Thursday, June 9, 2011

Three Blogs

Trying to keep up with one blog is challenging enough! But three! I keep on asking myself why I do this??? (Apart from the fact that I’m a complicated woman….my husband’s description, not mine!) Especially considering the fact that I’m a new mom and that time has become a precious and rare commodity. A couple of my friends have asked the same question. Let me see if I can explain.

In my past life, I provided a wide range of services; fashion design, interior décor, event planning and décor- these were the major services, and then there were all these other services like cakes, catering, card making, gift wrapping, flower arrangements, hats, shoes etc. Anything that I knew how to do, I did. At the time I didn’t find anything wrong with the way I was working, but in hindsight, even though my one goal/mission was “Beauty Inside, On You and All around You”, my brand appeared not to be focused and probably made me look like a wannabe “Jill of all trades”, so this time around, I’ve tried to draw some kind of lines, even though, in my mind, they are all one and the same.

I realize this created a kind of ‘block’ when it came to blogging, so I just decided to put it out there and free myself.

“Petale”, a blog and brand committed to my love of flowers. Making flowers, painting flowers, photographing flowers, arranging flowers, admiring all things floral;- fashion, interiors, décor, art…..anything with flowers!

Then there’s “Leonarda Renaissance Woman” and if you read my profile, it’s just about all the things I love; discovering them, creating them, celebrating them.

I’m an African woman living outside of Africa; it’s a major part of who I am, and so, I feel I need a different perspective when it comes to all things African, hence, “Asinti Sanaa”.

Apart from blogging, I really am developing these personas into individual brands, hence the ‘lines being drawn’.

From experience on my Facebook pages, I realize there will always be an overlap somewhere which may seem repetitive, but I think eventually, I’ll be targeting different audiences, so it’s all a-okay!

Done! Now, I’m ready to move on!

Let’s roll!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Welcome to Pétale

I have loved flowers all my life. I've always believed them to be the most beautiful of Mother Nature's creations. Many artists have been inspired by flowers and I am one of them. Flowers make me happy!

I left a 14 year old business and career as a Fashion Designer and Lifestyle Artist in my native country of Ghana to start life all over again in the USA. At the peak of my career, I was burnt out and disillusioned about my chosen profession. After taking time out to re evaluate my life and my career, I realized that Fashion, Art, Design and making women look and feel beautiful will always be my passion and my calling!

This time, however, my number one priority is to stay true and authentic, to always and only come from a place of Love. The only standard by which I will measure myself and my life will be love, love for everything that I do, everything that I create and I know this is what will sustain and nurture me as I embark on this new and exciting second chance at life that I've been given.

I have always been passionate and curious about Haute Couture, the old world techniques which made the gowns that carried the prestigious name, timeless works of art. I have been studying Couture for a while now and in my studies, the first technique to grab my attention and keep me mesmerized has been the art of creating silk flowers. As an artist/painter, Georgia O'Keefe's abstract, close up flowers have also inspired me and I also intend to follow her lead and continue to explore the many ways in which I can present flowers to the world through my eyes and from my heart.

Ultimately, anything I can create and everything that inspires me when it comes to flowers is what this blog is all about.

I intend to share my passion and my experiences with you as I continue this wondrous journey, in my quest to strive to be in the 'image and likeness' of my creator and see if I can just experience a little of what Mother Nature experiences when she creates the ultimate work of art, Flowers!