Jenice Johnson Media

Friday Foto: Relax

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:33:22 -0800

This has been a busy week so it was refreshing to have a day to work from home. I went outside, took off my boots and took in the sun while getting work done.

And by the way, there is always so much to be done! After my day job, I have coaching and writing obligations that have been a recent inspiration in my life. All of which has led to booking writing workshops in March. And there is always finding time to get my mind wrapped around everything I can to improve. It's easy to forget to have moments in your day to soak up nature.

I appreciate the moments when I can kick off my shoes, feel the warmth of a premature Spring sun and enjoy non-office air -- even if I'm working while doing it!

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Friday Foto: Wishes

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:42:06 -0800

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My lesson: Impatience has no place in gaining momentum

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:33:00 -0800

They say patience is a virtue, but in marketing, public relations, building a brand, etc., etc. it’s downright necessary. There is no other option but to come to terms with the idea that everything isn’t going to happen overnight from all of your efforts.

This is a lesson I’m learning and trying to absorb while working with my newest client, Sonya Jevette. We stay busy. We communicate and work out our strategy. I write the releases, take photos, I work with her brand. But the results of all of that work don’t just fall out of the sky as soon as you put the sweat into it.

But I’m happy to report that in the last four weeks, Sonya has three new gigs – one of which came to fruition after her performance at Underground this past weekend. Deep Ellum Brewing Company approached me while I was photographing her set and asked about booking her. I’m absolutely ecstatic because this is a new venue for her and her talent.

The road isn’t easy but we are making it work in the short time I’ve been her media consultant; we began at the end of December. Since then Sonya’s online presence and social media traffic has increased at least 30% and she is now being contacted for future bookings and blogger interviews. We can only keep going up from here.

Next up is getting her touring outside of Texas.

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Reinvention is the spice of life

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:57:00 -0800

The world of independent media consulting just got more interesting. I've now become a stylist.

You didn't know that came with the job? Well I'm open to discussion on that but it most certainly can! It's about a certain image or emotion you want to convey. It's about branding yourself. And I've been solidifying my latest music client Sonya's look.

Today was a shopping excursion with her for her big show tomorrow night. This was no easy task considering Sonya is a self-professed "big girl." Seems that clothing companies don't really create clothes for humans! We went to several stores. She tried on lots of options. But we finally found a great chocolate-colored dress that fit the bill for a great price. I'm all about finding a good deal, even for my clients.

Next will be accessories. And yes, this is very much a part of my job. And I love it.

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Friday Foto: Early bloom

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:33:16 -0800

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Journalist writes a press release. True story.

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:10:01 -0800

Back in my days at the newspaper, we always teased that going into public relations is like selling your soul to the devil. It's cliché but that is a comparison many journalists make. I was one of them. Until I left the paper.

You really get another perspective on things when you leave your "box." That was the case when I transitioned my writing and reporting skills to marketing, social media and public relations. Whether writing a press release, helping a client with their “brand” or telling a client's story in a marketable way, it’s a real skill. Absolutely. There, I said it.

I just finished my client Sonya Jevette’s press release for her upcoming appearance at Dallas’ big Underground event next week. It’s a super-charged, hyped-up show of remarkable local talent. Below is the release I conjured up for her – so yes, a journalist CAN write a press release!

Contact:

Jenice Johnson Media

817-307-9384

jenice@jenicejohnson.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dallas singer/songwriter Sonya Jevette to perform

ArtLoveMagic's Underground 2012

DALLAS, Texas, February 1, 2012 -- Sonya Jevette will be a featured performer at one of Dallas' high-profile art-driven events -- Underground 2012.

Promised to be the biggest in the four years of its inception, Underground 2012 is produced by the art collective ArtLoveMagic and takes place Feb. 11 at South Side on Lamar. This expanding visual arts show highlights Dallas' new and seasoned creators of vastly unique mediums.

This will be Ms. Jevette's first time performing Underground and she looks forward to making new fans, performing for a fresh audience and having the chance to reconnect with fans who already follow her work.

"This should be an exciting show for everyone. There is so much talent in the lineup and I'm honored to be creating in the same space as some of Dallas' top artists," Ms. Jevette said. "This is an amazing opportunity and I appreciate being invited to perform."

