Creative Connections – Grecia Rivera Díaz – Photographer

In a year with so many negative surprises, it’s always nice when you get a good one. Grecia Rivera Díaz, her mom (and fellow Boricua author) Brenda Díaz, and her friend Nuria didn’t give me a good surprise…they gave me an amazing one. The sequence goes as follows, Brenda picks up my book “Twenty Veinte” and drops a couple of very encouraging messages…then she sends me a picture. A picture her daughter Grecia took of my book in Puerto Rico. One of several actually. The pictures range from lifestyle/fashion to deep thinking while reading and even include a photobomb or two of a pup that Mom would have absolutely adored. That was my book in a photoshoot and the pictures are pretty awesome. I saw some other pictures by Grecia and beyond giving her kudos, I wanted to give the readers of this blog the chance to connect with her because that’s what Creative Connections is all about. Shining some light on a variety of talented people who come from a good place and have talent. I love connecting with people and I love connecting people with other people and with music, art, film, and creative professionals that might have what your business/product needs. So without further ado, let’s get to know Grecia.

 

Firstly, thanks so much for giving from your time to be on the blog to chat with us and secondly, thank you SO much for the Twenty Veinte shoot. Tell us, what inspired the approach you took with the book and what goes into the creative process of a shoot like this?

 

Hi, first of all, thank you for this splendid opportunity so I can express how it goes when I’m taking these meaningful pictures with such positive vibes. For your book, "Twenty Veinte," my mom, Brenda Díaz, really wanted me to do a photoshoot for this book and, I found it curious just because of its title. Later on, I asked her what it is about, and she gave me a rundown so I could get some ideas for the photo shoot and how I would go about it. The way my mom explained it to me got me excited to do it. 

  

Then we started brainstorming which friend of my was going to model with it. When we were trying to remember which friend we were going to "hire," my mom remembered Nuria. For this book, I wanted to do something different. Nuria and I started to walk around in my neighborhood to look around for a spot to start taking pictures. 

 

When I take pictures, I want to make the model comfortable and chill during the whole process. Looking for the best angle and lighting all the time even if I have to get into an uncomfortable position. The shot is what matters, not my comfort. I also work to make the talent laugh so their smiles are natural. We talk so they continue to relax and look natural, never awkward in pictures. The mission is simple, keep the talent relaxed, and we’ll capture come natural magic. 

 

When I am looking for places to take pictures, first I imagine the model and the poses she could do. Then, I check lighting and evaluate the best angles for her. If she needs help with the poses, I help and hype her up during the whole process. That’s part of the job and a very interesting part of it. The best part of this whole process is when the model themselves love the pictures and get really excited. Also, when the author of the book ALSO loves the pictures because it helps them to promote their book and the public loves it, well everyone’s a winner.

 Ha! And I did indeed love the pictures. This was such an awesome surprise and immediately I was like I need to interview Grecia because I know she can do magic for other authors and their books as well. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, let’s reel it back a bit. Tell us, what is your education background and what projects have you worked on?

 

Well for starters, I studied first through third grade in a small public school in the mountains in Cidra, Puerto Rico. At that point, my parents decided to change me to a private school called Colegio Bautista in Caguas, Puerto Rico, from fourth-grade until my senior year of high school. Now I’m in my freshman year of my Bachelor's, majoring in Computer Science at the University of Puerto Rico in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Besides that, I took some art classes when I was younger. Later on, I took a course on doing mosaics. I also went to a modelling academy where I studied for three years before graduated and even earning a Red Diamond award, recognizing my development during my time at the academy.

 

Some of the projects that I have been working on since quarantine started has been to help promote my fellow Boricua authors and their books. I’ve also worked on custom artworks on Air Force 1, doing paintings, and designing custom clothes. During this year, all of this helped me a lot to discover some new talents that I have and using them for the best.  Some of the authors that I have made promotions for are Brenda Díaz with "Cuando me movieron La Losa", Alexandra Román with "Obsesión", Carlos Daniel with "Walkie Talkie", and with Sandra M. Colorado Vega with “Siempre en Viernes”. Here are some of the pics from the shoots we’ve worked on.

 

      

Such a great collection of pictures and also love the variety of settings, expressions, and styles for each shoot. Talking about the Twenty Veinte shoot, how do you know Nuria and how would you describe your dynamic with talent to get the picture you need?

 

The first time I met Nuria was when we were in the sixth grade. Everybody in our class knew her because she is super sociable and an extremely caring person. Before long, we started talking and became friends. When we were taking the pictures, everything flowed pretty effortlessly since we know each other and have a good relationship. She's a great model and a person you can easily work with. Something that I learned from this experience is that when you are taking a picture of someone, you need to understand that everybody has a different angle and actually different insecurities. You need to find that, address whatever is there, and work not only to make them feel beautiful, but show them the natural beauty that is part of who and how they are. You explore, you try some things, and help them find poses that play to their strengths and unique beauty. It’s always essential to motivate them during the process and make sure they feel relaxed and motivated.

 

And the works speaks for itself. These and several pictures are definitely an awesome way to promote books and it feels as if you try different things and do a proper way of exploring options. Actually, I have to ask, if someone wanted to get in touch with you for a shoot, is that something you’d be open to? I think a LOT of authors out there could benefit from this approach for their promotion and hey, who doesn’t like making their books look that beautiful?

 

I would absolutely love to work with anybody who needs to promote their books or products. It would be an honor actually, because beyond helping me grow and develop my craft, I love knowing that what I do can help someone on their journey. Doing this kind of stuff makes me feel fulfilled because it is something I love doing. Also, it’s a way for me to gain experience and get to know how many talents I have and help me develop them. Honestly, if anyone would like to work with me, feel free to contact me so we can talk about how we can get to work on making some magic. Obviously I’d need a copy of the book, but the sky is the limit in regards to what we can do together. 

 

That’s awesome, and seeing how Bookstagram is, what I like of your approach is that it’s different and can definitely stand out from the crowd. Tell us, as a photographer, what do you think are your strengths and where do you want to get better?

