Weaving thru traffic & stray dogs on narrow dirt roads in an oversized vehicle already had me a bit frazzled as I pulled into the dusty parking lot.
A teal wooden sign that resembled one of those vintage wall hangings you’d find at TJ Maxx (only it was the real deal) read “cuatro vientos” which I thought meant four seasons but actually means four winds. My espanol needs work.
There I was, in a developing country, walking down a gravel path leading into an empty courtyard by myself, in a place I’ve never been before to meet someone I’ve never met before. My mom would shit.
But I had homework, and I’m serious about my yoga teacher training….. because I don’t know wtf I’m doing and I need all the help I can get.
The path led me to a building I was NOT expecting. Boujie, impressively clean glass doors led into a modern yet earthy waiting room and there she was. A Scottish goddess yogi with the most beautiful bright eyes and mermaid hair. She’s so cool, I can see it. Nervous to introduce myself, I shyly waved and settled in. There was a class in session so I sat still and quiet like a kid waiting in the lobby for her mom to finish talking to the doctor.
Another set of glass doors leading into a great room revealed an aquarium full of humble warriors, each dripping sweat and loyally following the cues of the instructor. I was mesmerized. How could I not know Todos Santos was the capital of yoga in the Baja? I’m so happy I found out this way nonetheless. The shock factor fed the stoke.
Mairi introduced herself and of course had the most delicate and adorable PS I love you kind of accent. We instantly connected on more than one subject and I knew right away that the universe had taken part in our crossing.
It was a slow day at the studio so in turn and to my advantage, I got to observe Māiri teach a private prenatal restorative flow! The student - I didn’t catch her name, only her Latin, youthful, graceful presence - was surviving early pregnancy on fruit, water, and yoga. This class was surely both life giving and mini life nurturing for her and the bun.
I sat propped upon a booster under vaulted woven palm/bamboo-like Mexican vaulted ceilings with big love energy flowing all around me. I silently poured all of my observation notes onto my worksheet. I wrote down every cue and pose I found fascinating. Of course I ran out of room.
While taking part in the closing meditation, I felt a deep, spiritual connection to my inner knowing that one day I too will be surviving on fruit, water, and prenatal yoga. It is a dream that will surely come true despite what I’ve been thru, it has to, right? I mean, all my others have. Even this one I’m experiencing now.
- Namaste 🙏🏽
It was an absolutely breathtaking day island hopping with Simba Sea Trips on their tour of Phi Phi Islands yesterday!
First, the booking was so easy from their website. Second, the shuttle was a nice private vehicle with an awesome driver who arrived outside our villa on time on the dot.
After a sketchy boat trip in Bali last summer we really didn’t know what to expect. By sketchy, I mean there wasn’t even a boat dock, I was unexpectedly in water up to my chest at 6am walking to the boat lol. The boat was slow and dirty and we were breathing exhaust the entire trip. We were so happy to be there we shrugged our shoulders and laughed about it but other honeymooning couples were not so flexible, they were straight up angry and fighting haha!
Back to Thailand, we pulled up to their office at the pier and to our surprise it was beautiful! We were greeted with hot coffee and tea, water and breakfast biscuit snacks. Our tour guide Jane was funny, informative, and polite. The service was fantastic.
We hopped on the boat and began our tour which by the way only had 12 people, their max capacity for tours - unlike the other boats we saw 30-50 people crammed inside.
Cruising across the Andaman Sea at sunrise was refreshingly stunning. The water reflecting the pastel sky with glassy rolling ripples softer than butter nearly brought tears to my eyes. One of those ‘I’m so grateful to be alive’ type of moments.
Our first stop was a secluded beach on Bamboo Island. Later we discovered it’s not a secluded beach at all, 10,000+ tourists visit this beach DAILY. We couldn’t tell because we were the first to arrive, ahead of the crowds!
There we were on an empty beach, being served fresh cut fruit, banana bread, and veggie rolls for breakfast on straw mats laid out for us like kings and queens. 5 star service to say the least.
While we were there our sweet tour guide Jane came up to me and asked “are you going to sing on dis island?” I just laughed not thinking anything of it until she said “really, are you going to sing? I saw your music video on YouTube” I was shocked! Apparently their office watched my video because I booked the trip via email and my website is in my signature! I was so happy to hear they all enjoyed it. You can see it here.