Ms. Jevette's soulful sound can be heard every week at Cool Cats in secondlife.com on Thursdays, the YouNow.com music channel, venues across downtown Dallas, Deep Ellum and coffee shops. And in 2004 Will Wynn, former mayor of Austin, declared March 25 Sonya Jevette Day.

Her own mix of psychedelic soul sets her apart from tradition and always keeps her audience on their feet, as in the case of her song "Big Girls" where everyone is encouraged to do the "Wobbly, Wobbly" dance.

"The crowd loves her and shouts for more," Dallas Observer Elaine Liner wrote in a review about Ms. Jevette's recent performance at Open Stage hosted by the Circus Freaks.

After Underground, Sonya Jevette will focus on touring with her music and tapping into the culture wherever she travels. She is currently open to inquiries or booking requests.

###

Sonya Jevette is a completely independent, original singer/songwriter based in Dallas, Texas. She has a music career spanning almost two decades and includes music instruction and rehearsal studio management. She has performed countless large-scale events such as the Deep Ellum Arts Festival and has a large following on secondlife.com where she is hired to share her music with people all over the world. Follow her on her new sitesonyajevette.com and her ReverbNation page at reverbnation.com/sonyajevette.

For more information, or photos, please call Jenice Johnson at 817-307-9384 or email jenice@jenicejohnson.com.

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Lessons learned from a potted plant

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:54:00 -0800

Several weeks ago we had our first freeze here in Dallas before winter even arrived.

I have just bought two ivies a few weeks prior. One remained inside while the other had its home outside hanging from my balcony. Unfortunately I forgot to bring in the second plant. The next morning I awoke with this realization and went outside to check on it. It looked horrible, of course. There was rain with the freeze so the leaves were like tissue paper and everything was just an ugly shade of brown with green undertones.

I clipped what seemed to no longer be good. I inspected it. I was sure it was dead but I decided not to give up on it. Even though there was nearly nothing left to it after I clipped all of the dead matter away.

The picture you see above is that same plant. It doesn't look like much, but you should have seen it before. It was just vines and dirt -- a far cry from the long tendrils and lushness it once had. But now, after nursing it by my bedroom window, it is coming back to life.

My lesson: never underestimate the strength that lives just under the surface. I could have dismissed this plant and it would not have had a chance to grow. But ultimately, I shouldn't have forgotten it in the first place.

Plant food for thought.

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Musical client: New venture is right on track

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:50:00 -0800

One industry I can't live without yet never really ventured into is music.

I don't mean singing or performing. I mean actually working in the music industry as a businessperson. I am a lover of music. Classic rock to indie to Kenny Loggins. Yes, I said Kenny Loggins. I find that things just get done in a much better way when there's music in the background!

I am not only getting my feet wet but also fully immersing myself in the ins and outs of the music industry since taking on my recent client -- Sonya Jevette. As with many artists, the need to create without the extra hassle of marketing, social media, etc. etc. is crucial. We just started Sonya's blog at the end of 2011, worked heavily on boosting her Facebook fan page numbers and created new press photos.

(Photo by Jenice Johnson ~ City Tavern)

In that short amount of time she has seen a 100 plus jump in fans and increased her Reverbnation global and national standings by the thousands.

My background has been increasing online traffic and/or sales using social media and marketing for a company's products. Working with an individual has not only been refreshing and exciting but also eye opening. The needs are the same as with larger companies but in many ways quite different because clients must also think of themselves as a brand -- as with any business, large or small. I've found that can be the biggest hurdle independents have to overcome -- knowing what that brand is, making sure their message is consistent to their brand and marketing it accordingly.

What is certain is that every indie musician, artist and small business needs social media and online content to help drive interest. It's a cost effective way to get more out of your money and sweat equity.

Always think big even if you have been told you are small.

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Friday Foto: "Note the Trees"

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:21:37 -0800

Taken at Buzzbrews (Deep Ellum)

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Winter realizations.

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:50:39 -0800

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Where zen and Texas meet

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:15:32 -0800

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Friday Foto on Saturday: Instagram Paleo Food

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:55:00 -0800

Friday Foto on Saturday: Short ribs, sweet potato mash and spinach. Not a spectacular shot for my first Instagram post but it was heaven! Had to use the flash on the cell. It was dark out.

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Friday Foto: "Nowhere to go but up"

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:19:00 -0800

It's a new year. And so it goes that you say:

"You know what? I should really update that site I own, shouldn't I?"

