A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to photograph a wonderful blogger named Alexandra Franzen. You’ve probably heard me talking about her here and on Twitter, but if you haven’t, here’s her deal: Ms. Franzen is a freelance copywriter specializing in resume design, public broadcasting and personal branding — with a kick. She’s a great resource for those of us who can’t fit ourselves into boxes, whether because we’re fiercely queer, obsessed with television vampire dramas, or just can’t get enough glitter and stilettos. Needless to say, photographing Alex was a barrel of fun. I supplied some bubbles, and she brought along a neon toothbrush as a prop. I wanted to share these photos with you along with some more Alex fun, so Ms. Franzen kindly obliged to do an interview to share the things that tickle her most.
K: I’m really intrigued by the photos you selected from our shoot together. What did those ones convey about you that made you like them best?
A: I’m 25, and I have a pretty “young” looking face. By which I mean, a whole lotta cheeks! I also have small eyes, like a crab. Haha! So for my headshots, I wanted photos with a more “mature” look (read: minimal chipmunk cheeks) and wide-open eyes, like an anime character. In other words, I’m extremely vain.
For my full body pics, I wanted photos that were a little quirky and stylized. I’m a former dancer, and I have a very distinctive, boundy gait. In my everyday life, I tend to leap around, gesticulate wildly and pose like a runway model. Hence, the doorway shots / toothbrush shots / graffiti wall shots.
K: You have a confidence online (and in person, too!) that I think is really compelling. Are there any particular experiences growing up or in your professional life that helped you become comfortable with showing who you are and sharing your skills with the world?
A: I come from a family of performers — my mom was a professional opera singer, my brother is a jazz musician, my sister-in-law is a violinist, and several of my cousins are songwriters as well. As a teenager, I was a major drama geek and competed in theater competitions several times a year. I’ve always felt very comfortable in front of a crowd, in high-pressure meetings, or entertaining a small dinner party group. I think the art of conversation is tremendously undervalued. Learning to improvise and command attention has served me well!
K: I tend to believe that the things that make people extraordinary are the little actions they perform on a regular basis rather than grand, one-time experiences. Do you have habits or practices that help you stay on the right track to doing exactly what you want to be doing?
Oh, hell yeah! I’ve
written on my blog about the practice of keeping a “future resume” — a list of accomplishments that you absolutely intend to do, and have already “done” in your heart. Writing goals down is very powerful, and saying them out loud to yourself — even more so. Mantras, people! Mantras!
I stay organized with my Moleskine day planner — ‘cuz I’m a trendy hipster like that — and I write little notes to “Future Me” throughout its pages. It’s nice to stumble upon those notes after I’ve forgotten about them. One recent note said, “Hey Alex! You’ve been full-time freelance for 60 days. How stoked are you?” Real stoked.
K: What are the blogs you like to read, and why do you love ‘em so?
A: My daily blogroll includes:
Gala Darling — Ms. Darling is a style icon and major advocate for creative self-actualization. I got to meet her on a recent trip to NYC, and she’s just as charming in person as she is online. Actually, she bought me the orange toothbrush that we used in my photo shoot!
Nubby Twiglet — For powerful, cohesive personal branding and clever typography, Nubby Twiglet is a genius. She’s been a freelance graphic designer for about two years, and her posts about juggling projects and self-discipline are pure inspiration.
Yes & Yes — My friend Sarah Von runs this blog, and her spunky articles on travel, cheap thrills and non-traditional careers always make me smile. She’s doing a wonderful job of monetizing her online following with calendars, karma cards and other products, while staying true to her core audience (young, college-age women with minimal disposable income). I contributed a two-part guest article a little while back called “How To Hustle Like A Gangsta.” Good times.
Twelve22 — Another real-life friend! Anna Torborg is a calm, creative presence in my life. She mainly writes about her domestic life: gardening, running, sewing and baking. Recently, she made me a custom unicorn dress, with a mauve petticoat! She’s a crafty genius, and her blog is like a soothing beverage for your eyeballs. When I need a break from hardcore career endeavors, I turn to Torborg.
White Hot Truth — Danielle LaPorte is the high-priestess of entrepreneurship. I love her bold, concise prose and clean, minimalist aesthetic. I did a video-interview with her about creative self-promotion back in April, which was a total honor.
When I Grow Up — Michelle Ward is my bombtastic career coach. She helped me make the leap from 9-to-5-er to freelance superstar … without going bankrupt, or bonkers. I cannot recommend her services highly enough. She’s the bee’s knees.
I also adore webcomix — particularly Questionable Content, DAR (which ended recently! Weep!) and Rooster Tails, which is drawn by my wonderful friend, Sam Orchard.
K: Alright. I want to know what makes your sparkles shine. What activities, shows, books and people really light your fire? Hint: RuPaul is probably gonna be part of this answer.
ACTIVITIES: Breakfast!!! It might sound mundane, but one of my favorite things about going freelance is that I don’t have to rush out the door in the morning with half a bagel hanging out of my mouth. These days, I wake up when my body naturally wants to, make a delicious carafe of French Press coffee, and artfully arrange fresh fruit and cereal and toast on a tray. It’s a small luxury, but it’s one that puts me in a grateful, satisfied space for for the day.
SHOWS: I’m wildly obsessed with RuPaul’s Drag Race. Getting to meet RuPaul in person would probably cause a catastrophic heart attack. I’m kind of a sucker for any show with LGBT themes — and thank god, more mainstream shows are including queer characters these days, so we’re not relegated to vintage episodes of The L Word and Queer As Folk!
On the non-LGBT front, I secretly adore Breaking Bad, which is about a high school chemistry teacher who becomes a bad-ass meth dealer. Meth is TERRIBLE, people. Never, ever do it. But the show is unbelievably well-constructed and gripping to the max.
BOOKS: Anything by Rumi, Oscar Wilde, Ayn Rand, or John Steinbeck. So … mystical-dandyism with a splash of staunchly individualistic Americana?
PEOPLE: My ferociously loving family. My kick-ass career coach. My hilarious friends. My wonderful, immensely supportive girlfriend (she listens to me babble about resume design concepts for hours and hours, and never tells me to shut my pie hole). And my virtual family — the bloggers, Tweeters and online journalists who praise my work and promote my blog entries, videos and contests. My online tribe is small, but ferocious. Hugs!
Alexandra Franzen is a freelance copywriter specializing in resume design, public broadcasting and personal branding — with a kick. You can find her blogging up a storm at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting away at @alex_franzen. New clients, assignments and article requests are always welcome. Shoot an e-mail to alexandra@alexandrafranzen.com
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If you need some photos that reflect your gorgeousness back at you without being cheesy or fake, I’d love to book a session with you. Send me an email at kylie.springman@gmail.com, and we’ll talk about how to capture your beautiful self on (digital) film.
