:00AM – 1:00PM …
Help me help the Food Banks in the Comox Valley and in Campbell River. I’ll be Tweeting live on location, with Bob Johnstone of 97.3 The Eagle On Twitter : Follow @brendajohima and @johima Follow @ThriftyFoods and @TheEagle973 On the Radio : 97.3 The Eagle Listen in : Courtenay: 9:00AM – 1:00PM – Breana Morgan…
PRESS RELEASE Did you know that there are over 530 people on Twitter in the Comox Valley? Please join us for some ” Preseason Cheer! ” at the 4th Comox Valley TweetUp! What is Twitter? In a nutshell, Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service which allows you to send short messages of…
It’s time to TweetUp for the FOOD Bank, enjoy some Preseason Cheer with colleagues, friends, fellow-business owners, and people you would like to meet in person face-to-face (but have never met), and it’s time to take online, offline … at the 4th Comox Valley TweetUp! ( #TweetUpCV on Twitter is the hashtag ) A big…
Join Brenda Johima and Michael Fountain for some Preseason Cheer! Do you live in Courtenay, Comox, Cumberland, the Comox Valley? Do you Love Social Media? Are you on Twitter? There are 530+ of us locals on Twitter, and it’s time for another Comox Valley TweetUp! The 4th Comox Valley TweetUp! Date: Tuesday, November 29th, 2011…
Surf’s Up (Long Beach, Tofino, Vancouver Island) Here’s an image from one of my favorite places, Long Beach, in Tofino … and since I’ve been posting primarily iPhone Photos ( iPhoneography ) I thought I would add an image from my DSLR ( I do have one 🙂 This one was a FUN one to…
The colors on the ground right now, and the stark, naked trees are a magnet for me, and a place to immerse myself, in a feast for the senses. [ iPhone Photo : No Photoshop ] Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima *** P.S. “Nature Creates ART. I Just Show Up.” ~ Brenda Johima ~
The Fall Colors on my forest walk today, were a feast for the eyes. Don’t you love it when Nature places a *composition right in front of your face? [ iPhone Photo ] *no, I didn’t place the Maple Leaf there 🙂 Nature Creates Art. I Just Show Up. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011…
Best thing someone said to me recently : “Brenda, I think you need to get on track. This photography thing is really taking over. All you want to do is photography all the time.” LOL. **Well I wanted to say, was Yay! Thank You. Then that means that I am on track! Thank you for…
LOVE. I cannot think of any ONE thing (for me) that fuels creativity, and moves it into a new direction, other than LOVE. With love, paintings explode with color. With love, our energy increases. With love, your vibrational frequency is higher, attracting new and exciting people, who are in sync with your vision. With love,…
“If you are not feeling LOVE right now, no matter what is going on in your world, stretch yourself. It’s a big part of the creative process in being an artist, a creative. LOVE fuels great work. Passion fuels great works of art. Feeling LOVE always touches an audience, reaches the hearts of your viewers,…
Today. Ignore. No. ONE. Include. Every. ONE. Exclusion. Kills. Too many people are hurting, too many suffering, too many young (and all ages) people are leaving this planet far too soon by suicide. Give Hope. Offer Hope. Care More Deeply. Love. Without Fear. Care Even More. Now. Show. It. >GO< ~ Brenda Johima ~
Living in such a beautiful place like the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, gives me an opportunity to capture beautiful photos while in nature, pretty much, on a daily basis. I am surrounded by ocean and forest, greens and blues and earth tones. My iPhone is with me everywhere I go. All of these have…
Find beauty everywhere. It’s there. It’s Everywhere. Even death has beauty. Simply slow down. Look. See. Feel. The way I see the world, everything in nature that dies, is broken, or which is in the process of decay, has beauty attached to it, or surrounding it. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be…
Today was my lucky day. The fall colors were stunning! I went for a hike with my nordic poles (really it was more like a dawdle-walk, as I got distracted with my camera and the mind-blowing colors) up Mount Washington. (Comox Valley, Vancouver Island) As usual, I went, with iPhone in hand. I actually intended…
To date, I’ve been a purist “iPhoneographer,” with a focus on capturing and post-processing everything in-camera, using only the iPhone, wherever possible. (… with a few exceptions, where I have used Photoshop to reduce noise, and whenever I have done that, it is noted with the image … if it doesn’t say anything, it’s pure…
Clematis, Purple, Blue, Green. This Was Just Impossible To Walk Past Without Grabbing My iPhone For A Photo 🙂 Number 43 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be…
Are you on Instagram? It’s a FREE iPhone app, with a great community of support for your photos, and it’s just FUN, which is why I do it. You can easily send your images to Twitter, FaceBook and email. Instagram has a few cool (built-in) filters, however, I usually add a few tricks via other…