We hung out here for about an hour just as heaps of other tour boats began to anchor. For the record we took all of these photos on our iphones and my gopro. The other boats were scary looking, loud, and the people were packed inside like sardines. Our boat was clean, fast, and spacious. Thanks Simba!
Next, we sped across the Indian Ocean passing countless islands and cliff faces straight out of the movies, literally, to Maya Bay. This bay is temporarily closed to allow the Coral Reef to repair and regenerate as its one of the most famous places in Thailand!
Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie THE BEACH was filmed here in the 90s. Even tho we didn’t park here, the view as we slowly drifted by for photos was worth it. This bay was actually the inspiration for our trip. We chose Thailand because Graham’s daughter is named Maya, you may have met her in my previous blog post on our tour of Beijing. On this trip we learned that Maya means Magic!
Floating right along, our next stop was
Phile Lagoon. Now this. Was. Unreal. Sputtering through this canyon of crystal clear turquoise waters and towering canyons wrapping around us to create a 3 dimensional paradise was indescribable.
We swam in the natural pond, jumped off the boat, and basked in the beauty of it all. This was also a spot where Leo starred in THE BEACH. We couldn’t have dreamed of a more incredible view.
Next we pulled up to Monkey Island just as another boat was ambushed by a huge monkey trying to get more food! He jumped right into the bow of their boat because they were throwing bananas. The monkeys were catching them and peeling them like professionals but this guy wanted more. We heard screaming and a splash as we watched them back away the monkey just dove in the water and swam back to the cliff face of the island to climb up a rope! We didn’t feed them, now we know why, but we saw many moneyed including a little baby clinging to it’s mothers tummy as she climbed!
Not far from there our tour guide Jane pointed out Viking Cave. This place looked like it was straight out of a movie starring Magellan. Viking Cave owes its name to the paintings found on the walls of the cave: they represent various types of boats, including what resembles a Scandinavian drakkar. These paintings are pretty recent, and were possibly discovers by sailors taking shelter in the cave during a storm.
Jane also explained that one of the most profitable local industries is the hunting/harvesting of swiftlet birds’ nests.
Particularly prized in Chinese culture, these edible nests are believed to promote good health and to be specifically good for the skin. A local legend says that long time ago, sailors lost their boat during a storm and got stuck without food. They took shelter here and found a colony of swiftlet, the men could survive by eating their nests which gave them enough strength to wait for rescue. The harvest of bird’s nests is a risky job, hunters climb handmade bamboo ladders in the dark to collect these precious items. Bird’s nests are sold, on average, for about 83,000 Thai Baht per kilo ($2,500 for two pounds!) Ten people own the island that Viking Cave is connected to, and they legally have the right to shoot you if you are caught inside the cave after 6pm.
Anyway we docked our boat in this area and snorkeled looking for white tip reef sharks. Jane says they are there only 50% of the time, this time the weren't! Bummer, but it was still so beautiful. The coral reef was absolutely amazing! Being an avid snorkeler back home (lol) I’ve never seen anything like it in the US.
After this we pulled up to a beach off of Phi Phi Don island and ate a delicious thai lunch at Phi Phi Cliff Beach Resort!
They served the 4 of us a freshly cooked vegan meal as everyone else ate from their impressive buffet. We ate vegetable stir fry, veggie fried rice and vegetable tempura, so good! After we ate we walked the beach and snapped some photos for Fusedhawaii.com .
We boarded the boat for our last stop at Rang Yai Island. Jane explained this stop was just for relaxing. They had a restaurant and bar right on the beach and a pearl gallery where they were selling pearls harvested right off the coast of the island. We laid on beach chairs in the shade as Jane served us fresh young coconuts and banana smoothies.
What a day! Sunrise on the Andaman sea, breakfast on bamboo beach, Island hopping between 5 different islands, swimming in two lagoons, lunch at a private secluded resort, and cold drinks on a shaded beach. We loved this tour so much we are taking another to the jungle in a couple of days!
If you’re ever in Phuket, book with Simba Sea Trips. No doubt, the best boat tour company here!
Chai Yo - Cheers in Thai.
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They are calling HEARTSTRINGS the “album of the season” but even better than that, “Let’s not get lost in its catchy tunes, for the message it relays is far more beautiful than any song in it.” THANK YOU to journalist Rianna Ronquillo for the flattering and impressively accurate review of HEARTSTRINGS without even interviewing me!