 

One of my strengths when it comes to photography is that I first imagine how the concept is going to be and imagine the whole scene in my head with the model. Somehow I visualize everything how it is going to be and make a storyboard in my head to organize my ideas. From there, I can easily find the best angle for the model and what poses to go for.  The things I need to get better at would be editing photos, something where you are constantly learning. I think there’s also room for improvement when it comes to camera equipment, but what I have works, and this is DEFINITELY a time to work with what you’ve got. 

 

I’ve seen some pretty cool cosplay shoots around the world. Is that something you’d be up to doing with people?

 

It would be a fun experience to see someone with a cool cosplay in some natural settings. Being part of creating something fictional and bringing it to reality definitely appeals and I would be up for it.

 

I asked because seeing how you work with lighting, poses, and natural environments, I can easily see you doing a cool shoot with any of the countless great cosplayers in Puerto Rico. Ok, random question: You get a call from Time Magazine…they want to do an issue that inspires Hope. What would a cover photo by Grecia River Díaz look like?

 

Wow. That is a great question. A cover by me to represent hope would be like a girl that on a cliff, maybe on a swing looking at the sky. Picture her on the swing as if she’s flying. Thinking of Puerto Rico, there are a couple of places where you could also capture the ocean in the scenery too. A deep blue sea with the sky full of color bringing peace to the scenery and maybe some birds or butterflies who knows? That’s where my mind goes to. Capturing that dreamy aspect of it.

 

Love it and there have to be a few places like that where you can capture that moment, plus, Puerto Rico is such a gorgeous canvas. Anyways, back to chatting. It’s a year where a lot of people have gotten creative to pass the time or feel as if they’re being productive. What’s your 2020 been like and what things do you do to keep yourself creative?

 

My 2020 has been like a roller coaster. This year I graduated from my senior year, and everything just went downhill because of quarantine and the pandemic. I tried to keep my mind occupied during all that’s been happening by painting and doing photoshoots, as you can see. Also, during this whole year, I have been fostering some baby turtles that turned up in our backyard, and I am going to release them in a nearby lake when they get a bit bigger. At the end of this year I’ve begun to customize some clothes, and who knows? Maybe I can do a little collection and sell it. During this whole year, I have been trying to look for new hobbies and even started skating. While I am skating, it actually helps me clear my mind, plus I occasionally get brave and dare myself to do something risky like trying a new trick. Beyond that, it’s also helped me with my creative process as well as I think helped me improve my painting and drawing skills. I don’t know, it’s just relaxed me and maybe it’s a motor skill thing, or maybe I tapped into a different creative side, but it’s opened up a lot of things. I’m always trying to come up with new things to try and skills to developed so I don't depend on one thing.

 

That’s pretty awesome and I can relate from playing guitar, singing, and bodyboarding. All of those things allow me to tap into different things. Anyways, before I ramble off, another random question: You have a magical camera that if you take the picture of something, you get a copy of it in your home. This means that if you take a picture of a meal, a car, or anything, you get a copy of it. Your camera can take 10 pictures. What do you photograph and why? 

 

1. I would take a picture of Bill Gates's bank account so I can be a billionaire lol.

2. Take a picture of a studio so I can have a space to create stuff and be in my own world.

3. Also, take a picture of a beach in Culebra or Rincón (Western part of Puerto Rico), and the house keys just appeared in my house.

4. I’d take a picture of my dream job being a designer just doing creative stuff all the time.

5. I’d also capture an acceptance letter from my dream university, SCAD: The University for Creative Careers.

6. A picture of my whole family and loved ones so we can always be together.

7. A good quality camera.

8. Take a picture of Freddy Mercury so he can come back to life.

9. A dream walking closet.

10. A picture with my family in a calm scenery so we can always be relaxed enjoying life without any problems.

 

Great choices all around and I’m also a big fan of Freddie. Follow up Q, what are some dream jobs or projects you’d love to work on?

 

Some of my dream projects would include something big or going to some major event and be part of it. Create something so I can give it to the world. Being part of a fashion week or being part of the launch of an amazing app that can revolutionize the tech world. My dream jobs are basically to have a space to create and let my mind flow. Who knows, maybe being a fashion designer and creating my own store or an entrepreneur, being a famous photographer would be awesome or who knows, maybe my next adventure is to start to develop apps for a living?

 

All worthy and worthwhile projects and dreams. And now all that is left is to roll out the red carpet so you can tell people where they can connect with you. 

 

I’ll keep this short, you guys can contact me on Instagram @greciaariveraa_ or my design page krazydesingz. On Facebook, you can find me at Grecia Rivera Díaz.

 

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And there you have it, dear reader. Another Creative Connection and from people’s response to Twenty Veinte in the shoot, I highly recommend getting in touch with Grecia. Lots of talent, lots of desire to put her talent to work and to help fellow creatives. Definitely recommend her and looking forward to all the creative connections we can find. For now though, thanks once again for joining us for a chat and til next we connect creatively…

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

 

JD

 

 

Your friendly neighborhood JD Estrada will be at 101 Tales

I had 4 events scheduled for 2020, but because this year is what it is, I’ve gotten 4 rain checks. Still, if life has taught me anything, it's that great things can happen thanks to applying creativity and winging it. 

 

That’s why this week I’ll be joining a wide variety of creators from around the world in a free online event called 101 Tales, hosted by Comix Plex. This is a little different and it is so for a couple of reasons. As everyone runs to adapt and improvise in their events, numbers of attendees, interest, and all sorts of variables have been impacted. Some events were hosted on facebook, others had their own website, others had a variety of panels of YouTube and the fact remains that everyone’s still trying to figure things out and find a way to recapture some of the magic that you have when you go to an event. So the event organizers are going for something a little different. 

 

So let’s get to the basics. 101 tales will go from Nov 17-21 and will include even more than 101 tales told by creators from around the world…including yours truly. I’ll have a 1-hr slot on Friday November 20^th where I’ll read two of my Daydreams from the Sherbet Shore live as well as a couple of chapters from my middle-grade adventure Given to Fly.