I rarely throw out a blurry or grainy (noisy) iPhone image. Instead, I prefer the challenge of seeing what I can do, to turn it into … ART , like this, “Red House Blue Sky.” This is Number 42 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. All Images Copyright Brenda Johima | Images May…
I’m a big believer that you don’t need to go far from your own back yard to enjoy photography and color, and to capture some great images. It’s that beautiful time of year, when colors turn to gold and yellow and all shades of orange and red, and everything in between. It’s that time of…
Once in awhile I get attached to a painting. Eventually, it’s time to say Good-Bye. This is one of my favorite paintings, my FUN, “made-up-town” that I call “TWEEDSVILLE” (which is kind of like a visual, imaginary combination of Cumberland, B.C., and Wells, B.C., … two of my most favorite funky places in B.C.) and…
In 2011 I was selected as a Featured Speaker at Social Media Camp (a social media conference in Victoria, B.C., on Vancouver Island) and I spoke on the topic of iPhone Photography for Marketing and for Personal, Self-Expression. In order to show some of the elements of fine art and design used in photography, I…
“Creativity is a way of life. It is not just about doing things and making things. Creativity Takes Courage. Creativity is a way of being, a way of thinking, a way of living and breathing and a way of moving through your world on a day to day basis.” ~ Brenda Johima ~ This is…
You are in Business. You have an iPhone. So now what? In your hand, in your pocket or in your purse … you have one of the most powerful marketing tools you could imagine, if you know how to use it, and I can help you do, just that. Brenda Johima offers iPhone for Business…
(via multiple social media channels) This is one of my most popular iPhone ART images to date and I had FUN creating it, from capture to creation : Sunflowers in Keremeos Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission I’d been looking for sunflowers to photograph with…
This is a fantastic video interview with Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs. If you have any question as to whether Google+ is good for photographers or not? Possibly this can answer some questions for you. ** P.S. If you attended my speaking engagement at Social Media Camp, on iPhoneography, Trey Ratcliff is the developer…
These horses were photographed in the Cariboo of B.C., on one of my adventures, and this image is an example of what you can do with only the Camera+ iPhone app applied (including the frame) during post-processing. * I mentioned Camera+ during my session as a Speaker at Social Media Camp.* Here’s a little more…
Pull out your iPhone, here’s one of my secret tips for you iPhone photography lovers out there. (today) If you were to purchase only ONE iPhone photography app to get started, here’s a good one. Camera+ is a super app for anyone, from beginner, to advanced photographers. It’s one of my most used apps. If…
There is SO much beauty everywhere, and one of my favorite places to find it, is in reflections. It takes time, to slow down enough to find, and see, the really magical ones. (this image was taken, as the title suggests, on the road to Tofino, on Vancouver Island) Please enjoy, “Reflections on the Road…
Thank you to everyone at Social Media Camp 2011 who attended my iPhone photography and photo apps speaking presentation. Full house in my room! Awesome! Thanks so much for being there, and for your compliments, encouragement and feedback. As promised, watch this blog in the next day or two, and I will provide you with…
Number 37 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Black Bear Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
This is Number 35 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : I’ve Got the Blues. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Number 34 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : The Tide Came In. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
This is Number 33 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : It’s Amazing what you can find at a flea market with your iPhone, and what FUN you can have, to then turn it into an illustration! ( * YES. This is a Photograph 🙂 Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May…
Number 32 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Babes. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Number 31 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Flea Market Dudes 🙂 Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
This is Number 30 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project: Dandelion Puff or HDR Dog Tail? Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
This is Number 29 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Elvis at the Flea Market 🙂 Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
This is Number 28 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project, and although even I find it a little “creepy” for some reason, it shows you what you can do with a Flea Market, an iPhone and an art/illustration app. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way…