I am just going to kick off this year with "Friday Foto" being that today is the first Friday of 2012. Simple. I post a photo every (hopefully) Friday. Minimal commitment, right? Here's one for today.

I thought of this image I shot at my uncle's house when I recalled the previous year. It was a doozy. Beginning with day one of 2012 I felt the shift. I felt the complete change and there is nowhere to go but up as the future is lit up ahead. I won't wax poetic on this post, that I'll save that for the next and I'll recap the sentiment.

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Social media madness: Over-processed and over-saturated

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:18:00 -0700

I've teased a few times with friends that I may one day write a book about social media and how we fit into society as a result of online persona. But now that I keep mulling this idea over and over in my head, I may very well write this book. But by the time I figure it out, there will be some other social media platform that will somehow negate whatever I decide to write. It will be obsolete by the time I finish it. But obsolete ideas didn't stop me from keeping my MySpace, whether or not I update it, so there you go.

Over the past year I've been administrator or creator of more that 10 social media accounts -- either for work, interests or personal. I eat social media for breakfast. That's not a boast. It's a fact. It's my daily job, seven days a week. To that end I spend a lot of time experimenting: Seeing what gets what reaction, finding ways to "hide" when I feel overexposed and popping my head out again when I realized that we still mainly communicate with each other online when we can't see each other face to face.

Not to mention if you are trying to keep/start/push a business. Pages and profiles and accounts and and and +++ (shout out to Google) become a necessary evil. When you live it everyday, the tidal wave crashes and washes over you...then you shake it off and surf those waves again. What I've found is that at the very core of everyone who uses some social media, coercion was involved. This would be why my father has an account he rarely uses. I encouraged it. Then I left my account anyway. Then started a private account, adding him back...and for what? He's my dad. I've got a phone and I know how to use it!

Fact is this coercion is really innocent. We all do it. "Find me on Facebook!" "Add me to your circle!" "What's a circle? Wait, why do I need an invitation?" This is all part of the process of understanding how we react to one another when we don't take the time to see each other. (Take that however you'd like when I use the word "see.") Because that's another thing: We are either entirely too open as ourselves or we make a persona that we want others to see us as...a package other than who we really are. Or both.

I will continue to experiment with social media. And observe it...in all of its glory and pitfalls. There are surely plenty of pitfalls. One of which is easy access. You can go private all day long but sites like Facebook will change the game just as soon as you feel "safe" so don't fool yourself. Even though this goes without saying, we don't really think about the fact that the right and wrong people will see what you post online, daily. It's part of the gamble in this madness. Take it or leave it but you'll pick it up again.

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Writing an artist statement

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:15:00 -0700

I have started something a little different and am doing some research about artist statements. They are NOT bios and I personally haven't written a general one for myself yet. Because I feel there is a need, I am now offering this up to folks who may need/want it. I've often read artist statements that do not truly reflect the art or even the artist. Or they do and that's the problem! I say the last statement because they can be empty and vacant.

I think it is important to get a feeling and not draw abstracts, so to speak. Below is the first artist statement I've written for someone else and it happens to be for my cousin, Riki Johnson. I wanted people to feel who Riki was just by reading about her work and process. And I kept a rule of "short and sweet" because people have short attention spans, as we all know...wait, what?

Riki Johnson -- Artist Statement

"My work is about movement — the fluidity of human structure and the environment around it. The acrylic and oil paints I use are thick and bring forth bold colors to tell the story of everything from grace in female form to the intrepid attributes of Mother Nature to the intricate narrative the shape and detail our hands can tell. Music is the catalyst for these themes of movement and unpredictability — Staccato beats and euphoric sounds that move freely provide ample inspiration to a brushstroke.

Influenced by the passion of music, I often convey feelings of power, seduction and freedom into my work but I also hope the viewer becomes motivated to feel liberated and youthful from what they see on my canvas. As a mother with strong faith, eclectic background and New York education, life experiences influence me and I’m inspired by artists like VanGogh and Jackson Pollock. Art expresses existence to the fullest — in all its colorful, fervent and unapologetic variety."

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Lessons from above

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:09:00 -0800

When I was a kid I wasn't as much of the outdoors type as I am today.

I had really bad asthma and I didn't see any reason to stay out there longer than necessary except when I felt like digging up rocks. I had a massive rock collection. With time, I learned to appreciate the benefits of breathing fresh air and enjoying outdoor play. More so now as an adult.