 

Beyond this, will there be other surprises? 

 

Why yes, because it’s not like it’ll take the full hour to read those tidbits. So as it is, I’ll start off reading the first 2 Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore and then read 2-3 chapters from Given to Fly. Why did I pick these stories? Because things are heavy enough as it is and all of these stories are whimsical and fun, which I think we need a bit more of. That leaves me a nice chunk of time…so I wanted to get creative to make it worth your time and it’s not the first time I wing things. 

 

So after the stories, I’ll be performing a couple of songs on my acoustic guitar. Why? Because if you buy any of my books, take a selfie, and share it on social media, you’ll get a demo from some of my tracks. There are 3 guaranteed tracks, but knowing my love for the #4, who knows if I’ll throw an extra one for good measure. After that, I’ll take questions until the hour runs out. So if this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, you’ll need to sign in at Comix Plex www.comixplex.com (free of charge, no worries) and you’ll get to visit several virtual booths and enjoy this unique and free event including 5 nights of stories and good times. 

 

There will be presenters and creators of all types during the event including some of my author friends whom I’ve interviewed on my blog, including Joshua Pantalleresco and the author-duo Maple Lion Fiction (Sophie and Chris Brousseau), some creators like Mog Park and Anh Vu,  and plenty of other cool people from around the world. That last tidbit is a BIG part of why I wanted to be a part of this event. We have people from the UK, Europe, Australia, all across the US, and beyond in our efforts to blur the lines of distance and connect to people and fellow creators. As it’s a convention, you’ll see artists offering designs and doing commissions, authors offering their books, and creators of all races, genders, and nationalities sharing their tales.  

 

Although the event will run the entire week, here’s the date again for when I’ll be on live:

 

November 20, 2020

8:00-9:00 PM EST

5:00-6:00 PM PST

 

Remember that to attend, you’ll need to sign up at Comix Plex www.comixplex.com (and yes, it’s free of charge). 

 

So if you needed something to do next week, then now you have an option to connect to creators and disconnect from the news. My best to you and hope to see you there…also…might be some other goodies for anyone who tunes in…but I can’t tell you just yet, because, you know, spoilers. Until then…

 

 

Peace, love, and maki rolls

The Status Quovid

DISCLAIMER: If you think masks are for wimps, COVID-19 is a hoax, and other such thoughts, this post is probably not for you. These are my thoughts and opinions as I try to process all the delights this virus and this year have brought our way. It’s not an invitation to fight though if you want to disagree, then hey, it’s a free world, but I’d appreciate if it were respectful. Otherwise, you run the chance of it getting deleted. Just a heads up.

* * * *

There’s a forest fire.

It’s bad.

It’s big.

It’s spreading.

You have 10 things at your disposal to control and potentially stop the fire.

How many do you use?

To me, that’s the situation I think we’re living, regardless of how many people I see on my social media going full YOLO and doing everything for selfies on the ‘Gram. For me, I’d like for everyone to use everything available to “stop the fire” but alas, everything continues to get politicized to un-presidented levels. I also continue to see people who insist that this is a hoax, not as bad or similar to the flu, and countless other rationalizations to do what they want. Meanwhile, I have a friend who just lost his sister in law, another friend who lost a cousin two weeks ago, and another friend whose father’s condition was fragile and unfortunately passed away last week because of complications after COVID-19. That’s three people in the last two weeks that I know to some degree. It isn’t some random story, it isn’t a fake news story, it’s not a statistic I can’t put a face to, it’s people related to people I know. And they’re not the first.

I’m happy that some people still have the luxury of thinking this is all bullshit. That means it hasn’t hit them or anyone they care about. For me, I attended a virtual wake a couple of months back because another friend of mine’s mother passed away from complications with COVID-19. I also know other people who actually got a positive diagnosis, came out relatively well, and are still going out in large gatherings because the attitude is that life continues. It’s a sentiment that although I understand to a certain degree in other aspects of life, I can’t say I agree with in this particular scenario.

In my case, I got the flu in November of last year and actually had pneumonia a couple of years back, so if I’m a bit overboard with my precautions, it has everything to do with coughing until I vomit, can barely breathe, and knowing what it feels like to cough up blood from either ruptured capillaries in my throat/airway or actual pneumonia, which translates into inflamed lungs that did a bit of hemorrhaging. Luckily we caught it in time and rest and treatment helped. Trust me though, you never want to get a call from a doctor saying, “go get a CT-Scan right now because we don’t know what we’re seeing on your X-ray.” I got that call so that’s where I’m operating from.

For 2020 every time I go out, I use a face mask and the aroma of ethyl alcohol is never far away after touching any surface. Some people might call that overkill, but hey, I’m also thinking about my fellow human because I don’t care what your race, religion, ethnicity, first language, education level, gender, or political preference is, I want to exercise caution because I want you to be OK too…and this somehow makes me a coward to some, a sheep to others, and an asshole to many.

To offer a small summary of behaviors I’ve seen this year:

• I know people who have posted fake cards stating that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) they are not required to use face masks. (Click HERE for the link to the official government response to this practice. If that's not enough, here's ANOTHER link)

• I know people who call me out on my fear, shame me, and double down saying they won’t use a face mask because it’s unconstitutional. 

• I know people who share conspiracy theories about how this is all a plot against the president. 

• I know people who say it goes against their faith to use a face mask and because of their beliefs, they are protected. 

So of course, I’m the asshole.

Unfortunately, none of that matters if you draw the short end of the COVID stick.

At the end of the day, I’m as frustrated as I am disappointed that people continue to think that a virus and its spread is impacted by anyone’s opinion. For me, if there are 20 things we can do to end this once and for all, let’s do all 20 and find 3 more. For a lot of people, they’re like nah, doesn’t apply to me. Or "since only liberals/democrats use face masks so clearly, I don’t need to use one, because I’m immune thanks to...." whatever thing they come up with. Beyond being a bad decision, I think it’s completely irresponsible and borderline asiten. (You see, asinine is defined as something extremely foolish and stupid. Asi-ten is a notch above asinine, such as saying things like, “don’t be afraid of COVID.”) It’s also super childish because you are asked kindly to exercise caution and think of others, yet a LOT of people react by throwing a hissy-fit. Also, and let's be clear on this, it isn’t fighting for your rights. It's a hissy-fit. It’s being childish, whiney, and you deserve some antibac timeout time along with whatever reality check you need.

