Discover in 2010

Photos by Seema Kumar

As 2009 ends and 2010 begins, we move into the new year with new hopes and expectations from the coming year. The hope for a new dawn, new beginning and cherished dreams come true.

The photographs here were taken by me in November 2009 during sunrise at my native place. I took lots of photographs of early morning and sunrise. At the beginning of the new year, I would like to feel the same freshness that I experienced that day at dawn, amidst nature.

I read somewhere,

"Before we discover, we must explore"

the exploration has been going on for many years and shall continue lifelong as exploration must always go on. I hope the year 2010 brings about discoveries and open new avenues. I start this new year with hope,faith and enthusiasm.

Original momentun isn't enough to keep you moving forward

Today, my table calendar reads:

"Progress in life, business, or any project comes through taking initiative and continuing to press on with new strategies, concepts and plans. The original momentun isn't enough to keep you moving forward. Your progress will grind to a halt unless you refill your engine of inspiration with the fuel of fresh ideas."

How true and inspiring !! Quotes like these are also the '"fuel" to continue to be motivated and keep going. The original moment to good to start something, but to sustain, retain, keep growing and moving forward, fresh new ideas, motivations and inspiration is always required.

In a world of negativity, I think that although sometimes it IS difficult, yet it is very important to continue to be self-motivated with things like positive thinking, speaking, listening and reading and most importantly positive self-talk (I think it works amazingly).

Overcoming Writer's Block ?

Today morning while I was driving to office, I was thinking about my current status in terms of an artist, a witer, a teacher, a blogger, etc. Too many profiles.. ? Maybe yes, but they all have to go hand in hand, simultaneously.

When I had joined IAM as Assistant Professor, I had thought I would get a lot of time to read and write and I would also be able to update my blog regularly. Contrary to that I have hardly been able to update my blog in the last one year or more. Not that I have not been able to read and write. I have read a lot, and written a lot of lectures and prepared presentations for my lectures for Apparel Merchandising, Fashion Forecasting and Product Development, Fabric Knowledge of Knits and even Design Drawing and Illustration. I have learned a lot in the process and also enjoyed while learning.

However, my writing and updating for my blog has been quite limited, rather quite negligible. Had the 'Writer's Block' effected me or I had just been too busy with other roles and responsibilities ? Whatever the cause may be, today I decided to start writing and updating my blog regularly. Whatever topic may be, I have to just be active and find time to continue writing even in my busy schedule... and instead of procastinating, I am starting today itself :)

Industry Programmes and Workshops at IAM

Institute of Apparel Management (IAM) has announced a series of industry focused workshops for professionals working in the fashion and apparel industry who wish to upgrade themselves by acquiring skills and knowledge necessary for their career progression. These workshops are focused on different streams like management and merchandising, design, retail and technology.

Institute of Apparel Management (IAM) promoted by AEPC Society for Human Resource Development under the aegis of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) is an industry driven institution offering professional programmes with sector specific and industry driven careers in the fast growing apparel industry. The college was established to meet the industry requirement for trained managers and design professionals, with a broad base of applied and management skills typical of the apparel business.

The workshops have been developed keeping in mind the following :

1. There is need for effective and focused training and development in a dynamic business environment.
2. Regeneration and up-gradation of management and design skills is required to meet changing business and market needs.
3. With the expansion of different sectors of the consumer goods and lifestyle products industry there is a need for professionals with in-depth and broad base of knowledge.
4. Shorter shelf life of lifestyle products requires innovative, pre-emptive and pro-active management styles to maximize business potential.
5. To be at par globally with international developments, businesses or the managers in fashion trade today need to continuously improve themselves through workshops and training programmes for their employees.

Industry Programmes and Workshops being offered by IAM is structured to address the current and emerging need of the industry to upgrade and train professionals who are already a part of the industry, working at different levels.

These workshops are for short duration. The participants shall be awarded a certificate from IAM on completion of the workshop.

One of the recent workshops in which I am teaching as Co-faculty is 002-Fashion Figure Drawing & Fashion Illustration

More information is available on www.iamindia.in or e-mail: industryprograms@iamindia.in

Surajkund Crafts Mela

Surajkund Crafts Mela, near Delhi, is a gathering of skilled craftsmen and artisans. The beautiful and coulourful sights are worth capturing.

This year I visited this fair as a Faculty along with the students of IAM and got to take a lot of photographs. Here are some of them.. for a glimpse of the fair.

Mela also celebrates the rhythms of folk theatre.

A rural ambience s created for the urban audience. Cuisine, culture and crafs combine to make the fair a colourful and memorble one.