I don't have my head in the clouds but the sky captures my unwavering attention. My fascination with the sky begins with knowing it is one of the only true constants in life. It's there in the morning when you get up, it's there at night. It covers you. It sends havoc, peace, serenity, tragedy. It's more than beauty. It IS what is true.

If the world above us had an esoteric twin it would be "change." The last two years of my life were much like the sky expresses. The sky doesn't seek our permission to behave. It reacts. It lashes out and does what it pleases. If the sky was a walking being it would be fearless and brash. It would choose its moments to be quiet and still and exude nothing more than instant gratification.

What it does more than we even realize is keep going. Until we hear "the sky is falling" it goes through its trials and moods and wakes up the next morning new without giving a moment's thought of giving up. The perfect example of determination.

As with the disposition of the sky, see everything as a work of art -- in and of progress.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

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The Juxtaposition of January 2011

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:13:00 -0800

No year is without tragedy, events we never are prepared for or difficulties we know we have to face with unrelenting strength. Along with those struggles we learn more about ourselves and the people we surround ourselves with...we see what we are made of and how we deal with things. But I have never seen a start of a new year like this one.

January 2011 is filled with pain -- so much to a point that the joy one finds in almost anything seems heightened. Love for a person or passion in life seems like a blatantly tangible thing we grab on to and hold so tight that we don't want to see any of it squeeze out the other end. We want to keep it all and gather it up in our arms so we can always know they are there.

I've already hugged more than I've ever remembered and held those embraces longer.

Erased fears of putting feelings out there if the moment strikes for expressions to reach air. We aren't promised that we will ever get to do it again.

There is a reason the universe wants us to listen right now.

Whether you believe in a God.

Whether you believe in your own grace.

Undeniably there is something reaching out to us to listen...hear what is being missed...or really listen to what faint musings the wind, earth and sheer existence wants to say.

There is a waiting. There is a moment when we aren't sure the waiting will result in anything but a stronger understanding of self and how the world keeps its beat going.

It's not a matter of when but how and what we will do with this. And where to start -- gathering signals and writing it all down.

Keeping record.

Memorizing it all to see how to change or solidify what has to be.

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Got primal, shed burdens, fell in love with possibilities

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 08:13:00 -0800

Photo taken Jan. 1, 2010

I went through a doozy of 2010. I'm sure you did too.

It's really a tradition to do these type of blog posts -- reflecting and sharing thoughts yadda yadda -- but I'm also doing it as a place holder to remember what I accomplished and what realizations I made.

So I've summed it up in my TOP 15 amazing feats. I'm sure that I'm missing something but who can really sum up a year in 15 bullet points unless you are a daytime talk show?

In no particular order, and with minimal detail... :)

Met a buffalo for the first time. One gave me a look and a "what's up?" head nod.

Got back in touch with old friends from a decade ago.

Was a bridesmaid for the first time.

That said, went to, or photographed, a record-breaking number of weddings. It's official, love is still a popular thing!

Helped cook for thousands of people and made frybread for the first time.

Quit my five-year gig at a major paper which I traded for a yummy protein bar.

Realized when things can't get worse for a people, just wait 10 minutes.

Prayed a lot for Haiti.

Got tickled on the toe by lightening.

Met, photographed and hung out with a cool monk.

Got stronger in Oneness

Spent four cold but beautiful nights in the woods.

Was a "model" for a day at a Texas fantasy called "Paradise."

Went primal.

Chose sanity over security and realized the two of them don't come hand and hand as much as I thought.

So there it is, or was I guess.

Happy New Year, and here's to 2011 knocking it out of the park before 2012 brings all curiosities and hopes to light.

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2010 Memories in Photos (Part 2)

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:00:00 -0800

(All photos by Jenice Johnson, artsbyjphotography.com)

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From the canoe to your plate

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:51:00 -0800

(Photo submitted by Greg Bellanger)

For Greg Bellanger, what makes wild rice special is the effort that goes into harvesting it. Just take a look at any videos online that feature "ricing" and you can see the exertion that goes into gathering this aquatic grass seed from its watery habitat.

Typically, two people venture out in a canoe among rivers and lakes with one person standing with a pole with a duckbill on the end to pull through the tall stalks of grasses. The other person takes two sticks to beat the rice off the stalks and the mature grains fall into the canoe.

