In Her Artist Shoes: Entertainer, Cindy Ashton on Learning To Triumph Against All Odds

Cindy Ashton is a modern day renaissance womyn - as a singer/entertainer, author and speaker coach, she pretty much does it all! Born with only a 20% chance of living, Cindy knows the idea of exceeding other people's expectations of you. She proves that you can make your dreams happen when you fight for it! Very happy to have Cindy as a panelist at The Millionaire Artist workshop this Saturday, as I know she will have a lot of wisdom to share. (Reserve your spot here: Eventbrite)

The life changing experience that convinced her to go for her dreams
I always knew I was meant to perform since I was a fetus swimming in my mom's belly. I was born with a 20% chance of living, underwent 3 heart surgeries by age 14 and was told I would never be able to be healthy enough to dance or sing (I had a damaged lung). At age 13, I shared a hospital room with a girl named Stephanie. Like me she went through several heart surgeries and didn't know if she was going to live beyond her teens or not. We made a pact that we would both survive and I would become a world class performer and she would become the world's greatest heart surgeon. I was released from the hospital for a few months. When I got re-admitted at 14 years old, I kept asking the nurses where Stephanie was and they kept avoiding my questions. Eventually a nurse pulled me aside and told me that Stephanie died. Part of me felt guilty and unworthy to live but the other part of me KNEW I had to live and make my dreams happen for both of us. Watch the video on: http://speakerstardom.com/bookinginfo/ = it has the story.

Who she looks up to in the industry
Madonna - since she appeared on the scene when I was 7. She is always willing to push boundaries & get people questioning society norms; she is a fantastic performer (in terms of the energy & creativity she gives, not the actual singing voice); a brilliant business woman and has a real pulse on trends and creating trends.

Best piece of advice given
Just be yourself... that is enough.


If you haven't done so already, register here. Only a FEW spaces left! Guarantee yourself a seat to this inspiring workshop and make the step to finally start pursuing your artistic dreams more seriously.

Check out what an attendee had to say about my last workshop below: an eye-opening & life changing experience!

Perfectly imperfect - Why your weaknesses may be your biggest strengths!

With only a couple of days left until the Millionaire Artist Workshop, I want to share with you a great TEDx talk that I found. 

As artists we sometimes second guess ourselves - in fact we all do it, artists or not. We focus on our weaknesses instead of our strengths and sometimes we allow them to define  us. We allow them to limit us and try to work around them. 

Well this artist found out the hard way, that sometimes we have to embrace our limitations before we can become the best possible version of ourselves. When he decided to work with the thing that had been holding him back before, his art took off to new levels!

Check out Phil Hansen's talk "The art of imperfect" and it may motivate you to push past your "weaknesses" to find a side of yourself that you haven't been nurturing. 

And, of course, if you haven't registered for the Millionaire Artist Workshop which is coming up this weekend, it's not too late to get your tickets! For more information and to register, click here: www.millionaireartist.eventbrite.ca

 

MONDAY MOTIVATION: Jada Pinkett's Message to the Dream Stealers

 

One of the most important aspects of being in a relationship is having someone who supports not only  the person that you are within the relationship, but also the person you are becoming or have always dreamed of being. If you have a dream of being an actress, a writer, singer, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, whatever the dream is that you hold in your heart, your significant other should not only support that but be actively engaged in your passion. If you are a writer, at the very minimum, your partner should read a few of your pieces. I received an amazing email from a man a month ago who wanted to inquire about my coaching packages and upcoming Millionaire Artist workshop for his girlfriend. In the email, he spoke about his belief in his girlfriend's talent as a designer despite her own doubt and that he wants to help her take the steps towards pursuing her vision. I loved this because this is what a partner should be!

Another issue that many people relate to is the feeling that one has to give up on their dreams once they settle down and have a family. While taking care of a family and pursuing a dream that may not initially offer stability can be overwhelming and scary, it is possible. Jada Pinkett Smith, a womyn who has successfully juggled a career and family, had a few things to say about this problem:

Dream stealers…
I think one of the worst atrocities we can commit on people we say we love is to steal their dreams through our overbearing expectations. Whether we steal dreams consciously or unconsciously, it renders the same effect…RESENTMENT.

Someone we say we love should NEVER be forced to choose having your love and support over having their dreams. There is a way to have BOTH.

