Once again I’ve found myself in the midst of a busy month and sometimes when all is quiet (which isn’t often nowadays), I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not still dreaming. This, right here, is what I always wanted. And, it’s mine. To share with you.

Work with Gonzo has been moving along at warp speed – I’ve barely had time to catch my breath (finally!). I’m working on multiple pieces for the upcoming issue, all film-related. This coming week I have an interview with one of the masterminds behind The Beast of the Bottomless Lake and a meeting with local indie-film buff, Leo (from Leo’s Videos) – to pick his brain on the upcoming OIFF.

Rouge continues to be an exciting venture for me. I get to be the girly-girl that everyone knows me to be, while backing up a company that I believe in whole-heartedly. Who could ask for anything more than that?

I’m back doing some freelance work for OkanganAnchor, just an article here and there. When it comes down to it, this and OVHR are the companies that my website was built on so I’m happy to help them whenever possible.

As for other projects, I met with an owner of a local up-and-coming marketing company a few weeks back and we’re hoping to work together in the near future. So, fingers crossed!

The thrill of seeing my name, my work in print still hasn’t worn off. I somehow doubt it ever will…. And, I think there’s something beautiful in that. I have the issue sitting right beside my laptop and each day that I sit down to write, I can’t help but think of where this wonderful talent has taken me (and will continue to take me, though my best friend has me pegged for Vanity Fair. I guess we’ll see.)

All in all, life is good. And by good, I mean grand.

Life, both personally and professionally, continues to be delightfully busy – so much so that I sometimes find things to be unrecognizable. It happened in the blink of an eye, making it seem as though someone else entirely is living my reality.

What’s been going on…

The most recent issue of Gonzo went to print – and with it, my interview with Victoria Banks! I felt my breath catch as I flipped through the glossy pages, looking for my attached name. There it was, in a classic red font: Melissa MacDougall. It was a defining moment for me, having wondered for so long if I would ever see something I wrote on paper. For perfect strangers to read.

But the experience of print became 3-dimensional when Victoria Banks said in a Facebook post that it was likely the best article to have been written about her. Sigh of relief… smile of achievement… I was able to do her justice. (See link below for online version)

Rouge has been amazing – it’s a project that I have the utmost confidence in. The girls are truly dedicated to stellar performance – in style and technique. They promote feeling beautiful – from the inside out – so, as you can imagine, it’s natural to be onboard with a company when their message is more about you than them.

RAGE is still labelled: In Progress. I have pitched a few ideas for their blog, one in particular piqued the interest of the editor – and, fingers crossed, I will get the go-ahead on this assignment.

Other news…

Last weekend, I participated in a pink ribbon event – Rock the Dress. This amazing charitable photo-shoot has all proceeds going to breast cancer research, a cause that is near and dear to me. Paired with uber-talented Salmon Arm photographer Ben Ingebrigtson, you can be certain the pictures are sensational.

Gonzo has handed me an amazing opportunity to cover the reviews for the upcoming OIFF (set for July 21-25). With talk of some seriously brilliant national and international films to show this year, I’m eager to begin the screening process. Stay tuned for more exciting OIFF-related info!
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http://gonzomagazine.ca/docs/webmag/WEBGonzo0410.pdf