I'm sure there are many comments in this post that will rub some people the wrong way and I get that. I also expect that some people I know will take particular offense because they feel I’m talking about them…and unfortunately, I possibly am. But I don’t feel the need to pick a fight on their social media or waste my time sending a private message asking for them to be careful and exercise caution. So I write a blog post to try and sort through the feelings of impotence and frustration, of worry and resentment. That’s because I have several friends who work in hospital and healthcare scenarios and they are drained, scared, frustrated, and angry. I’ve seen people I know closing a body bag in news reports. I recognize them from their glasses, eyes, or birthmarks and because I ask them if that’s them in the picture and up to now, I’m up to 3 times I’ve seen people I know in a picture in a news article. I’ve seen others passed out on hospital chairs because they haven’t had a break in weeks/months. I see doctors I know personally urging people to exercise caution because this is real and it’s unlike anything they’ve seen before.

But then I see politicians politicizing things that need not be politicized, capitalizing on a message that will get hits and views and ratings but that can cost lives and divide rather than unite for the common good. Because they know the narrative will get the results they want (VOTES), regardless of the cost (LIVES).

I have no idea until when this will last, but I do know a solution is not one inch closer thanks to people who actively work against efforts and progress. All I know is that there is a fire.

It’s bad.

It continues to spread.

It’s flaring back up.

And I wonder what it will take for everyone to get on the same page, leave our differences to one side, and give our best to care for each other if only to hate each other another day.

Until then, be kind, wear a mask, be considerate, and as always…

Peace, love, and maki rolls

Creative Connections – La Mesa de Vanessa

Something curious I’ve noticed is that people think that creativity is limited to music, film, painting, and writing… but what about food? What about good food? What about good nutritious plant based food? Isn’t that creative? Well Vanessa thinks so. And who’s Vanessa you ask? The top banana at La Mesa de Vanessa, a business designed to help individuals, groups, and restaurants integrate more plant based options into their lifestyle. To get to the root of this business and land on at least five more plant based puns, let’s get to know Vanessa and see what’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

Hey there, Vanessa. So nice to have you on the blog and explore something very different from what we usually gab about. Tell us, what is La Mesa de Vanessa, when was it born and why?

 

Hi! Nice to chat with you. J

 

La mesa de Vanessa is a Plant-Based Food, Coaching, and Consulting company that aspires to help people through plants. 

 

Our brand promise: La Mesa de Vanessa helps you unlock all the benefits of Plant-Based Food while absolutely loving what you eat. 

 

I love food and love to cook. About two years ago I took a Plant-Based Nutrition course online. I'm always curious about health and the role that food plays in it. I wanted to learn more. The course was an incredible eye opener and I learned a lot. It prompted me to make the change into Plant-Based eating. It also sparked a desire to share this knowledge and help others. 

 

My knowledge, my skills, my passion are “my table”. I want to bring my table to yours. To cook, to discuss, to learn, to eat, to share together. That’s how La Mesa de Vanessa came about. 

                                                                                                

Why? I believe that we are at a pivotal stage in our existence. We have come so far in so many ways. At the same time, we are deteriorating at an alarming rate. In the face of all of this progress, collectively, we are the sickest we’ve ever been. Our leaders are failing us. Mainstream education and practices are misaligned with the welfare of the people. So, it’s up to us. We must take our health back. Without it, we have nothing.

 

Very true to put it lightly. It's curious how much garbage is promoted and supported just because it is "FDA or USDA approved". There are a LOT of myths of living a plant based lifestyle or difficulties in shifting one’s diet. What are some easy tips you can offer so people can get a start on a healthier diet? 

 

Firstly, drink more water. We are mostly made up of water. It makes our inner systems run well. For example, did you know that the brain is 75% water? 

So, increase your water intake every day until you are drinking ½ gallon of water (16 cups, 2L) per day. This is optimum. The average American drinks 3.9 cups of water per day. 

 

Secondly, read ingredients. Becoming aware of what is in the food that you are eating is very important. It’s the first step toward making better choices. If it’s hard to pronounce and has a bunch of numbers, leave it on the shelf.

 

Thirdly, schedule an appointment with me ;)

 

You are currently based in Switzerland. What are some of your current clients and what has been the response so far?  

 

I have local and international clients. 

 

This summer, I worked on creating plant-based selections for the menus of one of the hotels here in St. Moritz. The menus were well received. I also sold some of my products. People like them, (not just vegans, btw). As a result, I have some consulting projects in the pipeline, think Plant-Based Restaurant Concepts. That's for later in the year and more orders for products.

 

I especially love the work that I do one-to-one with my private clients. These clients are in Switzerland, the US, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico. People connect with me through word of mouth or through Instagram. We cook, we learn, we share; it’s wonderful. 

 

There’s also a Mesa de Vanessa line of products. Can you tell us a bit more about those and what are the plans in the near future?

 

When I started paying more attention to what I was eating and trying to make better choices, I realized store bought items just didn’t cut it. Many times, items in the supermarket are either very expensive or they have a lot of added stuff. Sometimes it’s both. 

 

Because of that, I started making my own staples. Nut milks, nut butters, trail mixes, pulses, and sauces. I offer them to clients as a way to help them build a plant-based pantry to make the transition a bit easier. The products are fresh, wholesome, homemade, and delicious. At the moment, it is very much local to where I am. However, as the company grows, I can see it becoming available to more people in different places.

 

Some people think that plant based eating is boring. Can you share two recipes that are packed full of flavor just to show a glimpse of what people are missing out on?

 

I believe that it’s not boring as much as it is unfamiliar to many people. It’s about discovery. Start with some dishes that are familiar to you. Usually, it only takes a few tweaks to veganize them. 

 

Who doesn’t like a loaded baked potato? Baked potatoes are healthy but baked sweet potatoes are even healthier. Their flavor profile is also more interesting. So, next time do this: bake a sweet potato same as normal potatoes. While the sweet potato is baking in the oven, prepare the fixings. Think black beans, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, green onions, maybe some jalapeño, if you like s. Sooooo good. Super filling and very good for you. 

  

Another thing to easily veganize is fajitas/burritos. If you think about it, it’s practically a plant-based meal. Tortillas, rice, peppers, onions, avocado, salsa, lettuce, corn…all plants. Take it a step further and replace the meat with beans and/or jackfruit. Omit cheese and sour cream and make a delicious avocado dressing instead. There are some awesome plant-based queso recipes, if you want to venture down that route. If you want to take it a step further, replace rice with quinoa. Boom. It's all about getting creative. 

 

There’s a restaurant that wants to expand their menu. What does that process go like?

 

We look at their current menu. I get a feel for their concept and flavor profiles. With that, I put together plant-based dishes that mirror the feel of their restaurant. We make sure that they have the proper fat, protein, and carbohydrate mix so that people are getting all that they need. Lastly, we make sure that they are delicious.  That way, everyone enjoys and everyone wins. Good food for all.

  

Hahaha I dig it. Now let's get down to decadence and delve into culinary "Treat yo self" territory. Willy Wonka read this interview and he needs your help to come up with two confections to satisfy people’s sweet tooths. Give us some Wonka Worthy recipes. 

 

Willy would love banana ice cream. So easy to make. Firstly, peel and cut ripe bananas, put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, put them in the food processor or a very powerful blender and mix until smooth. This is a great base. You can add frozen strawberries, or a bit of ready-made coffee, or my favorite, cacao powder, walnuts, maple syrup, dates, and cacao nibs or dark chocolate chunks…..Chunky Monkey anyone?

 

 

Next up, 3 words: Chocolate-Avocado-Mousse. Banana, Avocado, Cacao Powder, Almond Milk, Medjool Dates, Date Syrup, Sea Salt, and Almond Butter. It sounds strange but it’s so good. Avocado adds a lovely creaminess and the flavor is totally masked by the chocolate and other sweet ingredients. By the way, have to give a shout out because I found this recipe in the Deliciously Ella app. To make, put all the ingredients in the food processor until smooth.

 

All sounds lush AND healthy because they shouldn't have to be mutually exclusive. There’s actually a method to shifting your diet and it has to do with the number 21. Can you tell us a bit more about this process?

 

We eat 21 plates per week (3 meals x 7 days). My method involves gradually increasing the amount of plant-based plates week by week. You can start at 1 plate, at 21 plates, or any number in between. We work on demystifying the plant-based diet, we learn how to build complete plant-based plates that are filling, healthy, and delicious. We create meal plans based on the client’s goals. My goal is that people eat more plants and discover the amazing benefits that come with including more plants in their diets. If they get to 21, amazing. If they stay at 10 or 14 plates, it’s also good. Each plate is a success.

 

To all the 21s and anything in between. Switching gears and getting random: Vanessa is magically transported into a Super Mario game…and like Mario, most of her power ups are plant based. Tell us three of the power ups and what happens when you eat them?

 

Mario’s got it right! Mushrooms are super healthy and oh so versatile. You can sauté, roast, grill, soup, even eat them raw. They are great in risotto, pizza, sushi, you name it. There are some that are incredibly meaty that can stand up to any meat dish and some very delicate and full of flavor…truffles…hello. So, mushrooms would also be one of my power ups. If you eat them, they will keep your heart strong, your blood flowing, your stomach happy, and your skin glowing.

  

Second power up: sweet potatoes. You can cook them in many different ways.

They should be classified as a super food since it’s one of the healthiest foods on the planet. No joke. It’s proven that communities that have sweet potatoes in their diets have lower rates of heart disease and diabetes and enjoy longer, healthier lives. That and they are delicious. 

 

Lastly, power-up number 3 is: dark chocolate. Yes, dark chocolate. They have high levels of antioxidants (keeps bad stuff at bay inside the body) and many good minerals. They keep your blood flowing, may reduce blood pressure, protect your skin, and, some even say, increase brain function. But remember, dark 70% or more. 

  

And now all that’s left is to roll out the green carpet and have you share your links so people and businesses can connect to you. 

 

Love the green carpet bit. Yes, very exciting. We are days away from the lamesadevanessa.com website launch. Until then, you can find me via LinkedIn and on Instagram @lamesadevanessa.

 

Thanks, JD!

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That was a lot of healthy fun so kindest thanks to Vanessa for taking time from her hectic schedule to chat with us a bit about how we can be healthier and happier, because sometimes to get to the meat of the matter, you have to think of everything beyond the meat. Feel free to contact her and if you do, tell her I sent you. 

Til next we creatively connect or connect creatively...

Peace, love, and avocado rolls

JD

Conexiones Creativas – Nydia Alvarado-Barrios Full of Coffee Blog

Si algo me he dado cuenta desde que comencé con esta aventura de autor es que uno conecta con gente de todos sitios…y que si eres de Puerto Rico te encontrarás a otros puertorriqueños en todos lados y de todas las maneras. Conocí a Nydia a través de Twitter porque tenemos un amigo autor en común y aunque ella viva en Florida, lo de puertorra lo lleva full y verdaderamente encuentra conexión, felicidad, amistad Y cafeína en su taza de café. Ella tiene un blog llamado Full of Coffee y mientras va cobrando impulso, ella sigue creando y adelantando VARIOS proyectos y en vez de que se lo quede completamente de secreto, pues la quise entrevistar.

Saludos, Nydia y qué lindo tenerte ahora en mi blog. Ante todo, gracias por la entrevista que me hiciste hace un tiempito. Eso sí, aunque yo te conozco, hay muchos lectores que posiblemente no se han dado una taza de café contigo y tu blog. Cuéntanos, ¿cómo surgió Full of Coffee y qué pueden esperar encontrar en tu blog?