The scary part is that most of the time we may be infringing on the dreams of others in order to fulfill a dream of our own. Partnership, parenting, marriage should reflect the desire to help each other build fulfilling lives for all parties involved. You’ve got ONE life ( that we know of ). LIVE IT…to the FULLEST!
BUILD on your dreams and on the dreams of those you love…TODAY!

Surround yourself with people that believe in and support your dreams and stay focused on the vision that you have for yourself. If not, you will find yourself living a life filled with doubt, regret and resentment. Think about what an awesome example that will be for your children as they will look up to "mommy / daddy" who made their dreams happen despite having to put food on the table and provide for X amount of kids. If you believe that it is possible, then your children will believe this as well for their future dreams.

I will be sharing a few stories of my own at The Millionaire Artist workshop this Saturday February 2nd. Secure your seat and register here: Millionaire Artist Eventbrite. Only a few spots left!

Do at least 1 thing today that focuses on and invests in your dreams. I dare you!

Happy Monday!

Tip # 5 Last day of the Artist Challenge! Be a student of your craft.

Educate yourself; find out what other people are doing in your industry! I'm always shocked when people who are in theatre express that they don't go out to theatre related events. Or painters don't go out to gallery openings, or film makers don't watch films! When my artistic coaching clients inform me that they don't attend arts related events I'm in utter dismay! 

Always be a student of your craft! Once per week I either watch a movie or go out to see theatre. I also spend money on buying books on the industry, attending workshops to educate and empower myself. I'm an avid learner. A life time learner. I never believe I know everything! 

Grasp every opportunity to learn and to delve more into the industry! I've met some wonderful people in my career because I have attended industry showcases, poetry shows, monologue 

                                                                                      slams,  openings of various films, or gone to networking events!

At the workshop I will share an invaluable tip on how to network effectively. That's why I strongly encourage you to attend the Millionaire Artist Workshop, so you can learn, share, and network!

Some great events are going on in the city this month and next month, include Dwayne Morgan's, When Sisters Speak, Warren Salmon's First Friday, and our amazing panelist Olunike Adeliyi is hosting a monologue slam! Be sure to check out these events and the many others! 

And of course, I hope to see you at the Millionaire Artist workshop! Register now, email me at info@treyanthonystudios.com to give me feedback on the Millionaire Artist Challenge this week or facebook or tweet me! Good luck! 

The winner of yesterday's Millionaire Artist Challenge is Carol Allen! She was the 7th person to facebook me yesterday, stating she wanted to get paid and paid damn well! Carol, you have 24 hours to claim your prize! 

Want to be today's winner? Be the 10th person to facebook me and name one event that is going on in the city this month or next that I mentioned. It's that easy! 

Nobody Knows My Name! The Value of Personal Branding with Shannon Skinner & Artist Challenge Day 4

When it comes to personal branding, Shannon Skinner has managed to create a brand that is authentic to her passions and purpose. Her resume is quite extensive: creator/ host of a talk show, author, inspirational speaker and public relations professional. When it comes to introducing yourself as an artist to the world, Shannon understands the value of being your own promoter, showing the world exactly who you are and going for what you want despite the fear that may try to convince you to sit in standstill. I’m so happy to have Shannon come speak at The Millionaire Artist workshop on February 2nd!

Here are 3 lessons I believe Shannon will be able to offer you all:

On pursuing your dreams despite the fear

When I had the idea of creating my talk show Extraordinary Women TV with Shannon Skinner, I had a lot of fear and, although I knew I would do it "one day," I was waiting for all the conditions to be right. I had envisioned doing something like this since I was a child, as I was born and raised in a family of television broadcasters. I spent much of my youth in a television station. But instead of doing it, I sat on the idea. Fast-forward...one beautiful summer evening in 2010, a good friend of mine gave me some bad news: he had less than one year to live. Shocked and saddened, I later asked myself a question: "If I had one year to live, what would I do?" That quality question pushed me past my fears and other obstacles, and within a short time I birthed my show -- and my new career was started. I since realized that conditions will rarely be right to follow your heart, so you just have to do it.

The importance of having an inspirational source to continually refer to when needed

"The Whispering Heart: Your Inner Guide to Creativity" is a book I wrote a few years ago. It is my favourite book, not because I wrote it, but because I keep re-reading it to take my own advice when I need a courage boost or clarity.

Putting your best foot forward & creating a great impression is just as much about creating the right appearance as it is about your talent.

The best advice I’ve received in this industry is to never wear short skirts or dresses for television interviews.

Artist Tip #4: Nobody Knows My Name! Tell the World Who You Are!

It's never too early to tell the world what you do and who you are! Usually when I start working with my coaching clients, their first complaint and biggest concern they share is that no one knows who they are! They then proceed to tell me they aren't "big" enough yet, to have a following or it too soon to think about branding themselves!!! 

Well, how do you think you are going to start to build a following unless you start today??? 

When I first started in the business, my first show was in a Brampton Public Library, I had about four people in the audience! And two of them were family members who felt sorry for me, so they showed up! But even back then I knew the importance of branding and building my audience. I faithfully mailed out flyers, and newsletters monthly! Yes mailed them! Licked envelopes! Remember those days?! There was no internet or Facebook back then!  

My shows eventually grew from 4 people to 10, to 100, to 1000, and now 'da Kink in my hair theatrical show has been seen by over 125,000 people! Not bad for a person who had four people at her first show!  

START TODAY--- start to think about how to build your audience and how to find clients for your work. Start by buying your domain name, start a fan page on Facebook, get a twitter account, get a Youtube channel, create a website, start a blog...  Let people know what you are doing!

At the workshop I will give several valuable tips on how to grow your audience and how to let the world know who you are! I will also let you know a secret tip on how to immediately make your brand/ yourself look more professional! It works every time trust me! See you there! 

****** Today's give away, the seventh person to Facebook me and say, “I want to know how to get paid and paid now!” will win a ticket to my Millionaire Artist workshop! 

Day 3 Millionaire Artist Challenge: Does Your Workspace Inspire You to Create Your Best Work?

Today evaluate your work space. Does it inspire you? Where do you do your BEST work from?  When I first bought my home I made a big deal about ensuring that I had an efficient working "office." So, I made sure I had a big desk top computer, a fancy desk, a "proper" office chair and a humongous filing cabinet! 

Yet, I never did any work in my fancy office!  I was much more comfortable sitting in my living room on my big comfy couch with my lap top on my lap!  I rarely went upstairs to my "office" unless I had to grab a file. Eventually it dawned on me that the reason why I liked working in my living room was, this was the space in my home that received the best direct sunlight. My living room has huge ceiling to floor windows. The windows also face the trees. And each morning while working I could watch the sun rise. I'm a morning person and I love feeling the morning sun on my face while I work! I also like sprawling out on the couch and having all my files and books nearby.

However, my original "office" upstairs, got no natural sunlight and  the 'view' was the brick siding of my neighbor's house! I'm now currently converting my screened in sun porch to become my new home office because it gets lots of sunlight and faces the trees. In order for me to be creative I need bright, airy, well lit spaces! I also prefer big chairs with over stuff pillows than fancy stiff office chairs and I like my lap top in my lap!

So, figure out for yourself where do you do your best work? Does your work space truly inspire you? Are you a morning person or a night person? Are you a person who needs to sit at a desk or do you prefer a big comfy chair? And remember if you want to be very effective, ensure that everything that you need is at your finger tips  including all your files! Don't waste valuable time like I did running up the stairs to grab files, pens etc! * I will give more office tips at the workshop on Feb 2nd.

Drum Roll please...The winner of Monday's Artist Challenge is Jordan Clarke who posted my Artist tip #1 on her Facebook page on Monday morning! Jordan please contact me via Facebook to claim your free ticket to the workshop!  You have 24 hours! 

Remember if you want to be a winner, it's easy either share the Millionaire Artist flyer on Facebook or Twitter, respond/comment on this blog post, and share it with friends, or change your status on Facebook to state, "I'm going to trey anthony's Millionaire Artist Workshop on February 2nd!" Remember to tweet or facebook me to let me know. It's that easy to WIN!!! 

Register for the workshop here: www.millionaireartist.eventbrite.ca

The Millionaire Artist Challenge Day 2: Which Route Are You Taking To Success?

 Day 2: MILLIONAIRE ARTIST TIP - Always create a mini schedule for your day.

Always have a road map to where you are going and what needs to be done!  Before I check email, go on the phone, write or do anything I create a schedule for my day every day! * I will go into more details at the Millionaire Artist Workshop on February 2nd on how to do this and how to avoid procrastinating on facebook! 

An artist must always have a road map! Have a plan for your day and have a sense of what you wish to accomplish and the time frame to do it!

And remember to turn off your phone, allot a certain time in your day to respond to and answer the phone!

Remember to register for the Millionaire Artist workshop on February 2nd go to www.millionaireartist.eventbrite.ca spaces filling up quickly!

Remember to tweet, or facebook me to let me know how the challenge is going for you! If you missed Day 1 check it out here. Join us!

Welcome to Day One of the Artist Challenge!

Artist Challenge Tip #1: Start your day in inspiration.

Be fully aware of how you start your day and who you start your day with! 

Do you start your day in a panic? Jump out of bed, frantically rushing through the door? Do you yell at the kids first thing in the morning, get caught up in the frenzy of rushing them to catch the school bus? Or are you constantly groaning about getting up, and do you start bitching right away about your day? Or do you grab the morning paper and get depressed by all the negativity in the world or listen to the morning news to hear about the murder/shooting the night before?

Not me anymore! I know how essential it is to start your day with inspiration!  I usually get up each day anywhere between 530-7am. While lying in bed I first list five things that I'm grateful for and I have a quick mini conversation with God.

Once out of bed, I never turn on the television, watch the news, listen to the radio, or answer the phone before 10am.  I start my day in inspiration. Usually my day begins with me listening to Hay House radio online as I brush my teeth, shower, make my morning tea and prep for the day.  I always do about 20 minutes of yoga and 10 minutes of meditation. 

I "guard" my time and energy from all forms of negativity so I try not to speak to anyone before 10am, who I feel is going to "dump" on me first thing in the morning or bring me down.  I know my morning times are sacred and I honour my mornings.  Often I try to watch an inspiration video on YouTube to get me inspired. My favourites are Les Brown, John Maxwell and recently a coaching client of mine introduced me to Eric Thomas, who I really love – especially his talk about Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas! Brilliant!

Some mornings I will pick up my very well read copy of You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, and randomly just open the book and read a few pages of whatever the book may land on and truly believe that whatever I read in these pages is a message from the universe/God to me. 

You may ask how starting my day in inspiration makes me a better artist. Well, if you start your day from a place of inspiration each morning you will be inspired to see the world differently, be different and inspiration will fuel your creativity!  Below are some of the inspirational videos that I watch in the morning and hay house radio!

Today I challenge you to start your day in inspiration! I bet it will change your life! 

In Her Artist Shoes: Actress & CTV Flashpoint's, Oluniké Adeliyi + My Challenge Inspired By Jay-Z

Canadian born actress, Oluniké Adeliyi is a truly talented womyn and actress. With an impressive resume that includes starring in CTV's successful series, Flashpoint; a film role in Saw 3D (2010) and a television appearance on The Listener. Her story proves that success will come if you believe in yourself and work hard to master your craft. I'm so happy to have her as a panelist at my Millionaire Artist Workshop! I know that this womyn is filled with so much valuable advice to share with all of you.

Here are 3 things I learned about Oluniké:

On discovering her passion

I was an actor straight from the womb. I began to pursue it professionally after an encounter with Denzel Washington on the set of "John Q". He took a special interest in me and lectured me daily with fantastic advice on how to approach the industry. He suggested studying theatre in NY and I did it. He suggested fine tuning my skills daily and I continue to do so. He told me to never think about the money and I haven't. The main reason I followed my dreams was for my daughter. She has watched her Mom face obstacles and overcome them. She is now following her dreams, because I showed her it was possible. In turn my daughter became my biggest motivation to continue knocking doors down.

The circle of powerful womyn she looks up to

I look up to Viola Davis. She is looking to pass the torch and I'm working hard for it to be me. She blows my mind the way Cicely Tyson, Ruby Dee, Angela Bassett did and still does. I want in on that circle of talented women. So I'll work my butt off daily living and loving.

Best advice

"Always maintain your grace." Phylicia Rashad gave me that advice personally at theatre school. I had the pleasure of being in her presence. I've never forgotten her words to me and I have been tested many times in this industry and life since then, but my grace is always in tact. My grace is always remembered and re hired :)

Make sure you secure a seat at the workshop - limited spots available! Register here: www.millionaireartist.eventbrite.ca 

And, My Artist Challenge to You All - Are You Ready? 