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Gimme That explained:
There was a time in my life when I finally realized that I didn't need anyone or anything in order to be happy. Nobody could get my true attention using material things, lame pickup lines or empty promises. I knew in my bones that music was the only thing that brought me real joy in this life.
A stranger once asked me "What can I give you that would make you the happiest?" to which I replied "Nothing I can't give myself."
I'm not impressed by possessions, I don't want to see fancy things, or hear excuses. I want to hear truth, I want to hear passion, I want to hear music. Give me a song I can belt out from behind a steering wheel or in the shower. Give me the kind of song you just can't help but tap your foot to. Give me a song that makes me stop in the middle of a run so I can tap 'add to playlist.' Or the kind of song that makes me smile ear to ear while I'm driving in the car with the windows down. Or the best kind of song, the kind that makes the fuzz on my arms stand up because the lyrics are speaking straight to my soul. Chicken skin.
During this time in my life I wanted music more than love, more than money, more than anything. I knew I didn't need a person to fill my head with sweet nothings - I could fill my own head with the sweet sound of my guitar. The beautiful thing about playing an instrument is you get out of it exactly what you put into it. Not more, not less.
I love this song because it's not a love song. I wrote this song for me and me only. It's great to be inspired by love, loss, or hope. But it's empowering to be inspired by your own will to be happy with nothing but the simple things in life. In my case, I just wanted to let my hair down, cut all the BS, move past my insecurities, bypass all the excuses and make some music. I wanted nothing more than to play my songs and be free.
Someone once said - "If you're looking for permission, this is it, you're allowed to be your own muse."
Touché.
Head over to the "music" tab in the menu where you can download it and hear it yourself.
As always, thank you for listening to the inside of my heart. My music. I am forever appreciative of you. Yes you, reading this right here and now. Thank you.
-VP
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Mahalo from Paradise
- VP
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I don't think the others in the boat realized how dangerous it actually was or how many things could've easily gone very wrong. Ignorance was bliss in their case. Having my strong and wise husband beside me put my mind at ease. He knew something was wrong without me even saying a word, and I didn't due to my belief that the spoken word is powerful. Manifesting unfortunate events by speaking of negative thoughts was the last thing I wanted to do. Besides, if all else failed I imagined we'd Tarzan and Jane that shit and figure out a way to make it out alive.
Despite all of my worst-case-scenario-worry I was able to soak it all in with a smile on my face (nearly) the whole time.
We floated past majestic waterfalls, 3rd world villages, jimmy rigged water irrigation systems, plush million dollar resorts, bamboo huts, and waterfront villas straight out of the travel channel. The views were ones that can only be seen from the river itself. The architecture and scenery were absolutely breathtaking.
Halfway through the trip Andre pulled over at a sketchy looking "rest stop" on the river. We were greeted by two happy Indonesian women, a refrigerator filled with cold drinks sitting on the river bank, a basket of chips, and coconuts laying in the mud. The women sat under a tarp structure and yelled "Come now and rest, one more hour raft and two hundred stairs more. You must eat and drink. Eat now, pay later no problem!"
We were refreshed by the coconuts after they machete chopped them open for us. The Iranians took selfies as we brushed up on our Balinese speaking skills and munched on indo chips that tasted like the dry saimin I would eat as an after school snack in the 3rd grade.
We hopped back in the raft and continued on. We creeped through a canyon where the walls were covered with intricate designs carved artfully into the rock. The sight of it all was jaw dropping.
All the while our Iranian boat mates sang songs of their country in Persian. They a were loud, enthusiastic, loving, and a crazy musketeer-like group of three. They left me with a lovely curiosity of their culture.
At the end of the float we hiked up the 200 some stairs we were promised. Near the top there were locals trying to sell us trinkets and clothing and clutter for 60,000 rupia a pop. (just over 4 bucks.) If I had money on me I would've bought something just for their efforts. I'm such a sucker for supporting the locals, even in my hometown. We popped out of the jungle onto a chaotically busy road with cars and scooters whizzing by, just a short block from our start point.
We made it back to our sweet driver Ketut, who waits patiently smoking cigarettes and chatting up the other locals while we slay our tourist activities. Seeing something/someone familiar gave me a sense of safety again. His huge smile was contagious and reminded me to smile myself. In that moment I realized, Holy shit guys we survived.