¡Gracias por invitarme! Esta es mi primera entrevista en un blog y me siento super honrada que sea en el tuyo. El interés por escribir siempre lo he tenido, pero no encontraba tiempo ni oportunidad para dedicarme a ello. En 2017, comencé mi cuenta en Twitter, invitada por el canal de cable/televisión Hallmark (soy una super fan de sus romances). Comencé a ver muchas personas que escribían, especialmente reacciones a las películas y me interesó mucho. Pensé, "yo puedo hacer esto". Mi consultora y confidente es mi prima Auranyd (conocida en las redes sociales como Una Boricua en Louisiana), así que comencé a discutir esta idea con ella. Mi interés era no solamente hablar de Hallmark, sino que quería escribir y compartir sobre otros temas. Me interesaba compartir historias sobre nuestra familia. Quería incluir "memorias, familia, amor" y quería incluir el café, pues ya en Twitter todo mundo que me conoce sabe que soy cafetera. Luego de discutir varias opciones, surgió "Full of Coffee: Memories of Family and Love/Memorias de familia y amor". Luego de un año ya con el blog, decidí que era tiempo de mejorar ese nombre. Ahora es "Full of Coffee: Storytelling with Coffee and Love/Contando historias con café y con amor".

¿Qué vas a encontrar en mi blog? ¡Pues mis escritos sobre Hallmark! Soy una Hallmark-nerd, así que tengo varios artículos titulados "Hablemos Hallmark". Tengo varias entrevistas interesantes, las cuales he titulado "Una tacita de café", varios escritos sobre recuerdos de mi niñez, sobre el lugar donde crecí y varios personajes de mi familia. También tengo varios escritos sobre "Mi hermoso Puerto Rico" y otros temas de interés, incluyendo el café.

De verdad que el blog es bien bonito y ha sido lindo leer la perspectiva de alguien más en la diáspora. Ah, y lo de Hallmark tienes mucha compañía bien simpática ja ja ja. Conste, el blog lo escribes en inglés y español. ¿Qué te llevó a ese approach, qué retos te has encontrado y qué nuevas oportunidades han surgido al ampliar el horizonte?

Pues el haber crecido en Puerto Rico nos da la oportunidad de aprender inglés como segundo idioma. Para mí, como puertorriqueña, el ser bilingüe es algo que me hace sentir orgullosa de mis raíces y de mi educación. Además de esto, mi papá fue militar y tiene familiares que viven en Nueva York, así que el siempre nos instó a aprender y practicar el idioma inglés.

Cuando comencé a escribir, decidí que quería hacerlo en ambos idiomas para tener oportunidad de llegar a más personas a través de mis escritos. Mi experiencia ha sido que en Twitter tengo muchos seguidores que sólo hablan inglés y en Facebook tengo muchos seguidores que sólo hablan español, especialmente mis familiares y algunos amigos.

Mi primer artículo lo escribí en inglés primero, y en el mismo documento hice la traducción al español. Tuve dos reacciones bien interesantes. Una persona que sólo habla inglés me comentó que no podía entender la parte final del post porque estaba en otro idioma. Otra persona que sólo habla español me dijo que pues como era en inglés no lo podía leer, o sea ni siquiera lo abrió para encontrar la traducción al español. Así que mi consultora Auranyd me recomendó que publicara dos artículos separados, uno en inglés y uno en español con el mismo contenido. Y resultó ser un éxito. Tanto así que uno de mis post aparece entre los primeros resultados cuando buscas en Google por "Hallmark romance realeza".

En estos momentos, estoy en proceso de trabajar nuevos proyectos en los dos idiomas, que estaré divulgando a su tiempo.

 

Chacho, estás en todas y se nota que te lo disfrutas mucho, que es lo más importante siempre. Bueno una entrevista a ti tiene PAR de requisitos, y el primero es que nos cuentes un poco más de esa fijación con Hallmark, la comunidad de fanáticos de Hallmark y las amistades y proyectos influenciados por esta fascinación.

¡Yo amo Hallmark! Te cuento como me convertí en super fan o un "Hallmarkie". Vivo con mi esposo y mis dos hijos varones. Mis hijos son fanáticos de la lucha libre y todos somos fanáticos de deportes, especialmente baloncesto y béisbol. Toda película o programa de televisión estaba relacionado a estos temas. Llegó un momento que mi hijo más joven me "prohibió" ver la lucha libre o las películas de super héroes con ellos porque hice el comentario de que uno de los luchadores estaba muy guapo y de que yo vivo enamorada de Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man). Me dijo, "Moms cannot be in love with guys in movies or on TV".

Me di cuenta que necesitaba encontrar algo que fuera de mi interés. A ellos no les gusta Hallmark ni las películas de romance, ni siquiera los romances de Disney (those are girl's movies). Así que comencé a ver Hallmark más a menudo y como te mencioné antes, Hallmark me invitó a Twitter (yo decía que jamás iba a estar en Twitter). ¡Cuando hay una premiere, se forma una fiesta de fanáticos "Hallmarkies" con la fantástica oportunidad de compartir tweets con los actores protagonistas! Ha sido una experiencia increíble y, aunque no lo crean, muy positiva.

Hallmark recientemente añadió los servicios de una línea editora, desde donde publican libros basados en las películas y han comenzado a publicar historias originales que en un futuro pueden ser adaptadas a películas. Esto me interesó muchísimo. Asi que al tiempo que comencé el blog, comencé a escribir mi primera novela de ficción romántica. ¿Con qué tiempo? Trabajo full time, tengo que atender a mi familia, escribo el blog y tengo que hacer investigaciones para lo que quiero escribir. Pero mi musa estaba activada. Yo escribía novelitas cuando estaba creciendo, pero nunca guardé esas notas. Luego de un año, ¡ya mi novela está escrita! El título que escogí es "In Time for Spring" (A tiempo para la primavera). Me dió un poco de prisa y la sometí a tres publicadores, incluyendo Hallmark Publishing. Las tres submisiones fueron rechazadas, pero con muy buena crítica. Decidí enviarla a tres amigas escritoras para que la leyeran y me dieran sus opiniones. Una de ellas se ofreció a ayudarme con las mejoras y cambios para editarla. Estoy esperando que termine pronto, para decidir si intento enviar una vez más a una publicadora o me decido a publicar independientemente. Mi interés en publicar por mi cuenta es que tendría la oportunidad de publicar en ambos idiomas, inglés y español.

Tengo un grupo de amigos en Twitter, al cual ya tu estás integrado, que dicen ser mis cheerleaders, me apoyan y me dan ánimo en mi interés por escribir y ser una autora con libros publicados. Incluso, hemos bromeado de que los voy a invitar a mi primer "book tour", mi primera gira a promocionar mi primer libro. El año pasado también tuve la oportunidad de asistir a una reunión de fans aquí en Florida y, aunque no conocía a nadie en persona -todas las conocí a través de Twitter-, fui recibida como si fuera una reunión familiar. Eso me conmovió mucho pues me hace sentir que estoy entre buenas amigas, que a todas nos gusta Hallmark.

Qué lindo leer sobre todas esas aventuras y ciertamente el camino de cada autor es diferente y de seguro el tuyo tendrá muchísimas aventuras para contar. Volviendo a ti, otro requisito es que nos cuentes un poco del Clan Alvarado porque todas las personas que he conocido de tu familia cargan ese nombre con todo el orgullo y es algo que brilla en tu blog.

Se nota, ¿cierto? Estoy muy orgullosa de mi familia -de ambos lados Alvarado y Barrios. Según he ido escribiendo sobre nuestras experiencias y recuerdos, he querido ir honrando a algunos de ellos. Que sepan que sus acciones no pasan desapercibidas. Comencé escribiendo un post sobre mi mamá Raquel, quien ya no está con nosotros. Igualmente, le dediqué un post a mi titi Nydia, que también falleció, y de quien heredé mi nombre. Ella era la única hermana de mi papá y la mamá de Auranyd. Dediqué otro post a su hija, mi prima Amnerys, quien tenía 14 años cuando su mamá falleció. Al graduarse de escuela superior, se hizo soldado (siguiendo a mi papá) y ahora está por graduarse de abogada! Por supuesto, quise escribir un post sobre mi papá Neco. Según me contó mi hermana, logré hacerlo llorar. Tengo más historias que ya poco a poco las iré publicando. Debo aclarar que mi titi Nydia se casó con alguien de apellido Alvarado, que resultó ser una familia grandísima y de gente talentosa. Así que Aura y sus hermanos forman parte de las dos familias, a mucho orgullo.

Qué lindo leer eso y que brindemos por los Alvarados y Barrios, y los Estradas también ;). Bueno, Puerto Rico es muchas cosas para cada puertorriqueño y los que estamos en la diáspora tenemos ciertas cosas que nos llenan. Cuéntanos, ¿qué es Puerto Rico para ti?

Puerto Rico es mi casa, mi hogar, mis raíces, todo lo que llevo en mi mente y corazón. Cuando te mudas fuera de la Isla, te das cuenta todo lo que extrañas. No sólo a tu familia y amistades, extrañas los negocitos, las comidas, las playas, todo. El salir de Puerto Rico no fue una decisión fácil. Yo salí de Puerto Rico buscando cambiar de ambiente. Me mudé a Florida en Agosto de 2001 y a los pocos días pasó la tragedia de 9-11. Imagínate, me quería regresar de inmediato. Pero aguanté y nos quedamos. Ahora andamos soñando con cuándo podremos regresar.

Escribí mi primer blog sobre Puerto Rico porque muchas personas me comentaban que nunca han visitado, me preguntaban detalles sobre la Isla. Lo titulé: "Mi hermoso Puerto Rico: de ahí vengo yo" y en inglés "This is where I come from". Recibí muchos comentarios de gente que quieren visitar y que aprendieron cosas que no sabían sobre nuestra Isla con mis escritos. Pero, mientras más escribo, más nostalgia me da. No he podido visitar desde el 2017, antes del paso del Huracán María. Ya estoy extrañando el poder visitar. Gracias a la tecnología y al Internet, me puedo comunicar con mi familia via video conferencia, así al menos nos podemos ver y ponernos al día de cómo nos va a todos.

Hay muchas cosas que quiero que mis hijos aprendan y conozcan. Quiero que ellos se sientan conectados con su herencia y nuestras tradiciones. Yo tenía la idea equivocada, que tienen muchos en la Isla, que si no se nace en Puerto Rico, no se es verdaderamente puertorriqueño. ¿Saben qué? Seguimos siendo puertorriqueños, enseñamos a nuestros hijos nuestras costumbres, se comparte en familia y en comunidad donde quiera que uno esté.

No se puede decir mejor. Incluso, hablando de familia. También colaboras con tu prima Auranyd que corre el Isla Nena Café. Qué nos puedes contar de ese negocio y cómo ustedes colaboran.

Auranyd y yo somos primas, pero cuando crecíamos sólo nos veíamos en actividades o visitas de familiares. Nos hicimos mejores amigas cuando ella se mudó a San Juan a estudiar en la universidad y su mamá insistió en que fuera a vivir conmigo y mi hermana Lilly. Soy mayor que Aura, así que tomé esto como un deber de hermana mayor, que tenía que ayudarla y estar ahí para ella. Al vivir juntas y compartir tantas experiencias, nos dimos cuenta que nuestros pensamientos eran muy afines, aunque nuestras personalidades son muy diferentes. Nos entendemos bien y por eso consultamos a menudo sobre nuestros proyectos personales. Yo estudié Psicología y ella estudió Sistemas de Información y Negocios, así que nos complementamos muy bien. Siempre decíamos que queríamos estudiar Leyes juntas, esto todavía es una posibilidad, quién sabe. Mientras tanto, estamos colaborando en varios proyectos.

Cuando yo comencé el blog, ella comenzaba su propio negocio de Isla Nena Café donde vendía café en un pequeño local en Louisiana. Por razones personales, no pudo seguir en el local donde estaba. Pero recientemente, comenzó a ofrecer sus servicios online: la venta de varios productos de café, en particular Puerto Rico Coffee Company. ¿Cómo promover ambos proyectos? Comenzamos con una charla casual, un "coffee chat" por Facebook live. ¡Ya te has fijado la personalidad simpática y espontánea que ella tiene! Aura es conocida también como Una Boricua en Louisiana, así que además de ofrecer café para la venta y promover el blog, estamos interesadas en escuchar las historias de otros puertorriqueños como nosotros.

Ya yo participé de un chat, también invitamos a mi hermana, quien tiene su canal en YouTube "Hilda desde España", y hace poco invitamos a Alex, hermano de Aura. ¡Tenemos un chat pendiente contigo, JD! Y por supuesto, estamos trabajando juntas en desarrollar otras ideas.

Hahaha, ¿dime un mejor año para inventar? Pronto cuadramos algo. No worries. Además del blog, tienes varios otros proyectos que estás trabajando. ¿Nos puedes contar un poco más de eso?

¡Pues sí! ¡Tengo más proyectos que me tienen ocupadísima! Puedo contarte que recientemente moví el blog a mi propia página de Internet, donde he logrado organizar mejor mis posts. Estoy trabajando en mantener los seguidores que ya tenía en el blog original. Cuando empecé el blog, mucha gente me decia "en cinco años ya estarás generando dinero con tu blog". Pues ya llevo un año de blogger y tengo curiosidad, ¿cómo se hace dinero con un blog? Me puse a investigar y ya he hecho varios cambios, a ver si de verdad funcionan.

Otra cosa que me ha interesado es la venta de mercancía asociada al blog "Full of Coffee". Esto ha resultado un poco más complicado de lo que yo esperaba, pero estoy trabajando en eso. Mientras tanto, he comenzado a trabajar en arte y manualidades. Ya tengo varias cositas ready para ofrecer: llaveritos, adornos en resina, porta-vasos (coasters) y marca-libros (bookmarks). Estoy trabajando con todos esos detalles de conectar diferentes aplicaciones de pago online, que por supuesto es todo nuevo para mí! ja ja

Y, por supuesto, sigo escribiendo. Tengo dos ideas para dos novelitas de ficción romántica que estoy dándole forma para escribir pronto.

Bueno con todos esos proyectos, te hace falta ese café para tener combustible para darle a TODOS ellos. Felicidades por el website y los cambios y me cuentas, ¿quién sabe? ¡Maybe necesito full of coffee consulting! ¿Cómo te das el café y con qué te lo tomas aparte de mucho gusto?

Me encanta el café. Siempre le digo a la gente que no es que me guste el café, es que yo ne-ce-si-to café. Como buena puertorriqueña, tomo café desde niña. Mis abuelas nos hacían recoger el grano, secarlo, tostarlo y molerlo. En la actualidad, sólo tomo una taza grande en la mañana, pero si me invitan a un segundo o tercer café, con gusto me lo tomo. Lo prefiero con crema y sabor de vainilla, y le pongo un sobrecito de endulzador. También me encanta el espresso, el cortadito y el cappuccino.

Pues a tu salud por cuando compartamos un café. Hablando de conectar. Tu blog sigue conectando con países alrededor del mundo. ¿Cuántos países te leen, cómo se siente y cuáles son los países más random que te han leído y hasta contactado?

Desde que empecé con el blog, lo primero que me impresionó fue ver las estadísticas de las personas que lo visitan. ¡Qué grande es el alcance de las redes sociales y del Internet! La primera así que vi fue Argentina. Me impresionó Francia, Alemania. Tengo amistades de Twitter de tantos sitios.
 

Has hecho varias entrevistas en tu blog incluyendo a este servidor. ¿Tienes entrevistas que vienen por ahí y estás buscando a gente para entrevistar?

Déjame contarte cómo surgieron las entrevistas en mi blog. Una escritora, Barbara Hinske, me contactó diciendo que uno de sus libros había sido escogido para filmar una película de Navidad de Hallmark. Ella había leído mis posts sobre Hallmark y me preguntó si estaría interesada en publicar sobre su experiencia en el set de la película. Luego de la emoción que sentí, mi mente comenzó a trabajar y pensé: qué tal si le hago preguntas sobre su carrera y cómo se interesó en hacerse escritora. Así surgió el título "Una tacita de café...". Luego escribí un segundo artículo sobre su experiencia en el set de la película.

Hasta ahora, he entrevistado a escritores que, como tú, he conocido a través de Twitter. También entrevisté a una productora que se ha convertido en una de mis grandes apoyadoras. Así que vienen más entrevistas, especialmente tengo interés en varios autores puertorriqueños que he conocido gracias a ti. Y, por supuesto, si alguien está interesado en una tacita de café y una charla en mi blog, pues bienvenidos. No es requerido ser escritor y está bien conmigo si no les gusta el café.

Qué lindo saber que he podido contribuir un granito de café a tu blog con esas conexiones. Mil y mil gracias por darte la vuelta y ahora lo que queda es que nos cuentes dónde nos podemos conectar contigo. 

¡Gracias a ti por esta interesante charla! Me encantaron tus preguntas y me pusiste a pensar. Pueden visitar mi blog (por favor!) aquí. Me pueden visitar y seguir en 

Facebook, Twitter @nydiaraquel25 -advertidos que escribo mucho sobre Hallmark, de hecho tengo una segunda cuenta como @HallmarkNerd, y mi nueva cuenta en Instagram @fullofcoffeeblog. 

Gracias de nuevo por esta oportunidad y por tu apoyo, JD. Esto es lo que construye y mantiene amistades. Espero que, tan pronto pase la crisis de la pandemia causada por el COVID, nos podamos conocer en persona para darnos un abrazo y una tacita de café.

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Ahí lo tienen, queridos amigos. Muy simpática nuestra Nydia y si quieres hablar de café o Hallmark, tienes una amiga de por vida. Gracias por leer y hasta la próxima que nos conectemos creativamente. 

Un abrazo, 

JD