You’ve got an iPhone, now what? Why use it? How can you use it? What to use it for? What the heck did I get an iPhone for? … you might be asking yourself. Here’s two reasons why. 1. Create ART. 2. Turn something plain, even boring, into stunning art. The other two reasons? Have…
With such softness, the tree, touches the clouds. ( * iPhone ART ) * This is Number 38 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not…
Number 36 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Cougar Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
From the Comox Valley to Victoria … Vancouver Island, I’m thrilled to be, once again, speaking at Social Media Camp in Victoria, and it’s coming up, in only a few days! A BIG THANK YOU to Paul Holmes of IdeaZone and Chris Burdge of bWest Interactive for this opportunity to speak, but most importantly, for…
HAPPY Long Weekend Everyone! Some Flowers For You 🙂 This is Number 27 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
This is Number 26 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Number 25 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Number 24 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Water Lilies. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Super Excited! It’s only days away! What’s “it” ? Well, I posted about this in February, that I had been selected as a speaker for Social Media Camp 2011 in Victoria. I’m considered “alumni” … having spoken at Social Media Camp 2010 as well, where my topic was “Small Towns, Big Ideas” and how Social…
One of the joys in my business(es) is photographing dogs, pets and puppies. I am following these puppies from week 1 to week 8, when they will leave to their new homes. These Golden Retriever pups are gorgeous, and today … they just could not stay awake. Puppies sleep. And … so incredibly adorable while…
Although I’m a few days behind in my posts, for my 50th birthday iPhone Art and Photography project, I’ve taken way more than 50 photos since beginning on April 13th, 2011. The challenge of the iPhone 3G camera, the challenge of finding something new each day to photograph that excites me or calms me, and…
An Industrial Something or Other Thingamajiggy. ( * iPhone Art ) : Number 22 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Ships in the Harbour ( * iPhone Art ) Number 21 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Cute Puppy Alert! (Lovingly Called “The Runt”) When I saw this puppy on day one, week one, eyes still closed, I wanted her immediately. Then I went back week two, eyes open, I still wanted to take her home. I am in LOVE with a Runt … yes, she is lovingly called, the runt ……
Railroad Tracks or Railway? Depends where you live, apparently. No matter how many times I see railroad tracks, I can always find a new and exciting way to SEE them. (iPhoneography) Number 20 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way…
Yes, there are still a few of these around. It takes coins. Got a nickel? (iPhone Photo) This is Number 19 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only…
What to photograph in hospital institution hallways? This : Mirror, Mirror. (*iPhone Art, Number 18 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project) Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Here we go … (50 photos at one per day is a lot more than I thought! LOL) … More Vancouver Island images … LOVE the beauty that surrounds me on Vancouver Island, and the fact that it changes every single day. Number 17 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. A friend…
A little gem I found on Vancouver Island. This is Number 16 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone photography project. Having Too Much FUN! Beauty surrounds us. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
*iPhoneography* Number 15 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project, at beautiful Seal Bay Park in Comox, on Vancouver Island. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Ding. Dong. Number 14 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : (* Along with loving the challenge of what I call a “crappy” camera in the iPhone 3G, I LOVE a challenge of capturing simple, everyday objects in an interesting way, like this bell which hangs at my front door. Ding Dong…
Amazing What You Can Find in The Forest. Number 13 (Lucky 13) of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project : Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Whoa! Windy Today. Beach Hopping Again : 3 different beaches in 3 days, gotta LOVE Vancouver Island! This is Number 12 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image project. Have FUN with iPhone photography, that’s the point … Be like a kid, see like a kid, play in the wind, take goofy pictures of…
Today was a special day, SUNNY, warm, gorgeous, and the sunset in my neigbourhood on Vancouver Island, was stunning. So, I am posting TWO images tonight for my 50 photos 50 years iPhone project. (These two are counting as image number 11, day 11) Enjoy. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images…