"It's amazing food -- it takes a lot of work to get to it and, because of that, the benefits from it are so great," Bellanger said.

Bellanger is store manager of Northland Visions, a Tanka retailer in the heart of the Ojibwe community on Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, MN. He has a strong passion for wild rice. Manoomin is the Ojibwe word for wild rice, which means "the good berry" and is a key ingredient in Tanka Wild snack sticks.

"The Ojibwe originally came from the east coast and migrated west before the first settlers came," he said. "The elders had a vision that they needed to move west until they found 'the food that grows on the water.' From Minnesota to Canada, no matter how you travel from north of the Great Lakes or south, you will run into wild rice."

A family tradition

Bellanger's family, which has been ricing for years, is from the White Earth Reservation, the Mississippi band of Ojibwe tribes. His father, who is part Ojibwe, used to give away wild rice for Christmas gifts.

"I remember it being hot, sticky, dirty and a very long day, but I enjoyed every minute of it and found it very humbling, and wanted to do it again and again," Bellanger recalls of his ricing days as a youth. "The most rewarding part is eating the fruits of your labor, knowing it is by your hand it was harvested, cleaned and dried to your liking."

In 1995, Bellanger's father started a gift package business out of their home. The family business moved to its current location on Franklin Avenue a few years later. They sell various native-made arts and jewelry, as well as a variety of wild rice products, such as wild rice pancake mix and wild rice soup.

Natural vs. cultivated

Bellanger said that wild rice is a very versatile food, but much different than what you might find at the grocery store, which is a cultivated version of the seed. The cultivated version is always black and is an isolated variety instead of the various 13 strains you can get from natural harvesting.

"The dark color comes from the protective seed coating that is naturally black and is usually scratched and partially worn away during the parching and cleaning process," Bellanger said. "When the coating is left intact it makes it harder for the rice to absorb water extending the cooking time."

Once a combine runs through the cultivated wild rice, Bellanger said it can make "millions of pounds, but doesn't have the same flavor because it doesn't have the genetic strains and varieties" you get from natural harvesting.

"That's why you get different sizes and color depending on which part of the state it grows in and the growing season," Bellanger said of natural wild rice. "There is a taste difference, too. It's nuttier if it's from here and gets starchier when it gets big. It's a personal preference."

Anyone can harvest wild rice with a license on state lands. Reservations though, require you to be a band member to harvest on their lands. Northland Visions buys its rice from native pickers from Northern Minnesota -- the White Earth and Leech Lake areas. According to wildrice.org, "Each year, U.S. lake and river producers harvest approximately 0.5 million pounds of the "wild" varieties of Wild Rice." Minnesota's wild rice web site, mnwildrice.org, states Minnesota harvests between four and six and half million pounds of cultivated rice each year and is about $5 per pound.

Healthy advantages

Along with the multitude of wild rice strains, there are several ways to eat it. Bellanger said any wild game actually makes it taste better or it can be barely cooked and put in salad. Or left over wild rice can be used with eggs, such as in an omelet. The main thing Bellanger said he wants people to know about wild rice is to realize its benefits, which he said justifies the expense. He listed wild rice's health benefits, which includes being rich in potassium, riboflavin and niacin as well as being a good source of fiber and protein.

"Wild rice is perfect if you are looking for something to add to your diet that is healthy, tastes goods and goes with everything. It's a little more expensive, but expands three to one. For every cup of dry turns into three cups," he said. "People are looking for healthier ways to eat and even kids like it."

You can keep up with Northland Visions here.

Jenice Johnson Media

Friday Foto: Relax

Friday Foto: Wishes

My lesson: Impatience has no place in gaining momentum

Reinvention is the spice of life

Friday Foto: Early bloom

Journalist writes a press release. True story.

Lessons learned from a potted plant

Musical client: New venture is right on track

Friday Foto: "Note the Trees"

Winter realizations.

Where zen and Texas meet

Friday Foto on Saturday: Instagram Paleo Food

Friday Foto: "Nowhere to go but up"

Social media madness: Over-processed and over-saturated

Writing an artist statement

Lessons from above

The Juxtaposition of January 2011

Got primal, shed burdens, fell in love with possibilities

2010 Memories in Photos (Part 2)

From the canoe to your plate

A family tradition

Natural vs. cultivated

Healthy advantages

Related wild rice links: