the making of a business card

I’m heading to Vancouver early next month for the Converge Con, which is “a gathering about sexuality, relationships and activism; a place for conversations that inspire us to take action and effect change in our own communities.” And I’m pumped, I’m extremely excited. This is something that I never thought would happen – the whole presenting on my own, as a somewhat ‘expert’ (ha) – but that brought me into my favourite dilemma: what business card?

Stationary, to me, is hella important.

I have some amazing and beautiful cards for both my sweetmoon and tea&bannock sides – they are niche markets, and my cards reflect my branding on both. But after attending a few conferences and not having anything for myself as the academic (and now *blushing* as the writer), I knew this was something to have.

And this is fun for me, I’ma nerd that way. Branding is fun.

I made my way through my archives, and picked images that relaxed me, made me sigh with happiness, and made me grin. I used images from my northern Dene lands to the farm, on my Metis side. I wanted to represent. I used images from the fields overlooking the valley where I grew up, and I used a few from behind the scenes of secret sessions. Turns out I am thisclose to becoming a nature photographer.

I ordered from Moo, and they should be here by the end of the month. It was interesting to think about what I should put on there, as ‘labelling’ myself is awkward. Poet – yes, but I do more than that, I think. Storyteller was my first choice, but what I do isn’t traditional storytelling, and I didn’t want to confuse people. And ‘academic’ -well, I am somewhat of one, and will be done my comps (fingers crossed) and be a PhD Candidate by this time next month, so here’s hoping. And photographer… natch.

I’ve got my plane ticket, my hotel booked, a few creative sessions ready, and a few coffee dates set up. I work to keep my nose in Vancouver, as I hope to end up there again for a year or two after my PhD is done. It’s overwhelming to think of “when PhD is done” because for so long, this has been my goal, and now that I’m within years of it, I don’t know what now. Do I write more? Give that a go? Do I teach, see if I’m suited for that life? Do I a make sweetmoon a full time thing? Or do I keep doing what I’ve been doing, carving out my creativity when it suits, and making a living trekking out that way?

I have no answers. But I do have business cards.