I’m a day late! (I was too busy having FUN on the beaches of Tofino yesterday) Sooooo, I rarely post photos of myself online, but I did have a little fun on Long Beach with my iPhone … and then with Instagram, so this is Number 10 of my 50 Photos 50 Years iPhone image…
Sinking Rowboat. I had FUN on my Vancouver Island photo adventure on my way home today, as usual, just seeing whatever I could see … and find. This iPhone photo is “hot off the press” today, part of my 50th birthday project, 50 Photos 50 Years : Number 9. I have photographed this rowboat many…
This snippet is taken from my 30 Twitter Tips for Business talk. Of course I know we all have “competition” in business … well, at least that is how the majority of business owners think, and I get that … but there is another way to possibly think about it. What about competition in business?…
It was hard to choose a photo today. It’s raining, raining, raining, and cold, cold cold. Spring is here one day, then it’s freezing the next. So what could I possibly photograph on my iPhone today? My wood stove fire on April 20th! This is an iPhone photograph and part of my 50th birthday project,…
Wow! 50 photos is a lot. Thought it would be a snap, and I’m just at number 7 of celebrating my 50th birthday with iPhoneography! I’m enjoying every minute of the creative process, totally! And have even tremendously more appreciation for those folks who draw one drawing per day, or capture one photo a day,…
Think the Flintstones came by, found this in the forest. (*iPhone Photo) Or shall I call it (at) brendajohima ? Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
It’s day 5 of celebrating my 50th birthday with iPhoneography, and this iPhone photograph was taken in my neigbhourhood, and is titled, Ships Point Forest Walk. Although we appear to be standing still, we’re actually moving forward on a forest trail, as I captured this shot. ( * iPhone Photo ) 50 Photos 50 Years…
Day four of my 50 iPhone photos for my 50th birthday is Sasha, my little buddy, my neighbour up the street. I think she’s in love with me 🙂 I LOVE this little doggie … she’s such a sweetie, lucky me, I get to walk with her every week. (* iPhone photo ) ~ Brenda…
Day three of my 50 iPhone photos for my 50th birthday. This one is “hot off the press” taken fresh this morning, during my walk through a green forest my neighbourhood, yes, a GREEN forest. After post-processing in the iPhone, I created this piece of art, which appears winter-like, titled “Snow Forest” because it’s supposed…
Day 2 of my 50 (iPhone) Photos 50 Years project, celebrating my 50th birthday. Spring is Coming! (* iPhoneography) Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Bloggers, authors and creatives inspire other bloggers, writers and creatives. That’s what I LOVE about Social Media. If you’re on Twitter, I’m using the hashtag #50photos50years Yesterday I wrote on my blog about my intent to blog about and post iPhone photos for my project titled, 50 Photos 50 Years : iPhoneography and also yesterday,…
Are you a business owner in the Comox Valley, an early adopter and already on Twitter? Super! Or, have you been waiting, and you do want to get your business on Twitter, but can’t understand how it all works? It’s not too late to jump into Twitter with your business. I’ll be doing a brief…
Starting Today! 50 (*new) iPhone Photos over 50 Days to Celebrate 50 Years on This Amazing Beautiful Planet. I’m beginning a new iPhoneography project for FUN! Here it is: 50 new iPhone Photos over the next 50 days to celebrate my 50 years on this amazing beautiful planet combined with my LOVE of iPhoneography They…
The Dog Became Her Shadow, Her Constant Companion. (* iPhone Photography) Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima
I’m Going To The Internet Tonight … Do You Want To Join Me? (* iPhone Photo) Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima
Know. Like. Trust. Break the Trust. There Goes Your Business (and potential clients/colleagues). It can happen in a flash with social media. There’s no hiding with social media. In my opinion, the Trust factor is number 1, with Like and Know, in 2nd and 3rd place. What order do you place them in? And Why?…
I’ll be speaking at Social Media Camp in June of 2011, and my topic is “I’ve got an iPhone, now what? Image sharing and photography apps for Social Media.” and I am a HUGE fan of iPhone photography. I do a lot of it, both as an art form, and to promote my business in…
Weigh Too Old. Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
I’m a total outdoors and nature person, so I LOVE the concept of an outdoor classroom. However, this sign was tacked onto a glass door at a post-secondary educational institution. Spelling? Oooops? (*P.S. I don’t think most people even noticed) It’s OK, you’re forgiven, because I LOVE what you are trying to do, in getting…
iPhonography Turns a Photo into a Sketch. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission
Here is what I posted today, to my personal FaceBook profile as a note. I’m hoping it may help some of you out there, who are searching also, for a way to deal with social media overwhelm for yourself, but also for those of us who do work online a lot, this may be a…
Here is what I recently posted to my personal FaceBook profile as a note. I’m hoping it may help some of you out there, who are searching also, for a way to deal with social media overwhelm for yourself, but also for those of us who do work online a lot, this may be a…
Recently I contacted Radian6 and requested a review of the Radian6 platform, and sat in on an online demo with Sara Frystacki, Senior Business Development Manager with Radian6, who provided an overview of the platform with a small group of us. Sara was fantastic, knows her stuff, was super friendly, and I’d highly recommend this…
How did I do this? iPhone 3G capture of a reflection (in the daytime actually, but when taken at the right angle, it created a silhouetted figure, appearing to be taken at night time), then post-processed in-camera, using a couple or three photography apps. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May…
Don’t text and drive, don’t talk on your cell and drive, and don’t take photos with your DSLR camera and drive. Have someone else drive so you can have fun as a photographer 🙂 with “Painting With Light.” ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2008 Brenda Johima
Yes, I can draw … weird, cool, funky animal-themed characters. Many of my cartooney-looney-characters have been used as the foundation for company logo designs. And many more, I simply create for FUN, and for “me-time.” Recently I have decided to spend even more time creating cartoons, all kinds of them. It’s a piece of my…
So … you would like some tips and tricks? Look for repetition and pattern (elements of fine art and design), wherever you go. Look … it’s there, everywhere. Once you discover patterns, you will begin to see them everywhere. This was FUN. These spools of thread now appear to be glowing, after post-processing in-camera with…
Reflections snoitcelfeR Look for them, they are everywhere. You just never know what kind of image you might find in a store window. Or, is this really a reflection? Maybe. Maybe Not. 🙂 ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011…
I LOVE iPhone photography. I know I’ve said that before, but love, love, love it. Why? There are many reasons that iPhoneography has become my creative medium of choice: It’s so fully portable, the iPhone camera, and always handy to grab an image anywhere, and at any time. Due to the “limitations” of the tool,…
Hiring or Contracting a Hiring a Social Media “expert”? Find out if they have mastered ONE social platform first, before believing that they can teach you 2,3,4,5 or 6 social platforms. Me? I know my limits, and practice ethics first. Need help with Twitter? That’s where we start 🙂 ~ brenda johima ~ (250) 335…
New iPhone photos for you today, iPhoneography, hot off the press this morning. All captured with an iPhone 3G and post-processed in-camera. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way…
Are you still questioning the power of Social Media? Are you still wondering if you should create that new full-time Social Media employee position in your company? Or are you wondering if it’s worth contracting with a Social Media Consultant for your business? Maybe this Global BC News Hour video will help convince you, where…
Hey, where did my body go? (* iPhone Photo of myself, reflected in a window and door, and it removed my entire upper body. Freaky and Cool) ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not…
I’m out and about today, on a beautiful day on Vancouver Island, having a blast with both my iPhone photography and my DSLR. The sea is alive with life! Sea lions, herring, great blue heron, seagulls, fishing boats, lots of action on the water for the herring run. Here’s a few iPhone photos from today.…
I LOVE the sea lions that show up every year in Fanny Bay, on Vancouver Island, where I live. Each year I take time to photograph them, and the images of course, are never the same. This year I have been concerned, as I have seen far fewer numbers of sea lions than any previous…
Today, just give it away. (no, I don’t mean a FaceBook contest or Twitter contest for your product or services). Your kindness, your love, helpfulness, compassion, caring, listening, noticing and then reaching out and lending a hand … just give it away today. People need it. Business is about people first. Social Media is about…
Twitter gives you 140 characters (including punctuation and spaces) in which to communicate your message. That’s what I love about Twitter. It challenges me to be creative, to think about less is more, and how I can say a lot in a very short and quick time. With only 140 characters, there is no room…
Took these iPhone photos this morning (post-processed in-Phone using top secret iPhone photography apps. Ha. No secret 🙂 while enjoying coffee and some writing at the Zocalo Cafe in Courtenay. Coffee anyone? Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any Way Without Written Permission Copyright 2011 Brenda Johima | Images May…
This just for LOL, as I get so bored (as you can see) at the hairdressers, waiting for the color to set. What to do? Pull out the iPhone and photograph myself in the mirror of the hair salon! Enjoy. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Copyright Brenda Johima | Images May Not Be Used In Any…
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m finally getting my art back online after a long break and an upgrade of my site from HTML to WordPress, and the first piece, Tweedsville, went up yesterday. This piece below is an oldie but a goodie (2003), titled, KISS, and I was extremely thrilled when was featured on the…
Finally getting around to putting some of my acrylic paintings and mixed media art back online, after upgrading to a new WordPress site many months ago. By popular demand (LOL) here is my made up town, Tweedsville 🙂 I have not been actively trying to sell this piece at all, she’s been quite happy at…
You know how FaceBook constantly makes changes? You know how FaceBook makes changes but doesn’t always tell you about it? Well, how do you know if you are browsing safely while logged in? Better check these settings! You just might be vulnerable to be hacked. Go to your Account, top right corner Click on “Account…
I have been encouraged by Janis Lacouvee in Victoria and Sylvia Tan in Vancouver to instigate the first ever Twestival in the Comox Valley, which happens around the globe, on March 24th, 2011. I have accepted the challenge, and am donating my time as a Volunteer to coordinate this event in my community, the Comox…
The Comox Valley is now officially registered for Twestival Local 2011! This will be a 1st for this event in our community and I’m thrilled to be part of it all. I’m volunteering my time to coordinate this event for the 1st time in the Comox Valley. Cities around the world will be nominating one…
Here’s my new look, my new brand, my new Social Media and marketing slogan … a spoof and spin-off, of course, from the FaceBook “like” button, and of course, the good old saying “Try it, you just might like it.” You can interpret it however you want, there are many interpretations. I am really super…
I’m super excited to be speaking at Social Media Camp 2011 in Victoria and with such a FUN topic! “I’ve Got an iPhone, Now What?” … as well as iPhone photography applications and sharing images via Social Media. And as it’s snowing today, here’s one image, captured with my iPhone 3G and post-processed in-camera (in-phone).…
I wrote about my 2010 Social Media Camp speaking engagement on my personal blog at brendajohima.com so you can read all about it there, rather than me posting a duplicate here 🙂 Being selected as a speaker for Social Media Camp in #yyj (the hashtag for Victoria for those of you who are not on…
I’m Super Excited! Why? I’m Officially on the Speaker’s Roster for Social Media Camp 2011, in Victoria. Yay! Stay tuned for more information and details on this blog as we get closer to the event and also keep checking the #SMCV11 website as they continue to update their speaker’s list. 40 Speakers! It’s going to…
We all find inspiration to create, from many sources. Creativity requires looking within, and also looking around us, for ideas that spark our imagination, in order to move forward in our own way, and the key is, to move forward … in our own way. There are many “success” strategies and business strategies out…
Look Through The Water Into The Pond Captured with my iPhone 3G ~ Brenda Johima ~
You don’t have to travel far to be creative with photography. iPhone photography, in fact, is one of the best ways to create art, through use of imagery that surrounds us every day, if we simply slow down enough to look for it, and see it as art. Here are a few examples of subject…
If this wonky clock could talk, what would it say? (iPhone Art and photography, image captured and post-processed in-camera on an iPhone 3G) ~ Brenda Johima ~
Seaweed in Winter (iPhone Photo, Image captured and post-processed in-camera only) ~ Brenda Johima ~
“Great spirits have always faced violent opposition from mediocre minds.” ~ Einstein ~
Conformity is the shortest route to a boring life. ~ Brenda Johima ~ Conformity, “behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards” might help you be more popular (than I) and in the past it might have been the best way to climb up to the top of the ladder in business. However, conformity,…
During this 2010 holiday season, I am finally finding some time to put back online, some blog posts that were written several years ago. I started blogging in 2006 from BrendaJohima.com and also from CreativeNudge.com but then in a fit of brilliance (I thought at the time), decided to delete both websites and blogs completely,…
Here are some things to think about while on Twitter and how you can make a difference. Here’s a few of my Social Media (Twitter) Tips: Think before you Tweet. Know that you do make a difference. Realize that impact and make it a positive one. You just might make someone’s day or change their…
