Branding Photo Shoot with Author Cindy Ingram – Dallas Frisco Branding Photographer – Me Ra Koh
We could not be more thrilled to introduce you to this brilliant, passionate author, Cindy Ingram. Cindy is author of Art Is About Being Whole, A Memoir. She so beautifully tells her story of moving from a place of shame and anxiety to a place of wholeness in a unique and special way that instantly captivates the reader. On a recent day off, I sat down and completely lost track of time reading her beautiful book. It is a work of art!
CREATING A CAPTIVATING AUTHOR BRANDING EXPERIENCE
I have a PASSION for helping authors rise with their book vision! We’ve helped several authors capture their book cover, author photo, website and marketing photos for a successful book launch. When an author calls, we start with a 45-60 minute dedicated call about their ideal reader. I have over a dozen questions I’ve compiled from the last twenty years of being a published author myself. These are questions I’ve learned to answer in helping my own six books find success.
Even when Random House, one of the largest publishing houses in the world, published my photography book series, the marketing I did still played a major role in the success of my books. No one can help the success of a book like an author! This is why FIORIA dives so deeply into the language and visuals of how to best connect with the author’s ideal reader. THIS is FIORIA’s Author Branding Experience.
We loved every minute of capturing the very heart of Cindy and her book vision and are so excited to be sharing it with the world. Her ability to utilize many forms of art to tell her story is a form of art in itself. She is passionate, knowledgeable and dedicated to sharing her expertise and heart with the world. We were amazed at how Cindy was able to share her struggles with such grace and vulnerability and turn her darkest days into a purpose of spreading light for others going through similar challenges.
BRANDING IS A SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNEY
A huge part of our job in helping our client’s with their branding is knowing how and when to ask the right questions. We’ve been blessed with over 20 years of experience in the realm of branding, marketing and art in the form of capturing portraits to tell a story. Our process for helping our authors first identify and then reach their ideal reader has proven successful time and time again. Our team could not be more thrilled to walk this journey with our authors and help set them up for success when it comes to sharing their talent and passion-projects with the world.
We dove deep with Cindy in figuring out who the ideal reader is for Art Is About Being Whole. We’re not just talking demographics, though that plays a role.. we want to know what the reader is feeling, what frustrates the reader, etc. And specific to Cindy’s book, what type of healing does the reader long for? By asking these questions and walking Cindy through our process, we were able to get her closer to identifying not only who her ideal reader is but how she should market herself to them. This is incredibly rewarding, not only with the results but through the entire journey. It is a self-discovery in a sense and really opens our authors up and helps them ‘think’ through a ‘different lens’.
SOCIETAL OPPRESSION
Cindy draws many parallels between her struggles as a child and how society teaches us what judgement and oppression look and feel like from a very young age. Her childhood was riddled with anxiety, shame and feelings of not being worthy of love. Never feeling like she could be her true, authentic self, Cindy grew up believing her role was to conform and ‘fit in’.
ACHIEVING WHOLE-HEARTED LIVING
A love of art has always been present in her life and through art she managed to find her way back to who she truly is and who she was always meant to be. Cindy is a teacher, a writer and a savvy businesswoman. Above all and perhaps most importantly, she is a fierce advocate for those who are lacking wholeness in their lives.
Finally having found wholeness in her own life, Cindy uses art as a way to explore and engage with the world around her. She hopes to, through her love of art and teaching, fight the standards of society that deter children from stepping into their own passions and accepting the qualities that make them unique. We are in awe of her ability to utilize something she loves (art) to fulfill her passion of helping others see their full potential and find their way to whole-hearted living.
USING ART AS A WAY TO CONNECT AND TELL HER STORY
Honestly, the most beautiful and captivating thing about Cindy’s book is her utilization of art to tell her story. She instantly grabs your attention and finds unique ways of sharing her perspectives and emotions. Everyone, and we mean EVERYONE, will connect with her story. Cindy strives to create warmth and safety in her workshops. She establishes openness, vulnerability and an energy of curiosity early on to help the session lend itself to playfulness, creativity and a sense of healing. It’s incredible how well she was able to incorporate all of this into her book. You truly get a sense of who she is and her passion for helping others very early on. This book is healing. It will grow you in ways that may be surprising.
DIVING INTO HER IDEAL READER
While we did mention and do believe that everyone would enjoy this book, our journey with Cindy helped us identify, more specifically, who her IDEAL READER is.. So WHO IS the ideal reader for Art Is About Being Whole? She’s is not a self-proclaimed ‘art person’, but she engages in the arts through the symphony, theatre, museums, etc. Her ideal reader is all about self-help and taking proactive steps to better themselves. Perhaps she struggles with anxiety and her own journey to overcome.
She wants to feel good, like she’s doing something in the world she truly believes in and cares about. She strives to be 100%, unapologetically herself, free from wearing masks and from weighty, societal expectations. Perhaps something is missing and she has this urge to find her own path.
When we asked Cindy what she wished to give this ideal reader, Cindy said, “I wish I could wipe away all of her responsibilities. Her housework, taking care of people, buying birthday cards.. everything that makes her feel stuck. I want to help her ignite the inner fire that is telling her to travel the world, pick up a paintbrush or just to take a break and connect with herself fully. I want more than anything to help her catch her breath and remember who she is and that she has value.”
Cindy offers a variety of workshops and a 12 week long program called Art Connection Circle, where she essentially helps her clients in their own self-discovery process. She works tirelessly to help them solve some of their problems by giving them the space and grace to rediscover a passion for life through the utilization of art as a tool.
A CLIENT’S POINT OF VIEW – BRIDGET
Bridget is a middle school Art Teacher who is a HUGE FAN of Cindy’s and spoke with us about how deeply Cindy has impacted her life and work. She was the first person to sign up for Cindy’s Art Connection Circle, and she says it completely changed how she teachers art!
We asked Bridget to list the top 3 qualities that describe Cindy’s impact (on Bridget). First, she noted Cindy’s passion. “It’s hard to find someone like her who is so well-rounded yet so passionate about what she does. She has a lot of experience and brings an all-around view to everything.” Next, Bridget says Cindy deeply believes in the power of art and is very good at guiding people to figure out how they connect individually to it, on whatever level they are able. Last, she says Cindy is an expert and so very genuine. “When she teaches you to look at artwork, you really need to think about a couple of things: how does it make you feel inside? And what does it make you think of? Cindy’s way of thinking has really opened up many discussions through her incredible ability to see into other people’s lives.”
We asked Bridget, “What does Cindy give that she might not be aware of?” We loved her response and hope Cindy really takes it to heart. “Cindy gives you that deep sense of value. Like your opinion and what you think and what you bring to the table/discussion is so valuable. It’s confidence-boosting but also a domino effect in noticing how your point of view, though perhaps it differs from others, can be impactful. Her method of, ‘connect to it, take from it and share your own’ becomes so applicable to life. Any artwork is open to your personal interpretation and it’s just as valid as the artist’s.”
A CLIENT’S POINT OF VIEW – LAURA
Laura and Cindy met through a network of blogger conferences as Laura is a blogger. We asked her to also describe Cindy’s impact. First, she noted how Cindy is a rare combination of qualities. She is a mix of someone who can be extremely creative, soulful and emotional with a deep background in art, but who also has a really impressive business strategy and acumen. Her next word was ‘solidarity’! Laura says she’s gone to Cindy for advice and brainstorming and she’s always there to support her and help her process things, not only as a blogger but also as a mom and woman. They have a lot in common.
The last thing she describes is how impactful Cindy’s coaching connection is. “She makes it personal and helps find ways to resonate with each person. She helped me hone in on the roots of where my work avoidance was coming from. Cindy reached me not only on an emotional level, but also helped me find solutions of systems and habits that really helped me out on a daily basis.” Sounds like we all need a Cindy in our life!
We also asked Laura what Cindy gives that she may not be aware of.. Laura said, “Her willingness to be authentic, even when something is not status quo. She’s authentic in how she writes, what feelings are brought out by art–not the content that is the standard of social media. It’s really meaningful. It is unique and authentic to her and really stood out to me. Cindy is someone that really helps you connect in a very authentic way.”
A CLIENT’S POINT OF VIEW – STEF
Stef has been an art teacher for over 30 years! She’s currently teaching in a small school with 100 deaf students in Long Island, New York. Stef describes Cindy has authentic, first and foremost. We’re sensing a theme – and we’re here for it! Stef said, “She’s not interested in providing cookie-cutter ideas but instead gives you inspiration and helps you feel your inner passion. Everything she creates is for our toolbox and she does it in a way that is so beautifully tailored for you. Her content makes you a better educator and the very best version of yourself.”
Next, Stef said Cindy is a natural support. She’s super supportive which makes her a natural mentor. Cindy is all about you doing what is best for YOU. She’s not inventing the wheel but helping you be the best version of yourself. Naturally, what came next to describe Cindy is EMPOWERING. “She a light in the darkness. She wants to talk about the process and help empower you to find the answers.”
“When I would complain that I felt like we lost 2 years due to covid, Cindy would say instead, “we gained 2 years of valuable lessons.” Stef says something that Cindy’s gives that she may not be aware of, is a perspective shift, exactly when you need it most. “She’s really good at finding the positive in all situations while also staying grounded in reality. She has empathy to give as she’s been in the classroom before and understands what I’m going through. If you’ve read her story, you know she had some very challenging teaching years with a difficult population. Cindy took the struggles and made it into something beautiful – now supports the rest of us who are struggling! She’s a wealth of resources and wisdom and always ready with much-needed inspiration and a kickstart.”
ART IS ABOUT BEING WHOLE: A MEMOIR
Just as there’s emphasis placed in Cindy’s book about the importance of being whole, we, too, had to take a step back and look at the whole picture. Branding isn’t just about sales. It’s so much deeper than that. It is truly about story telling but in a way that so beautifully expresses the heart of who the author is and what they are passionate about. We greatly enjoyed gathering so much key information from Cindy through the guided practice that we’ve developed. But we also gathered so much through speaking with Cindy’s clients. All this is equally as important and gave us a holistic approach to understanding who Cindy is at her core.
It is not lost on us that our journey with Cindy’s branding was so in-step with how Cindy approaches teaching, writing and running her business. Self-exploration, deconstructing notions that no longer serve you, dissecting your passions to find your WHY.. these are tools that we used with Cindy to help her with branding but also 100% tools you will get from reading Art Is About Being Whole and working with Cindy through her workshops and programs.
We are fervently recommending this ‘piece of art’ to anyone and everyone we encounter who is struggling with the day-to-day and ready to re-ignite passion in their lives!
Are You Writing a Book?
How can we help you? Do you have a book within you? Maybe you have a book coming out, like Jen Mango or Dayna Abraham, and you need help with the book cover, solid marketing plan both visually and strategic.
Are you an author looking for next-level help with branding and telling your story?
Have you gone through struggles, challenges and OVERCOME? Are you ready to share your journey with the world around you in hopes of leaving the world a little better than you found it?
FIORIA is here for you! Author Branding is one of our specialties and passions! Let us come alongside you to create a dynamic and impactful set of tools that gets to the very heart of YOU and leads you to SUCCESS. We are so very passionate about this and would love to speak with you about your book project and all the amazing things you have to offer this world!
CLICK HERE for all the details on our Author Branding Photo Shoot Experience!
GEAR USED
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