Fullybooked and SOFA Capsule series of talks, Coursera classes

I know I own alot of updates but please bear with me since I'm in the process of closing pages of DiabetEASE magazine. Will make the necessary updates when my schedule permits me.

Originally scheduled last August 15, the Creative talk by Amina Aranaz-Alunan pushed last August 25 at Fullybooked Bonifacio High Street. Amina is a familiar face as she is not only a model but also one of the co-founders of the School of Fashion and the Arts or known as SOFA. Married to Rafa Alunan, she is a mother of three children and is also the creative director of Aranaz bags which was started by her mother.

In Amina's talks, she shared that creativity is everywhere. She was able to practice her skills further after she became a fashion assistant for Chalk magazine and then left for Instituto Marangoni in Italy to study. After coming back, she established SOFA and became actively involved in Aranaz bags, which is one of the most popular brands carried by fashionistas in Manila.

One of the most interesting topics she told the audience is about using mood boards. A mood board is a collage that you can use as an inspiration for your collection or even for writing. I recalled having a class with Jim Paredes about using mood boards ( it was called a future board in the session) and I believe it really comes in handy because it will help you in decluttering what you want to do with your fashion collection or
 even the story you want to write about.

SOFA founder Amina Aranaz-Alunan shares he insights in creativity  last Aug 25 at Fullybooked Bonifacio High Street.

Also, SOFA had two other capsule sessions: interior design and online journalism. Yesterday, I attended the online journalism class and I have to say I definitely enjoyed it. The speaker was Carla Perlas, editor of One Mega's Celebrity Living and former associate editor of Mega Magazine.

Carla tackled blogging since it's the newest form of journalism that's happening. One of the key points she told us in the class that blogging is a SERVICE. While blogging is a form of expression whether it be personal or for media, she told us that we are still rendering service, informing our readers.

SOFA fashion journalist teacher and Celebrity Living EIC Carla Perlas shares her tips on online journalism and blogging.

She also discussed the issue of print editors and bloggers, which has become a controversial topic in the industry. She even shared a story that while she and her former boss were in a fashion event, they were asked if only two or three people from their staff can go since bloggers also had seats. Her story just shows how powerful the bloggers are nowadays. They are the new breed of ROCKSTARS, the people who command respect because of their readers.

As a journalist and a staff writer for DiabetEASE, I know that bloggers have power in readership. But I also believe that for you to be a good blogger, you have to be taught the proper techniques of writing. This is what I believe that bloggers lack. Popularity is one thing but informing is another. It's just about writing what's happening but you also have to be aware of the situation. Read books, magazines and online journals that are credible. Also, you have to find your writing style or voice because it will define who you are.

The online journalism class also gave me the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers. We even exchanged blog sites so we can check it ourselves. I also met Nikki, a fellow student who was nice enough to sit down with me and discuss topics such as writing and even issues that we believe are very important in writing and blogging. She was a PT graduate and I asked questions about the health industry since I am working for a health magazine. 

Aside from the SOFA and Fullybooked classes, I also enrolled myself in Coursera, an online group which has various subjects taught by professors from international universities. For this month, I will be taking classes on World History since 1300 and Roman and Greek Mythology. I believe that despite being a professional, learning should never stop. I really can't wait for it.

So Fierces I encourage you to never stop learning. Believe me, you'll be surprise that while you may know something, there are still things yet to be learn.

Love,
Alexa