A BIG Thank You to the Comox Valley Record Newspaper for the press in print and online for the 3rd Comox Valley TweetUp! … this time, where we Tweet for the local Comox Valley FOOD Bank. There’s still time to sign up for this FREE Community Social Media Event. Don’t know what to bring? Here’s…
Thank you to the Comox Valley Echo Newspaper for the press release online and in print, for the 3rd Comox Valley TweetUp! There’s still room to sign up for this FREE community Social Media Event, with FOOD and donations going to the local Comox Valley FOOD Bank. Don’t know what to bring? Here’s a couple…
Looking for a way to get started in Social Media in the Comox Valley? Meet some like-minded folks who are interested in Twitter? Or … you’re already there, fully engaged with Twitter for business and personal networking? Hi Comox Valley, it’s me, Brenda Johima, and one person can make a difference by being an instigator…
I have a few galleries of iPhone imagery on this site. Here’s a few ore of my iPhone photos. I LOVE this medium. Enjoy. ~ Brenda Johima ~
iPhone ART and Photography. I LOVE it! Enjoy. ~ Brenda Johima ~
Is it ART? Or is it Photography? iPhone Imagery has become extremely popular as an art form, and it is both art and photography. I LOVE it. Of course, in my opinion, it’s both. Here’s a few of my creations from my iPhone 3G:
An unexpected Ships Point Snowfall today on Vancouver Island, made for some FUN iPhone ART, so with camera in hand, I went for a walk. This home makes the perfect XMas Card, I have been told today. I had a lot of fun capturing the image and then processing with HDR to get this effect.…
How To Get Re-Tweeted on Twitter: (My Most Famous Tweet Yet. LOL! And my shortest blog post) 1. Great Content 2. 100 Characters (not 140) 3. Relationships 1st P.S. Try it, It Works. Did it work for you? Was this Twitter Tip helpful? If so, please send me a Tweet @brendajohima and let me know…
This is my favorite work of iPhone Art to date. iPhone photo or iPhone art? Although this is technically cell phone photography, I prefer the term iPhone art, as I have applied an HDR effect via a photography app. in-camera and feel it is a more accurate description of the medium. This image was taken…
The 3rd Comox Valley TweetUp! … is here. We’re on a roll now in the Comox Valley with Social Media and Twitter, so let’s keep things rolling, moving forward, connecting people online, offline. The 1st Comox Valley TweetUp was such a success with 30 people showing up, that a second one was booked, the 2nd…
The 1st Comox Valley TweetUp! was such a success with 30 people showing up, that a second one is already booked, the 2nd Comox Valley TweetUp! Mark your calendars for Monday, November 22nd, and this time, it will be a mid-day lunch meeting with Caribbean Appies! from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. (**BONUS** We will…
Yesterday I had to make a day trip to one of my very favorite places, Tofino and Long Beach on Vancouver Island. The reason for the trip was not a happy one 🙁 I had to remove and pick up art work and paintings from an Art Gallery that was closing it doors. The gallery…
Klout and Why Does It Matter? I learned a fair amount about Klout from Megan Berry at the Social Media Camp conference in Victoria on October 3rd, 2010, but still have a lot to learn and a long ways to go. However, for starters, I am thrilled with my Klout score. This just goes to…
What’s Wrong with Non-Competing Business Networking Groups? Everything is wrong with it (and even more so, if you are one who is excluded from participation in these groups). I live in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island (paradise), and I don’t know if you who are reading this right now, have this where you live,…
Seems people want LISTS of TIPS and LISTS of Benefits: In my original draft of my presentation for speaking at Social Media Camp 2010 in Victoria ( #smcv10 ) I had a list of (numbered) tips, and opted instead, for a more creative (and apparently to those with menopause, somewhat humorous) approach to writing…
Hey there, I’m @brendajohima on Twitter and after being inspired by Twitter and TweetUps organized by Janis Lacouvee in Victoria and Don Power in Nanaimo as well as by Chris Burdge and Paul Holmes, organizers of the SUPER SUCCESSFUL Social Media Camp Victoria 2010 ( #smcv10 ) … we are having the 1st Comox Valley…
A Comox Valley TweetUp is Coming Right Up! Are you resisting Social Media? Or … are you already using Twitter? If, so … YAY! If you’re in the Comox Valley but not using Twitter yet, grab a FREE Twitter account and jump right in, so that you can join our 1st Comox Valley TweetUp! ……
Small Towns, Big Ideas. We all have dreams, no matter where we live. Hi, I’m Brenda Johima and I’m thrilled to be here with you today. Thank you to Paul and to Chris and to all the amazing people who have worked so hard to make this event such a huge success. Social Media has…