I do difficult in an hour--impossible in a week! 

The running joke with several of my colleagues is that every one else has 24 hours in a day, and I have 32! Needless to say my favorite Jay Z quote is,  " I do difficult in an hour, impossible in a week!"

People ask me every day how do I get so much work done, how am I able to be so productive in my career, life and personal life? How can I balance writing, producing, acting, coaching, and public speaking plus just every day living! So I'm going to give you a few tips!

On Monday, we will begin the seven day Millionaire Artist challenge!  For seven days I will post one simple tip for you to follow to increase your productivity as an artist. Let me know you are up for the challenge by any means of social media!  I will be giving away five tickets in total through out the week  to people who make a comment on either their facebook page, twitter or my blog, about doing the Millionaire Artist Challenge. Let me know how it's going for you, are you learning anything? Doing things differently? 

Remember to tag me or tweet so I know you're doing it! You never know which day I will pick a winner so it's always good to post your comments pertaining to the challenge! Remember  the Millionaire Artist Challenge starts on Monday! I'm looking forward to giving away some tickets! See you soon! 

And The WINNER is...

CONGRATULATIONS!!

I'm happy to announce that SUNNY DAY is the WINNER of The Millionaire Artist Workshop tickets!!! We'll be intouch with you to discuss details shortly.

For everyone else who entered the contest, thank you for your interest and support! Please take the opportunity to invest in yourself and your artist dreams anyway! Click here to register: www.millionaireartist.eventbrite.ca

Music is supposed to inspire…and Copperwire’s Starbound does that and so much more

Guest blog by Eden Hagos

Gabriel Teodros, Meklit Hadero  and Burntface aka Elias Fullmore are three artists whose careers prove that it is in fact possible to entertain while standing for something more than the superficiality that passes for (mainstream) music nowadays. But it is together, as music trio Copperwire, that they are rewriting the boundaries of music and storytelling.

As a diasporan I find a sense of comfort and belonging in Copperwire’s music that just can’t be matched in the physical world. Their songs touches on themes such as home and belonging that resonate with immigrants like myself, but that also speak to the human experience in general.

As a fundraiser I watched in awe as they kicked off a $25,000 Kickstarter campaign to fund Starbound – a sequel to Earthbound. And when they reached their goal I silently cheered them on, inspired by their success and excited to see the end result.

But it is as an artist that their work inspires me the most - not only to challenge myself to come up with new forms of expression but also to be more creative in my collaborations. Earthbound, which the group describes as a “hip-hop space opera”, transcends the physical and social barriers of nation and genre, and takes us to the outer limits of the universe. The album includes a sci-fi backstory with alter egos which can be found on their website.  

Starbound, which they are currently working on, will forever change the way audiences listen to albums. It will include a comic book, games and various remix apps, all of which will allow the listener to interact with and recreate the songs they’re listening to. They’re even working with NASA to incorporate the sound of real stars into their music!  

While December 21^st, 2012 did not mark the end of the world in the literal, physical way many feared, I can only hope that with Copperwire leading the way, 2013 will be the beginning of a new era – one that thrives on collaboration and revolution.

Through their music and innovation Copperwire is proving that there is still much that can be done in and through music if only we allow ourselves to believe it. By creating new ways of thinking about and listening to an album they have shown that art can be meaningful and entertaining at the same time and that every artist has the ability to make an impact on the world.

As we prepare for the 2^nd Millionaire Artist  Workshop, I hope you will challenge yourself to take your art to the next level. Join us at the workshop and find out how artists such as trey anthony are laying claim to their passion and creating new and exciting opportunities for themselves and others.

In the meantime, I encourage you to check out Copperwire’s work. To start you off here’s one of my favourite songs. Enjoy!

Invest in YOU: Back by Popular Demand, Excited to Announce Details For the Millionaire Artist Workshop!

Psst!!! Hey you! Yes, I'm talking to you!  

Remember your new year's resolution to finally pursue your artistic dreams? To FINALLY take your art more seriously? To FINALLY start getting paid for your creativity? Well this workshop is for you! Back by popular demand! My 2nd Millionaire Artist Workshop! 

Register now, spaces are limited! 

We have a power house line-up of speakers that will definitely get you excited and give you the information to make 2013 YOUR YEAR OF ACTION! 