For the record, I don't think I gave Andre enough credit, that man was smart, swift, and knew what he was doing. Maneuvering a boat ten times your weight through all of those obstacles with little help from your guests is no easy task. We kindly thanked him with a tip for getting us down the river safely.
Rafting in a 3rd world country was about the same kind of fun as skydiving for me. An incredible and mind blowing activity that we were lucky enough to enjoy un scathed, but probably won't push it and do it twice too close together. Nevertheless, once again life serves the risk taker. Another adventure down. Thank you Bali, for the unforgettable experience of white water rafting down the Ayung river.
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I turned 28 on May 5th. 🎈
My one birthday wish was to release my debut single for the world to hear. 🎵
AND IT CAME TRUE! 🎉
"Butterflies" is available on iTunes! Click the photo to navigate there now.
Wherever you are, pretty please download it, post it, bump it, jam it, and share it with your friends & family!
Music is truly the gift that keeps on giving, and being able to share mine with you is the greatest birthday gift of all. 🎁 📀 🎧 🤘🏽
-VP
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"Born on the Big Island and raised in southern Oregon, singer-songwriter Victoria Prince has it all: talent, brains and beauty.
After earning a degree in audio engineering at the Art Institute of Seattle, Prince moved back to Hawaii where she now calls Kona home. A full-time performing musician, she is currently working on her first studio album. Yet while her life appears something out of a storybook, Prince’s life wasn’t always fairy tales and princess parties."
Follow the link for the full story!
]]>Often people ask me how I ended up in Hawaii, how I became a swimwear model or a full time musician, how I met the man I am soon to marry, how I find the motivation to compete in body building competitions etc.
The truth is it has been one gigantic crazy beautiful mess. Literally. It has been a combination of unfortunate events, luck, terrible decisions, addiction, depression, optimism, trial, error, small accomplishments, huge failures, and a heaping pile of hard work. The kind of hard work that makes you want to crawl into a hole and hibernate for months at a time while contemplating never showing your face to the world again. It. Has. Been. Exhausting. But so worth it. I think people are asking these questions not only out of curiosity but also because they want to pursue something in their own lives but don't know where to start?
In that case, it doesn't really matter where you start as long as you start something. All you have to do is make a choice to start taking small steps in the right direction. Its incredible where your own two feet can take you if you just point them in the direction of your wildest dreams. Then one step at a time, before you know it, you're there. You made it. And then you think "but what is making it?" And you keep going, with a whole new set of wildest dreams and the journey continues.
For the record, I am not the greatest singer, I'm not the best guitarist. I'm not the prettiest model or the strongest athlete. I'm just me. I smash it all together, I do my best, I don't give up, and here I am. I face my fears and present this semi-organized mess to the world and hope for the best. That's all there is to it. All we can do is our best, when we do, we cannot lose.
Furthermore, Comparing one journey to another is like comparing sushi vs. donuts in a culinary standoff. While sushi is delicious, and everybody likes donuts. Would I ever eat the two together? Probably not, but they are equally enjoyable in their own way. They simply cannot be compared. My point is, don't worry about what other people are doing, they are in an entirely different category with a completely different set of circumstances, strengths, weaknesses, and priorities. Ive had many people perceive me to be "selfish" because sometimes following your dreams looks that way. Until wahlah - your "evil plan" to brave the world and create your own happiness looks like a masterpiece and then suddenly they wanna know how you did it. What we must understand is that there is no way to happiness, happiness is the way. If you love what you're doing its going to look like perfection from the outside but only you will see know hard it was to get there. Only you will know the struggle. And thats ok.
Your journey is beautiful and crooked and just as it should be. If you get lost just ask yourself what you can do today to continue your journey toward whatever it is you want out of this incredible life we are gifted.
-VP
]]>This is not reality.
Nothing is perfect.
Not our bodies, not our food, not our experiences.
Every person, place and thing is flawed by design.
Nothing NEEDS to be enhanced.
Not our bodies (no plastic needed), not our food (no GMO's needed) not our photos (no filter needed)
Our lives are beautiful, raw, real, painful, and miraculous, but far from perfect. That is what makes life, life. Every flaw we bare makes us who we are.