Register now before we sell out! 

For more information and to register, click here: www.millionaireartist.eventbrite.ca or call 647.771.7086

Lace up your shoes and join Michael Moore for a walk

Get moving this new year! Just start with a simple walk! See what Michael Moore talks about...

"I am now in week 42 of my walks. Each day, 30 minutes, that's it. Thousands of you have joined me since that Sunday night on March 18 when, as a joke, I said I was going for a walk. 

I had read that morning in the paper that there were now more people in the U.S. on anti-depressants than those who go to the movies. I tweeted out that maybe that's the problem -- perhaps if people got out and went to the movies more they might feel better. This unleashed a lively conversation about mood-aletering drugs, the lousy movies these days in theaters, the rip-off prices for 3D films, etc. Finally, someone wrote: "Sometimes I think what I need is just a brisk walk." I tweeted, "Hey, there's an idea! I'm putting my shoes on right now." I went out and came back home after 30 minutes -- and a few hundred of you had amazingly joined me where you live. 


So I went walking the next night, probably out of some sort of obligation because so many had written to say "please let's do it again tonight!" So I did. And the night after that. By the end of the week it was hard to determine how many thousands were now going out with me on these "virtual walks" in hundreds of cities and towns, but it had taken off like a rocket and so we all went walking every night from that point on.
Now it's 250 days later. What a simple, great idea that person had! Some have asked, "Why are we walking?" "What's the cause?" There is no cause other than to go for a walk. We do it just because it feels good. We do it because we can. We do it because it's free and it takes no time. All you need to know is how to put one foot in front of the other (or, for the disabled who've joined in, by any means necessary). It's the perfect slacker/schlub activity.

I am often asked "How much weight have you lost from all this walking?" For a while I didn't understand the question. I mean, why would I want to lose anything? I have enough trouble finding my keys! Then I got it -- skinny people (1/3 of the country) want us, the majority, to be like them. That's so nice of them.

But the truth is, exercise does not work, diets do not work, feeling crummy does not work. Nothing works. My advice: Quit trying to be something you're not, be happy with the life you've been given, and just go for a pleasant walk outside. With me. Wherever you are. Get off the treadmill, stop drinking diet Coke, throw out all the rules. It's all a scam and it conspires to keep you miserable. If it says "low-fat" or "sugar-free" or "just 100 calories!" throw it out. Remember, one of the main tenets of capitalism is to have the consumer filled with fear, insecurity, envy and unhappiness so that we can spend, spend, spend our way out of it and, dammit, just feel better for a little while. But we don't, do we? 

The path to happiness - and deep down, we all know this -- is created by love, and being kind to oneself, sharing a sense of community with others, becoming a participant instead of a spectator, and being in motion. Moving. Moving around all day. Lifting things, even if it's yourself. Going for a walk every day will change your thinking and have a ripple effect. You'll find yourself only eating when you're truly hungry. And if you're not hungry, go clean your room, or have sex, or call a friend on the phone. Without knowing it, you'll starting eating like the French (there is no French word for "fast-food") -- and you will feel better. 


You do not feel better admonishing yourself or beating yourself up or setting up a bunch of unrealistic rules and goals with all the do's and don'ts that are just begging to be broken. You wanna know something? I eat ice cream every friggin' day. I drink a regular Coke every single day. I put butter on things. But I also walk every day. Some days now, I walk twice. And now I've started to do some push-ups and lifting stuff. It's building muscle, and in doing so, has created an extra furnace to burn stuff and create energy. Weird! That, in turn, makes me sleep 7-8 hours a night which is another game-changer. And all the walking and lifting makes me thirsty, so that makes me drink more water -- another huge plus!

I have no idea how much weight I've lost and I don't care. I don't care about that or diets or home gym equipment or rules about what I can or cannot eat or anything other than making sure I go on my walk today. That's it. That's the big secret. It costs nothing. I feel great. I can see my feet! There they are! Hello, feet! Wanna go for a walk? The feet say YES! Ask yours right now. And if you want, join me. But do NOT go on that walk with me if you are doing so to "get fit", "be healthy", or "lose weight". You are fine just the way you are. Only walk outside with me right now because you know it might just feel good, because it's a beautiful day, or someone is joining in with you, the fresh air is invigorating, you have to drive down to the drug store but you realize you can walk there, or simply because it's just nice to be alive for one more day. Walk to walk and nothing else -- and the other stuff will take care of itself."

Will you be joining Michael Moore for daily walks? Does knowing that it's not about losing weight or getting fit make you more likely to keep at it? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

PS. Make sure you check back in to the blog on Monday as I will be announcing more details about the workshop. There will be an amazing line-up of panelists that is guaranteed to benefit all you artists. Stay tuned!

Halle Berry, Angela Davis and More Discuss Their 'Journey to the Woman I've Come to Love'

Halle Berry: “i would probably say that i fell in love with myself after my second divorce. i think it was at that time that i realized what i was made of. i realized that i was enough all by myself.”

We've all been there, while some of us still struggle with learning how to love the womyn that we are. There are so many forces in society that tell us who we should be, how we should act and what we should look like. So, finding your footing in this world to proclaim "I love me"  is a battle that takes some time, patience and kindness to yourself.

A new book out by award-winning photojournalist, Mikki Turner, titled Journey to the Woman I've Come to Love details the stories of notable womyn who learned to love themselves. The coffee table book features celebrities such as: Halle Berry, Sanaa Lathan, Angela Davis as well as many who are out of the spotlight such as everyday executives, activists and others who are just as inspiring. The essential premise of the book is initiated with the question that each womyn interviewed was asked, "“At what point did you fall in love with yourself?”

It's great to see a timeless book like this one released. Especially one that highlights the journey of womyn of colour because self acceptance is not a topic widely covered in our communities. It's another one of those topics that is seen as not something that womyn of colour struggle with. We are often portrayed to be these strong womyn who are confident and love our bodies regardless of size. Which isn't always the case - in most cases it's quite the opposite.So many of us are living the struggle of not liking who we are in silence.

I am definitely going to check out this book as I think that it's an essential addition to every womyn's bookshelf.

You can read an interview with the author about the book as well as view a slideshow of a few quotables from these womyn over at The Grio.

Monday Motivation: Claim 2013 as your year! (and a surprise announcement)

2012 Millionaire Artist workshop

How has your first week been so far? Have you been ploughing through your to-do list or has the conviction of your resolutions fizzled and faded?

Hopefully it’s the former and not the latter. But if you have already lost your motivation, that’s okay- because there is no time like the present to start anew and declare a brand new start.

You have a whole year ahead of you – and before you know it, it will be January 1^st, 2014. So, what do you commit to achieving this year and how will you invest in yourself to make this year truly YOUR year?

If one of the things you wanted to achieve this year was to nurture your creative side and turn your passion into your life’s work I have some great news. The Millionaire Artist workshop is back!

This year’s Millionaire Artist workshop will take place February 2, 2013 with a fresh line-up of industry panelists as well as the frank advice and stories from yours truly.

The theme of the workshop will be “New Year, New You” and I’ll be announcing more details shortly including the location and guest panelists.This workshop is just the thing to help you get started with your resolutions AND stick to them. And for those of you who are already working hard to move your art to the next level we’ll have lots of tips for you too.

The last workshop had a great turn out and I received lots of great feedback. Here’s one of the emails I received after the workshop:

I have surrounded myself with complete gratitude since Trey Anthony's Millionaire Artist workshop. It was intimate and lively, yet excitable. The big click for me were the 5 things to do for your career before 8. I walked away from the workshop focused on remaining aware of my lifestyle, from where I am to where I am heading. I took out this day to look at my room, clean it and move around my bed set entirely. Immediately my thoughts were clear of clouds because my room is clear of clutter. - Tenika Francis, entrepreneur

And in keeping with tradition we will be giving away free tickets to the workshop. To enter the contest all you have to do is 1) subscribe to thetruthaccordingtotrey by entering your email address on the side panel and 2) send me an email to let me know you’ve subscribed. If you subscribe by January 16^th you’ll be entered into a draw for a free ticket, winner to be announced next week.

I will also be announcing more details (panelists, venue, etc.) in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to the blog and The Millionaire Artist Facebook page or follow me on Twitter for more info.

Let’s all vow to make 2013 the year of DOING & BEING exactly who we’ve imagined ourselves to be. Take action today. For more information, to sign up for the Millionaire Artist workshop and to enter the contest email safiab@treyanthonystudios.com.