While I too am guilty of slapping the prettiest filter on my selfie, I'll be the first to admit that I do not have perfect skin, brows, or pearly white teeth. (In fact one of my two front teeth is an 11 year old yellowish/greyish crown that needs to be replaced.) I have cellulite, I'm short, I sometimes sing off-key, I'm so blind I can't live without glasses or contacts. I have a gallery of killer modeling photos and a full time career as a singer but I am not - nor do I ever claim to be - perfect.
On the contrary I do believe in posting only things that bring me joy. I choose not to post negative things (aside from your usual basic white girl complaint about it being monday). My highlight reel is something I enjoy looking back on through the years as I document my favorite moments, but this is not to be confused with the whole "my life is perfect" charade. I have bad days too! Hell, I have weeks where my period cramps are so bad I could literally morph into Agustus Gloop and consume an entire Chocolate factory.
So the next time you're scrolling through Instagram when you should be getting ready for work, remember you do not need Botox because Kylie Jenner has perfectly plump lips. If your spaghetti dinner doesn't look like an Olive Garden advertisement you are not a bad mom. And if you have freckles for crying out loud skip the horribly obvious face tune app filter and flaunt them because they are beautiful. You are beautiful. And so is your life.
Speaking of freckles: I am a firm believer that freckles are one of the only things in beauty that you simply CANNOT fake. I mean, in recent beauty trends they try, but in my opinion they fail miserably. That is one more damn good reason to flaunt them. Stay tuned for a song on my upcoming album titled "Freckles" :)
Anyway, this blog was inspired by this photo I took today #NoFilterNeeded.
Here's the thing about photos - It's literally impossible to capture a beautiful moment with your iPhone the way you see it in real-time. This always reminds me to put my stupid phone down and enjoy a moment as it is passing by instead of trying to document it. I'm making a resolution right here right now, to do exactly that. I also want to read more books in 2017 and less social media, And to interact/hangout with my friends more in real life! Who's with me?
-VP
]]>I want to write about something I recently recalled about a bully from my High School.]]>
Now, I was bullied throughout my life on many occasions by many different people. But this particular bully was someone who was supposed to be a mentor or a leader. She was highly educated and well respected at my school. This bully was my teacher.
This woman took time out of her day to SPECIFICALLY pick me out of the crowd in the lunchroom. She mustve been upwards of 50 years old. I honestly could not for the life of me, figure out why she had it out for me. When I finally worked up the courage to ask her what her deal was, she hastily explained, "You are NOT supposed to be sharing school lunch with other students."
WHAT!? I remember thinking: "Is this lady serious?"
Vanessa (my hanai cousin raised more like a sister) and I shared everything. Our clothes, our friends, our twin bed, and our school lunch. We may not have appeared poor but we were in fact living below poverty in the Kerby Trailer Park. That year Vanessa qualified for free school lunch like usual. My mom had just gotten promoted at her new job, putting us just above the cutoff. Despite the fact that she could barely cover the costs of supporting a family while my dad was out of work due to disability, the system determined that I no longer qualified. SO we shared. Big deal right?
My Teacher didn't think so. She started out by giving me dirty looks and pointing at me to intimidate me and let me know she saw me. It progressively got worse over time until she would verbally confront me in front of my peers. This went on for weeks. I remember trying to hide from her by eating in another teacher's classroom. Vanessa and I thought this was absolutely ridiculous and we decided we weren't going to let her stop us from sharing a meal like we frequently did in and out of school.
We would crack jokes that she was racist because we were a little more ethnic-looking than most of our classmates. Comic relief didn't change the fact that I was haunted by her every day.
While the cost of lunch was only around $3 per day, that was still more than I was willing or able to pay if I didn't have to. While $60 per month may have been affordable for upper class people such as My Teacher, it certainly was not for me. My family could barely afford school clothes, and at this point in my life I was happily busting my tush working at the local Dairy Queen for $7.25/hr to buy my own clothes so my mom could spend more on my little brother.
My Teacher ended up calling my mom into the office for a meeting on the issue and my mom was utterly appalled at the entire situation. Still there was nothing stopping this woman from punishing me. Eventually this resulted in My Teacher placing me on "Academic Probation" - I was Vice President of the student body and she finally got me to sign a contract stating that my position would be revoked if I did not comply. So she won. My mom started packing me lunch.
To this day I can't help but cringe at the fact that this woman spent so much time and energy trying to stop two poor girls from feeding each other. Maybe there were federal guidelines about sharing school lunch that I am unaware of, maybe there are real rules beyond her nit-picky bully power trip. Regardless of her reasoning, If children are taking it upon themselves to feed each other shouldn’t that be of more concern? Shouldn't that be morally allowed?
Speaking of school clothes, here's another bully. Rewind a couple years prior. My mother and I hitchhiked 30 miles to the nearest Walmart so she could buy me some school clothes for the start of my 7th grade year. I remember going home with my new stuff feeling excited and accomplished. I was so proud of my mom that she didn't let the fact that she didn't have a car stop her from getting me some new clothes. While hitchhiking is probably not the safest thing to do, fresh out out of options she made it happen so that I could feel confident on my first day back in the shark tank that is Jr. High. I felt so loved.
The next day I stepped off the bus and walked through the doors of Lorna Byrne Middle school. I was optimistic about the new year. As I excitedly wandered through the hallway I walked past a group of popular girls. I so wanted to be like them. They were so cool. All the boys liked them. I made eye contact with a pretty blonde girl but nervously looked away.
She said:
"What are you looking at? Fucking 4 eyes. Ugly Bitch." They laughed.
My heart skipped a beat but that insult was nothing new and so unoriginal. I kept walking as if it didn't bother me. I guess she didn't like that I had no reaction to her insult so she said something else.
This time she yelled.
"NEXT TIME YOU GO SHOPPING WHY DONT YOU GET SOME PANTS THAT FIT YOU! Fat ass." They laughed hysterically.
My world stopped. I quickly looked down to see my pants dragging on the ground. They were too long. I was just under 5ft tall at the time. My mom couldn't find shorter ones but I told her:
"It's ok mom, I'll just fold them, nobody will notice."
I was wrong. My heart sunk. I felt the blood rushing to my face. My mind raced, "Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry." Every ounce of pride and confidence I had about my entire new wardrobe was crushed.
I went home from school that day dreading the moment my mom would ask me how my first day was. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was the worst day of my adolescent life. I don't think I ever did.
My heart aches for all of the people who fall victim to bullying. The truth is, I still find myself face to face with bullies even in my adult life. Why? Because children who are bullies grow up.
They become the guy at the bar yelling obscenities and picking fights. They become the jealous girl at the meeting that deliberately makes you feel unwelcome. They become the Facebook "friend" you end up blocking due to his rude comments. They become the girls who pretend to be your friend to your face but talk trash about you amongst themselves thinking you'll never hear what they say about you. (And then you do.) These bullies grow up to become the mean co-worker, the unfair boss, the frenemy.
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. Even my teacher, did she have nothing better to do than hunt me down at lunch every day to make sure I wasn't sharing a piece of pizza and a chocolate milk?
As I sit here close to tears reminiscing at what I experienced in school, I am still shaken by the cruelty of others.
These were just two instances out of many. Dear bullies, past and present: I forgive you, but I will not forget you.
"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, But people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
Thank you for being so cruel that I have the courage now to share my story in hopes that it will help others. I show my scars so others may know that they too can heal.
13 Million kids will be bullied in the US this year. This problem is real. This problem is being ignored. If you or someone you know is being bullied you may find comfort, information, and help at www.thebullyproject.com
Statistics show that the most effective way to cope with bullying is to be educated on bullying. I can rattle off all of the facts but the most important one is: IT'S NOT YOU. It is not your fault. You have done nothing wrong. Bullies thrive on bringing down innocent people and the misfortune of others. They are the villains of society. In a world full of bullies, Be a batman.
Kindness is free. It costs $0 to be a decent person.
And you know what they say?
How's that for school lunch?
All jokes aside, Be kind my friends.
-VP
You can donate to my full length album fund right --> HERE.
Not into it?
Click the link "Tip Jar" in the menu of my website anytime in case you change your mind.
Thank you Chuck! My loyal periscope follower for talking me into it. Also if any of you would like to tune into my live performances without leaving home follow me on Periscope @Vprincemusic.
Sing to you soon!
-VP
Ps. Here's me drowning a guitar for the sake of an awesome photo. RIP.
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Additional entry: Follow me on Instagram and DM me!
Good luck! I'm so excited to give you some goodies from my favorite brands!
However, while I am surrounded by magnificent scenery nothing is ALL rainbows and butterflies.
In my experience there are Pros and Cons to every situation. I'd like to elaborate on this.
So lets start with the bad news shall we?
Doing what you love.
1. Its really HARD.
Do what you love they said, It'll be fantastic they said. For every YES I've gotten 100 no's. Doing what you love is a gigantic privilege granted only with massive amounts of hard work. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you are "lucky" if you're out there doing what you love for a living, you surely worked your buns off to get there.
2. You have to simultaneously care about what other people think while not caring about what other people think. Does that sentence even make sense? Let me explain: For example, Im a performing musician. My job is to entertain other people, therefore I have to care about what they think. I have to make sure I am doing my job by entertaining them and playing music they enjoy. At the SAME time, not everyone is going to like me, my music, or my style. They say you can be the ripest juiciest peach in the world, there is still going to be someone out there who doesn't like peaches. If someone doesn't like what you're doing thats fine. But you're gonna have to learn to decipher which opinions matter and which are irrelevant. You've got to care without caring if you know what I mean.
3. Drunk people. There is always that one drunk guy yelling "Freebird" when I ask if anyone has any requests. And while this con may only apply to my particular dream job you've got to take into consideration that the world is full of assholes and they aren't always drunk. For instance: (Hypothetically) You're pitching an amazing proposal to a group of people for your new business, then there's the "what if" guy in the background naysaying and shooting down all of your ideas. F that guy. Keep doing what you're doing.
4. When your passion becomes your main source of income it can become stressful. When this happens, look at what you COULD be doing for money. I like to take a moment and realize that I am there playing my guitar for tourists instead of serving hipsters on taco tuesday with Mexican beer dripping down my leg.
5. Time management issues. When you are your own boss it can be hard to get motivated to meet personal deadlines. Take it from the biggest procrastinator ever: Ive been a performing musician for 10 years, I have a degree in audio engineering and I still haven't recorded my album yet! (Happening this dec by the way so stay tuned.)
1. "Get a real job" Heard that one before? Guess what? This IS your real job! Because you didn't listen to all the naysayers!
2. Purpose. When your passion becomes your purpose, now that is one of the most gratifying feelings in the world.
3. Happiness. Honestly, you landed your dream job. What more could you ask for?
4. Entrepreneurship. Most of us ended up doing what we loved because we hated all the jobs other people had for us. Being your own boss is pretty freakin amazing if you ask me.
5. Freedom. While there are a lot of things in my life that take serious commitment to obtain or sustain: I have an amazing amount of freedom in my self made career. I can take a month off for christmas without an ear full from my boss. I don't have to deal with pesky customers or managers on a power trip etc.
Basically: If you're out there busting ass doing what you love and you have moments of total breakdown the equivalent of Britney Spears in 2007 I'm here to tell you, you are not alone. Its not always easy, but its always worth it.
Keep jamming my friends.
-VP
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There is nothing that makes my creative heart light up more than working with other artists to collaboratively create something beautiful. This is just a peek from behind the scenes at what we do together. I'd like to thank the following artists for dream teaming with me. Each of you inspire me to continue to do what I love. Each of you are passionate, kind, and full of life. Thank you for being you.
*Artists listed by instagram username*
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"Sights and Sounds"
A Danielle Zirkelbach Fenwick & Victoria Prince Collaboration.
This is a painting by my insanely talented, wise, out of this world type of friend Danielle. The thought that she put so much time and love into a painting for me brings me to tears. This is her vision, and these are her words:
"This is how I feel about your music,
I feel so many different colors, and emotions, that I drift.
It's like a wave of change, refreshment comes over me when I listen.
The magic of your life, your struggles, your past, and your present are felt!!!!!
You make magic, so her ear-phone is connected to the universe, because your
letting the universe live through you. And the reason she only has one earphone is
because people like you and me have to be aware of many thing... we don't have
the privilege of working full time on our dreams, but this allows us to notice more in
all worlds. Your music evokes things you can't say, just feel.
I'm so proud of you."
I am moved. I am inspired. I am forever grateful. This right here keeps me going after my dreams. You my friend, are extraordinary. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and with all of my soul.
To find out more about the amazing story behind this painting, visit Danielle's site at www.daniellezirk.com in the next day or two for details....."